Rastafari... 100% Organic

Rastafarian Jamaica's Indigenous Culture Rooted in Ethiopia.

Jamaica has many lifestyles, as derived from the “many” which comes out of “Out of many One People”, the islands national moto.

Each nation brings to the lifestyle table. There are the Africans the most predominant, the Indians, the second most influential, the Chinese, Europeans, South Americans and so on. Of all the contributors of the Jamaican Lifestyles, the Africans, which served as the major percentage of the human resources committed to slavery in the west, offers the richest of cultures, in the formative years after abolition. Some of which participated in the African's effort to free himself. When it comes to music, the Africans drum based music, offers an alternate heartbeat, one that moves to rhythm and resonates with all races and peoples. Not to mention its communicative language purposes, rooted in drumming of Nyabinghi. Now Reggae music its offspring, is a train with many passengers. The multiplicity of the content the genre vehicles. Inarguably though the one true driver of this train is the Rasta man, with his roots and culture and constant teaching and passing of knowledge, enlightenment and spiritual moral awareness.

The Africans culture is well rooted in the acceptance of religion especially one that fashions in the image and likeness of his own people. It was Marcus Garvey that said. “We as Africans must worship through the eyes of Ethiopia”, in respect to the promulgating of a white god to black people. Jamaica has long been influenced by Europeans, specifically its colonisers the British. Obviously the tone of worship would and have been centered on around Europe's dedication to Christianity, Papacy and whitening of its symbols and images. African Jamaicans interpreted this their way and so Jamaica is known for their many churches. In that atmosphere of mis-identity, you can imagine how salivating it sounded when in 1930 after anxiously awaiting the coming of a black king, as prophesied by Marcus Garvey, years before, Leonard Percival Howell began to tell Jamaica of Haile Selassie I. And in turn the rest of the world, through its music Nyabinghi and its world accepted offspring Reggae Music. And it is all due to the spiritual yet real outlook to life and its challenges, lessons and victories experienced by the people and expressed by the rasta-man.

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The Rastaman was borne out of the struggles and hardships of the people and their yearning for a saviour. Leonard Howell heralded the arrival of the saviour, Rastafari. By virtue of calling himself rastaman, it suggests his acceptance of and declaration that he is a follower of Rastafari. Despite no commandment was made to Jamaicans by Rastafari himself to canonise and praise him, African Jamaicans, automatically synced themselves with all his teachings. The most fundamental...the acceptance and ones roots at home and abroad. The socially and religiously accepted term Rastafarian did not come easy. Even whilst Haile Selassie I was drawn into world war two by the fascist Italians led by Mussolini in 1936...rastafarians who declared their way of life was seen as seditious against British crown. They were persecuted for practicing a way of life that severed its self from society. The rastaman would not groom and kempt his appearance, he was bearded and locked. The rastaman rejected the eating habits of the norm and culinared his own delicacies, known as ital. Dishes that exempted the heavy use of sodium (salt), a danger which the rastaman warned of to be fatal. The rastaman language was intrinsically different from the prim and proper of British English grammar. He would say I predominantly to give acceptance of the God within us and everything. So when Jamaicans were given this alternative to pagan worship, it was accepted, but not without it struggles.

So where did it all began...well obviously the birth of Rastafari would be the best place to start. Christened Tafari Makonen...and born to Makonen and Yeshimabeth....Tafari was the last child for his mother who died after giving birth to him. Tafari life unfolded as if preordained and destined for the throne of Ethiopia as the 225 King and last to sit on the Davidic Throne. As early as eleven years old he was in ruler ship when he inherited his father's province and his lifes experience continued on that path. It was not until 1930 he was crowned Emperor alongside his Empress Menen. This not before being contested by Emperor Menelik's daughter Zauditu and his cousin Lidj Yassu without success. The world accepted Rastafari as Haile Selassie I ..King of Kings and Lord of Lords, indicative of the attendance of representative from all over the world at his coronation. Jamaicans in no less form accepted Haile Selassie I and gleaned what knowledge they could get of-§ him. Some information which braved the colonialist grip. And the outlawing of so called “black books” were the Holy Piby, Royal Parchment Scroll of Black Supremacy and the Promised Key written by Leonard Howell. In an atmosphere of propaganda against Haile Selassie I and persecution of rastafarian, the faith continued to grow. So much so that the struggles of Rastafarians and the people now became the content of the drum laced Reggae Music. Singers like Bob Marley, Burning Spear, Culture, Clancy Eccles, Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer among others pioneered the crop of rastafarian singers that today music continue to live and inspire subsequent rastafarian singers carrying on the work.

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Rastafari today not only influences the music...reggae but all other genres. Its influences are healthiest of eating habit. In that Rastafari encourages that let your medicine be your food and your food your medicine. So the practice of eating vegetable as oppose to flesh...and natural fruits as oppose to artificial, and so on...

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