Yesterday while flipping through some music channels, I stopped for a while on VH1 who were playing an ad for a show about Bob Marley they were going to put on. The ad talked about how Bob Marley was one of the strongest promoters for the Rastafarian religion…etc.
But wait, I never knew that there was such a thing as a Rastafarian faith.
Of course, I’ve heard a lot of reggae songs over the years and have heard a load of the words: rasta, rastaman, jah, rastafari, babylon …etc. But never did it occur to me that there was a religion behind all that.
So today, I hit the net for some research and thought I’d share with you my interesting findings.
Rastafari, as a word, originated from the title Ras Tafari that Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia used during his time as tenure Regent and Crown Prince (1916-1928).
Meanwhile the Rastafarian (a.k.a Rastafari) religion developed in the 1930s in Jamaica under the influence of Marcus Mosiah Garvey’s “Back to Africa” movement, a movement encouraging people of African ancestry to return to their ancestral homeland.
In this religion Haile Selassie is seen as God, the Black messiah who will lead the peoples of Africa and the African diaspora to freedom.
This belief is based on the fact that his official titles of King of kings, Lord of lords, Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah and with the Root of David, are to be found as the titles of the returned Messiah in the New Testament book of Revelations. Their belief in the incarnate divinity of Selassie began very shortly after his crowning.
The Rasta dream is that Haile Selassie will call the day of judgement, when the righteous shall return home to Mount Zion in Africa to live forever in peace, love and harmony.
Haile Selassie was never a member of the Rastafarian faith, though he refused to condemn it, as he did not want to disturb the faith of the Rastas. The Rastas were never worried by Selassie never claiming to be God, saying that the real God would never claim to be so just to get worldly aclaim and power.
As for the word Jah, it is the name commonly used for God in the religious movement of Rastafarianism, therefore Haile Selassie was the personification of Jah.
Babylon is an important Rastafarian term, referring to the white patriarchy that has been oppressing the black race for centuries through economic and physical slavery. Rastafarianism is defiance of Babylon, which is sometimes also called Rome.
[Researched on: Wikipedia]
سلام
نعم عزيزي هناك ديانة الراستا
لقد أتيحت لي فرصة ملاقاة فرقة الويلز التي اسسها بوب مارلي حين مشاركتها في مهرجان الصويرة في الصيف الماضي ودار الحديث حول مبادئ هاته الديانة وعلاقتها بتدخين الحشيش ونبذ العنف والدعوة الي العودة الي اثيوبيا مهد الانسان واعتبار ان الزنوج هم شعب الله المختار
اعتقد ان احسن كتاب تناول هاته الديانة هو السيرة الذاتية لبوب مارلي
شكرا لك
There is one other interesting tidbit about Selassie that doesn’t seem to have been mentioned in Wikipedia. He actually thot the Rastas a bit nuts. He didn’t agree with them, but as you found he didn’t really disagree with them either.
But then they invited him to Jamaica. He agreed, flew in and the place went nuts. My understanding is that he didn’t even stay the day. He just turned around and went right back home. The Rastafarians acted like God himself had descended, as they in fact believed.
Selassie realized how far they were from him and privately distanced himself from them and their mania and religion based upon him. It’s interesting a faith could be based upon a man who really didn’t know anything about it and eventually sort of shunned the believers, believers in him.
I can’t remember the whole deal with marijuana and the rastas, but it is an integral part of the faith, used on a daily basis at least. It’s a curious faith. Even more curious when one examines the music that came from it.
Not only did you get reggae, a wonderful music form but from that you got Ska — No Doubt the most current band influenced by the ska movement. But bigger still is the electronic bands that came forth.
All of the big reggae hits from Marley and the rest were remixed for the dancehalls. These mixes were wild stuff, long before the era of computers and electronic trickery. DJs/producers would loop cables and all sorts of things to create wicked delays in the music, something only using bits and pieces of the original sung portion of the tunes to create huge aural tapestries for the Jamaican dancehalls.
British and American bands began to get wind of this as copies of these B-sides began to get out. Bands like Depeche Mode, Echo and the Bunnymen and so many more were digging into this. Clash guitarist Mick Jones got Big Audio Dynamite going based upon these remixes. Even the bands that didn’t directly get influenced by it eventually did.
Now, as music is so possible on your computer much of what is being done electronically is what those early guys were doing to the Rasta tunes. Massive Attack is a direct descendent of this. A guy named the Mad Professor was one of the early pioneers. He’s been picked up by numerous artists for remixes of their work (Massive remixed Madonna). The professor was a bit mad, burning down his studio in Jamaica at one point.
The Rastafarian religion is indeed fascinating, in part because it’s whole foundation is just really peculiar. But also in part for what it wrought. So much of the music of the 80s — Peter Gabriel, Pete Townsend picked it up for the Who — were utilizing the skills of these Rasta remixers. That output continues to shape music today. It’s really quite amazing.
Rayhane, that’s very interesting about you meeting Bob Marley’s band, the Wailers, and talking with them about this all.
Thanks for sharing 🙂
And Jeff, thanks for all the information, you seem to know a lot about this. That’s really cool and interesting stuff.
Being a huge music fan, I’ve known a lot of the musical side of this, and I do agree that it has had a great effect on the music world.
And yeah it is quite interesting and peculiar how this religion came into existence revolving around a person who didn’t even know about it or believe in it.
I think the whole marijuana thing is a bit weird too.
GREETINGS from the most high JAH RASTAFARI! well to all who dont kno bout us look deep and you will find that nothing about rasta is weird,we just live the upful life which alot out dere can’t do, so they use words such as weird,cult,foolish,and drug heads to describe us,do to de fact dem dont understand I n I.IN fact we get stronger when this occurs,its just like the bible stated..” the new name would be terrible and dreadful in babylon letting us kno these are the days which are crucial not to loose ya head when they say those things about
I n I.weed? well i-mon no look and call it weed I call it the fathers food reason being it grows on the earth,its also known as herb…now the father tell I say “he cuaseth the grass for the cow to eat and the herb for the use of man..yes rasta so I n I just use it and meditate ..cigarettes is babylon herb cuase them put all kinda ting inside it fee kill de youth dem..u can make tea wit herb not cigarettes.well dis is just a tad bit of info on I n I the bible say seek and find so if yu wan more just search me IDRENS well I n I will just step ONE LOVE
big up all rastas in the name of jah rastarians smoke the most purest herb in whole world. remember me tell ya luv , peace and harmony big up rasta. one thing for sure we will get up and stand for our rights peace and nough respect
yo. cna i just ask, wot dus i n i mean?
cheers
i jus love dis rasta religion jus do ya thing ratsa and stay strong one day we will win and jah will judge us jus want big all de rasta jah rastafari!i n i bless all in de name of jah
Jah Blessed are those who chant babilan and free their souls and spirit from diz babilanistic views of the messire-Chant babilan and free urselves from the system….
i believe !!!!!!!!!!!!!
fire for those who dont!
an it ent no werid!!!
i understand what de rasta dem doin, yes but haile selassie, or as allyuh say, king selassie, yuh claim jah rastafari, king selsassie n yuh praise dis man who dead, allyuh dont blieve it, but you cyant see him, it say selassie was a christian, and yuh praise a man who tink yuh mad,in de bible it say ting, yes yuh read it right but you interpret it wrong, it say clearly EAT DE HERB when it ever say smoke, blaze anything of dat sort? neva, so i say wha happen to allyuh? allyuh feel yuh way is de truth ya say w/e, i not de one to disrespect so keep on, yuh say bun up we boi jesus, but when allyuh dead from waitin yuh whole life for jah to give u d signal, ull see who will BUN u or my boi jesus,
no direspect, and always love
Im thinking about becoming a ras.I just need to clear the air on some stuff
1)Did bob marley become a christian or is it a hoax/rumour because i dont believe a man who devoted his whole life to H.I.M would change so quick
2)Can white people be rastas?
3)Do you reckon you could guide me on my path as a ras? if any would be so kind ill give you my email.
Peace out and JAH guide brothers and sisters
All men were Created Equal,And Until the Nation Realizes that War will continue until there is no more.I believe Exactly what the Bible speaks in a sense within 2 thousand years Christ shall return King of King,Lord of Lords Decendant of Solomon and Sheeba Thats Haile Selassie 1st.I believe that all people are Created the same therefore there is no one Race Better than the Other. 2006 was a Bad Year for Everybody,That was the Devils year 666 but 2007 is the Exact oppisite,7 is the Holy number 777 and I’m not Referring to lottery,Sampson Had 7 locks,His Majesty Unlocked the 7 seals and to the Outlawz why do you think Pac choose the 7 day theory?
All men were Created Equal,And Until the Nation Realizes that War will continue until there is no more.I believe Exactly what the Bible speaks in a sense within 2 thousand years Christ shall return King of King,Lord of Lords Decendant of Solomon and Sheeba Thats Haile Selassie 1st.I believe that all people are Created the same therefore there is no one Race Better than the Other. 2006 was a Bad Year for Everybody,That was the Devils year 666 but 2007 is the Exact oppisite,7 is the Holy number 777 and I’m not Referring to lottery,Sampson Had 7 locks,His Majesty Unlocked the 7 seals and to the Outlawz why do you think Pac choose the 7 day theory?
Greetings in da name of His Imperial Majesty!
I&I haffi tek a lil time fi write fi those who think I&I crazy inna I&I faith. Dem people say I&I crazy fi pray a dead man but dem a keep saying dat da important thing bout Christ is dat he died fi us on da cross and dem still a praize him. Christ came first time as da lamb and him got slaughter pon da cross by Romans but da Ible says clearly dat him gwaan come back as King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Conquering Lion pf da tribe of Judah, seed of David and roots of Salomon. Him gwaan get crown in front of all nobles and kings of da world and this is exacltly wha happen in 1930 in Addis-Abbeba, Ithiopia when da 72 biggest nations of da world gathered fi crowned H.I.M.. First time he got slauther but now H.I.M. came fi conquer babylon. When da Romans came with Mussolini fi tek H.I.M. again, He never bow and chace dem out. Dem say we crazy fi praize a man who denied He was Christ but open yur Ible and check wha Jesus answer to his dissiples when dey ask Him about that. He denied exactly as Selassie I did.
Without disrespect I&I will say dat people who believe inna di Michealangelo painting of a blond hair blue eyes Christ are just blinded by babylon. Just go with yur common sense and think about a man born in Nazareth 2000 years ago, its just impossible dat He look a like what we see all da time. I&I nah here fi jugde any body cuz only da Most-High can do it but I&I just here fi show simples thing to I&I beloved people and open dem eyes fi see da truth dat babylon been hidding from I&I for centuries. If anybody waan fi reason bout it just feel free fi link I foward.
More Love, More Life, More Prosperity fi I&I human famaly.
Empress Menen I King Selassie I Bless an Sanctify