REGGAE AND RASTAFARISM.

Reggae is a music genre that begun in the 1960's.It is a product of three other music genres;ska,mento and American R n B,heavily influenced by african traditional music.It's characterized by slow beats and a prominent drum sound.Rastarafarism is on the other hand a culture that begun in the 1920's at the Caribbean island nation Jamaica where the teachings of Black-American activist Marcus Garvey held particular sway over the majority black slave community.
Marcus Garvey,just in case you are wondering who on earth is he,was born on 17th August 1887 in Jamaica to a middle class family.At the age of 23,he began advocating for black nationalism,freedom and redemption of blacks all over the world from white rule.His campaigns kicked off in Latin America specifically panama,Costa Rica and off-course Jamaica,then 4 years later in 1914,moved on to to Babylon itself,the U.S.I have a feeling that what he wanted to do was hurt the beast where it would pain most by this move but then that's just my view.If am right,then his efforts paid off because aside from being the founder of rastafarism,he also indirectly influenced the rise of the black panthers,and the cream of it all,his ideas were quite instrumental in the civil rights movement in the U.S of the 60's.Enough of the history for now,what did Marcus actually do for rastafarism?
Well,quite a lot is the short answer.The long one is that when he began his campaigns he told his followers to look to the east Africa for the crowning of the black king,their redeemer.The idea was to divert them from worshiping king George of Eengland the colonial master,but when in 1930 Ras Tafari of Ethiopia was crowned emperor Haile Sellasie of Ethiopia,it was to the followers a fulfillment of a prophecy.Ras Tafari the king represented Messiah to them,and Marcus was now considered the reincarnation of the biblical John the baptist.Thirty years after the coming of the king reggae music,song of the rastas,was born,amid interesting circumstances because it's in the 60's that most African countries got their independence,and black Americans got most of the rights that made them equal to the whites....it was a decade of black freedom,perhaps the realization of Garvey's dream who was then twenty years dead.He therefore can be said to be the founder of rastafarism,the religion,and a godfather of reggae,the music.
some Rastafarian practices owe their origins to non-blacks.Take bhang smoking for instance,the holy herb was originally used for medicinal purposes by the Arawak aboriginal tribe of Jamaica.they then taught black slaves how to use it,and it would later become a sacrament in their worship of Jah(HAILE SELLASIE IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE).Dreadlocks wearing is another rastas thing,but its origins are in the bible,as nazarites used to wear their hair in locks as a religious symbol,Samson for instance.
Reggae music is popular in many parts of the globe,but especially in the Caribbean,east Africa,and in the U.S.It's appeal is in the simplicity and clarity of the message in the songs.It's always fun to listen and learn the words of reggae,and the often true message in the songs is quite convincing.Some of the most popular reggae artists today are the Morgan heritage and Richie spice.In the 1980's,the most popular reggae form was 'roots' and its most iconic ambassadors remain peter tosh and burning spear.Roots reggae by the way refers to those reggae songs about freedom,poverty,peace and liberation.Now you know some reggae facts.

Author:Lion Mambo.

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