The Rastafarian Religion

The Rastafarian religion originated in Africa.! It is often associated
with the poorer black population of Jamaica.! It is not just a religion, but
also a way of life.! Rastafarians speak out against; poverty, oppression and
inequality...not just religious ideas but global problems.! Rastafarians will use
the Bible for guidance.
The prime basic belief of the Rastafarians is that Haile Selassie is
the living God for the black race.! Selassie, whose previous name was Ras
Tafari, was the black Emperor of Ethiopia.! Rastafarians say scriptures
prophesized him as the one with "the hair of whose head was like wool (the
matted hair of I black man), whose feet were like unto burning brass (I
black skin)".
Selassie was not a Rastafarian himself.! He was a devout Christian.! In fact,
no one is really sure what he thought of the whole Rastafarian movement.!
When a group of Rastas went to Ethiopia to honor him, an official of the
palace told them to go away!! This did not make the Rastas question their
belief, it only made it stronger. God is not supposed to know he is God.
When Haile Selassie was reported dead, Rastas would not believe it.! They
believed that it was a trick of the media to try and bring their faith down.!
Rastafarians believe that Haile Selassie the first has trodden on to the
perfect flesh, and sits on the highest point of Mount Zion where He and
Empress Menen await the time of judgment.!
The Rastafarian name for God is Jah.!!!!!!!!!!
The Lion of Judah represents Haile Selassie, the Conqueror.! It represents
the King of Kings as a lion is the king of all beasts.! Selassie wore a Lion of
Judah ring that was given to Bob Marley at the time of Selassie's death.
Babylon is the Rastafarian term for the white political power structure that
has been holding the black race down for centuries.! In the past, Rasta sees
that the shackles of slavery held down blacks physically.! In the present,
Rasta feel that blacks are still held down through poverty, illiteracy,
inequality, and trickery by the white man.! The effort of Rasta is to try to
remind blacks of their heritage and have them stand up against this Babylon.
Ethiopia, specifically, Africa in general, is considered the Rastas' heaven on
earth.! There is no afterlife or hell, as Christianity believes.! Rasta's believe
that Jah will send the signal and help the blacks exodus back to Ethiopian,
their homeland.! Any news from Ethiopia was taken very seriously as a
warning to get ready to leave.! The belief stems from Marcus Garvey's
theme, "Back to Africa".! Although Selassie's death came before this was
possible, it did succeed in turning blacks desire to look towards Africa as
their roots.
One of the more obvious symbols of the Rastafarians is color.! These are
red, gold, and green.! These colors were taken from the Garvey movement.!
The color red stands for the Church Triumphant, which is the church of the
Rastas.! It also symbolizes the blood that martyrs have shed in the history
of the Rastas. The yellow represents the wealth of the homeland.! Green
represents the beauty and vegetation of Ethiopia, the Promised Land.!
Sometimes black is used to represent the color of Africans, to whom 98% of
the Jamaicans are descended
Ganja is used for religious purposes for Rastafarians.! Its use is written in
the Bible in Psalms 104:14, "He caused the grass for the cattle, and herb for
the service of man".! The use of this herb is very extensive among the
Rastas not only for spiritual purposes as in their Nyabingi celebration, but
also for medicinal purposes for colds and such.! The following are a few of
the many Biblical texts that Rasta embrace as reasons Jah, gave for the use
of the herb:
“ . . . thou shalt eat the herb of the field " (Genesis 3:18)
". . . eat every herb of the land " (Exodus 10:12)
"Better is a dinner of herb where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred
therewith" (Proverbs 15:17)
The true Rasta eats only I-tal food.! This is special food never touches
chemicals or is natural and not in cans.! This food is cooked, but served in
the rawest form possible; without salts, preservatives, or condiments.!
Rastas are therefore vegetarians.! Drinking preferences rest with anything
that is herbal, such as tea.! Liquor, milk, coffee, and soft drinks are viewed
as unnatural.! The term I-tal food is rapidly taking hold in the consumer
industry in Jamaica.
The dreadlocks on a Rasta's head symbolize the Rastas roots, contrasting
the straight, blond look of the white man and establishment.! It not only
shows their roots, but it is supported in the Bible: Leviticus 21:5, "They shall
not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner
of their beard, nor make any cuttings in the flesh".! The way the hair grows
comes to represent the symbol of the Lion of Judah.! This has also come to
symbolize rebellion of the system and the "proper" way to wear hair.

Reggae History

Reggae music is musical genre which is a result of the evolution and development of several other musical genres and styles. Although it is strongly influenced by Afro-Caribbean music and American R&B, reggae music primarily originated from the progressive developments of rocksteady and ska back in the 1960s in Jamaica. Bob Marley, a popular reggae musician, said that the term reggae came from the Spanish term for “the king’s music”. Today, reggae music continues to be a significant influence on many other genres such as black music, soul music and chillout music.

The distinguishing characteristic of reggae music would be a heavy and back-beated rhythm. This means that the emphasis of the beat would be on the second and fourth beat in a 4/4 time. This backbeat is actually a general characteristic of most African-based musical compositions and cannot be found in traditional Asian or European music. Another characteristic of reggae music would be an emphasis on the third beat in 4/4 time done through a kick on the bass drum. As for its harmony, reggae music often has a simple one; sometimes an entire song would have just one or two chords. Because of the simple and repetitive chord structures of reggae music, it has been sometimes described to have a hypnotic effect to the listener.

The lyrics of reggae music could somewhat be difficult to understand, as they are typically English-based but have a distinct Jamaican dialect. The common themes of the song lyrics of reggae music are usually associated with various subjects including relationships, love, religion, peace, sexuality, injustice and poverty. There are also some reggae songs with lyrics that attempt to elevate the political awareness of the audience through criticizing materialism, or through informing listeners about controversial topics like Apartheid. Some common socio-political topics which are also used in reggae songs would be Black Nationalism, anti-colonialism, anti-racism and anti-capitalism. Most reggae lyrics also reflect the traditions and beliefs of Rastafarianism, which is a religion practiced by the most famous reggae musicians of the world.

Reggae music has several subgenres. Here are some of them.

1. Skinhead reggae

Skinhead reggae originated in the late 1960s, when several reggae artists started targeting their lyrics and music to skinheads. Its difference from rocksteady would be that it has a slightly faster beat which is done by the drummer making use of the hi-hat, lower mixing of the bass, heavy organ lines and the electronic double rhythm guitar stroke. Some skinhead reggae artists would include Toots & the Maytals, John Holt, and The Pioneers and Symarip.

2. Roots reggae

Roots reggae is a spiritual subgenre of reggae, with lyrics that are mainly about praising Jah or the God of Rastafarianism. Some of the other lyrical themes of roots reggae would include poverty as well as resistance to government oppression. Most of the songs of Bob Marley and Peter Tosh are under this subgenre.

3. Dub

This subgenre of reggae involves an extensive remixing of recorded material. It is also distinguished by the emphasis on the drum and the bass line. Two of the early proponents of dub music would be Mikey Dread and Augustus Pablo.

4. Lovers Rock

With lyrics that are often about love, lovers rock is a subgenre of reggae that originated back in the mid-1970s in South London. In many ways, it is similar to rhythm and blues.

5. Dancehall

This genre was developed back 1980 and has a style which is characterized by a DJ singing and rapping over raw and fast rhythms.

6. Reggaeton

Reggaeton is a combination of reggae and dancehall music, which gained popularity among young Latinos during the early 1990s.

Today, reggae music continues to be one of the more popular musical genres appreciated by a wide range of listeners throughout the world.