Haile Selassie was born as Tafari Mekanon in the late 19th century in the African country of Ethiopia. He was crowned king, or “Ras” Tafari in the 1930s, thus fulfilling Marcus Garvey’s prophecy that decades earlier he had proclaimed, “Look east for the arrival of a black king.” Marcus Garvey is seen in the Rastafarian movement as the biblical Moses, as he was not only one of the biggest advocates of black repatriation in the Western world, but also ever since he prophetically presented and announced the coming of the Messiah. When the first Rastas learned of King Selassie’s song, they knew that Marcus’s prophecy had been fulfilled.
The first Rastafarians were not accepted by the Jamaican population in general. They were seen as dirty and filthy men who lived in the hills and used drugs, mainly Ganja, spoke against the government and believed in Jah Rastafari before Jesus. Many of the early Rastas were persecuted by their fellow Jamaicans for their religious beliefs. Rastas were also targeted by police and government officials, as they did not follow the “clean” majority and are known to consume ganja. The first accusations were made against Rastafari in the 1930s and 1940s as criminals and many robberies, murders, rapes and other crimes were attributed to the first Rastas without any proof. Discrimination continued for decades to follow, as family ties were severed when members joined rastas and the police, where they were known to kidnap dreadlocks, cut off their dreadlocks, and return them to their homes with shaved heads.
Rastas, however, were peace-loving and positive people, who practiced moral good more than many Jamaicans who discriminated against them. Strict Rastafari don’t drink alcohol, and Jamaica is well known for its spicy rums. Strict Rastafari don’t eat red meat either, and Jamaicans are also known for grilled gatherings. These Rasta men practice a lifestyle that is similar to the Biblical tradition of the Nazarenes, where they would take abstinence against many of life’s pleasures. As the 1950s approached Jamaica, Rastafarianism became increasingly popular and soon the sounds of nyabinghi warriors that the Rastas chanted in the hills of Jamaica were about to make an entrance into the city and pop culture. Jamaican and soon in the world.
Jamaicans have always had an extreme love for music. Be it the sounds of rock and roll that came from America or the tribal rhythms that many of the descendants of African slaves have kept boiling in their blood, Jamaica united the musical traditions of many cultures. From Rock-stable to Ska came Reggae music. The islands biggest claim to fame. And it was through the reggae music of Jamaica that the Rastafari movement spread its message around the world in the form of a musical prophet known to the world as Robert Nesta Marley.
Bob Marley started his music career before becoming a Rastafarian. But it was through his spiritual transformation that his music took a serious turn and headed for international stardom and associated Jamaica, a little-known island in the Caribbean, as the birthplace of reggae and the birthplace of Marley. Marley’s ability to sing and match harmonious beats of voice, rhythms, and instruments has made millions of people wonder if he was really sent by Jah to inform people. Like a messenger from God, Marley would sing to his fellow men songs of joy, songs of love, songs of pain, and songs of freedom. And it was through this style and skill that he dubbed him the “king of reggae”, a release that will never be assumed.
Rasta music is roots music. Music that bears the nyabinghi rhythm of the warrior ancestors of Africa. Rasta music is music of fire. Music that will ignite your heart and fill your soul with warmth and wonder. Rasta music is reggae music, and the spiritual guidance comes from the creator of the universe Jah Rastafari. Jah Live.
