Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 276 views

    Rastafari and Roots Reggae

    Uploaded by

    Twinomugisha Ndinyenka Robert
    Rastafari originated in Jamaica in the 1930s as a response to oppression. It combines aspects of a religion, philosophy, and way of life, believing Haile Selassie I to be the returned messiah. Rastafari spread globally through roots reggae music in the 1960s-70s, which incorporated Rastafari beliefs, chants, and drumming styles. Major artists like Burning Spear, Bob Marley, and Black Uhuru helped popularize Rastafari teachings through lyrics focusing on themes like pan-Africanism, oppression, and Jah. The movement continues to gain followers worldwide due to the enduring influence of reggae music.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Rastafari and Roots Reggae

    Uploaded by

    Twinomugisha Ndinyenka Robert
    276 views31 pages
    Rastafari originated in Jamaica in the 1930s as a response to oppression. It combines aspects of a religion, philosophy, and way of life, believing Haile Selassie I to be the returned messiah. Rastafari spread globally through roots reggae music in the 1960s-70s, which incorporated Rastafari beliefs, chants, and drumming styles. Major artists like Burning Spear, Bob Marley, and Black Uhuru helped popularize Rastafari teachings through lyrics focusing on themes like pan-Africanism, oppression, and Jah. The movement continues to gain followers worldwide due to the enduring influence of reggae music.

    Original Title

    RASTAFARI AND ROOTS REGGAE

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    Rastafari originated in Jamaica in the 1930s as a response to oppression. It combines aspects of a religion, philosophy, and way of life, believing Haile Selassie I to be the returned messiah. Rastafari spread globally through roots reggae music in the 1960s-70s, which incorporated Rastafari beliefs, chants, and drumming styles. Major artists like Burning Spear, Bob Marley, and Black Uhuru helped popularize Rastafari teachings through lyrics focusing on themes like pan-Africanism, oppression, and Jah. The movement continues to gain followers worldwide due to the enduring influence of reggae music.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    276 views31 pages

    Rastafari and Roots Reggae

    Uploaded by

    Twinomugisha Ndinyenka Robert
    Rastafari originated in Jamaica in the 1930s as a response to oppression. It combines aspects of a religion, philosophy, and way of life, believing Haile Selassie I to be the returned messiah. Rastafari spread globally through roots reggae music in the 1960s-70s, which incorporated Rastafari beliefs, chants, and drumming styles. Major artists like Burning Spear, Bob Marley, and Black Uhuru helped popularize Rastafari teachings through lyrics focusing on themes like pan-Africanism, oppression, and Jah. The movement continues to gain followers worldwide due to the enduring influence of reggae music.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    You are on page 1of 31

    Rastafari

    and
    Roots Reggae
    What is Rastafari?
    • Religion
    • Socio-political movement
    • System of beliefs and practices
    • Philosophy

    • Response to colonialism and slavery


    What is Rastafari?

    • Originated in Jamaica, 1930s


    • Now found worldwide
    • Rastafari as a global phenomenon through
    music
    Early Roots of Rastafari

    • Ethiopian Baptist Church in Jamaica, est. 1784


    by George Liele
    • Encouraged resistance to slavery
    • Less Euro- and white-centric reading of the
    Bible; black pride
    • Opposed by the Jamaican white ruling class
    The beginning of Rastafari

    • Marcus Garvey – Jamaican national hero


    (his face appears on several coins)

    • Back-to-Africa movement:
    philosophical and literal (Black Star Liner)

    • Rasta Prophet: "Look to Africa, where a black king


    shall be crowned, for the day of deliverance is at
    hand.”
    The beginning of Rastafari
    • Crowning of Ras Tafari Makonnen as Emperor Haile
    Selassie I of Ethiopia
    • First black African king in 20th C (1930-74)

    • Seen as a fulfillment of Garvey’s prophesy

    • Living God

    • “King of Kings,”
    • “Lord of Lords,”
    • “Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah”
    • (also Biblical titles used to describe Jesus)
    Rasta Music - Nyabinghi

    • The Burru and Kumina people (descendants of the


    Maroons)
    • In 1930s, some of the only surviving African musical
    traditions in Jamaica
    • Their music became known as Nyabinghi
    • Thought of as traditional Rasta music, used in
    ceremonies
    • Drums, chanting, polyrhythms
    Ex: Count Ossie and the Mystic Revelation of Rastafari
    “Grounation” (1973)
    - An example of Rasta music (Nyabinghi)
    - This style (but not this recording) predates reggae
    - Used in ceremonies and reasoning sessions
    - Can go on for hours without a break!

    - Film clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_z2CLhDJBo


    Ex: The Folkes Brothers feat. Count
    Ossie – “Oh Carolina” (1960)
    • First Jamaican pop song with Rasta drumming
    • Birth of reggae?
    • Uniquely Jamaican
    • Very important step in bringing Rastafari to
    the mainstream in Jamaica

    • Prod. Prince Buster


    Some Rastafarian Beliefs
    • Repatriation: Rastas believe that all Africans in
    the diaspora are exiles in Babylon, who will one
    day return to Zion (Ethiopia or more generally,
    Africa)

    • Many Rastas view themselves as the Twelfth


    Tribe of Israel

    • Haile Selassie I was/is the living God


    • Marcus Garvey was his prophet
    Ex: The Abyssinians – “Satta Massagana” (1969)
    • The unofficial Rasta anthem

    • Sacred: sometimes used in Rasta ceremonies

    • “Satta Massagana” is Amharic and translates roughly


    to “Give Thanks and Praise”
    • Lyrics next slide
    EX: The Abyssinians – “Satta Massagana” (1969)

    There is a land, far far away Where there's no


    night, there's only day Look into the book of
    life, and you will see That there's a land, far
    far away That there's a land, far far away
    The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords Sit
    upon His throne and He rules us all Look into
    the book of life, and you will see That He
    rules us all That He rules us all
    Ex: The Melodians – “Rivers of
    Babylon” (1969)
    • Prod. Leslie Kong
    • One of the first to give royalties
    • Musicians often went to whichever producer
    would pay more
    • Song was banned: lyric “Oh Fari”
    • Duke wouldn’t have liked the Rasta reference

    • Similar to Rasta Chant style


    Ex: The Melodians – “Rivers of
    Babylon” (1969)
    Lyrics (adapted from Psalm 137) Psalm 137
    1. By the rivers of Babylon we
    By the rivers of Babylon sat and wept when we
    Where he sat down remembered Zion.
    And there he wept 2 There on the poplars we hung
    When he remembered Zion our harps,
    3 for there our captors asked us
    Cause the wicked carried us away for songs, our tormentors
    [in] captivity demanded songs of joy; they
    Required from us a song said, “Sing us one of the songs
    How can we sing King Alpha’s song of Zion!”
    in a strange land? 4 How can we sing the songs of
    the Lord while in a foreign land?
    Ex: Niney The Observer
    “Blood & Fire” (1970)

    There is no more water, to put out the fire


    Let it burn, let it burn, let it burn
    Blood and fire
    Judgment has come, and mercy has gone
    All weak heart shall lick out and spit up
    All righteous shall stand
    Worldwide Spread of Rastafari Through Reggae

    • Rastafari theology and ideology universalized


    through reggae music
    • “very few modern religions have assumed
    such a significant place in the mainstream of
    popular culture through the use of music”
    (Ennis Edmonds, 2003)
    • Iconography
    Reggae and Rastafari: Shared Iconography
    Roots Reggae Style
    • Black Consciousness
    • Rastafarian references
    • Slower, edgier
    • Trad. Rasta chants
    • Nyabinghi drums

    • Roots in Mainstream of reggae by 1975


    Ex: Burning Spear –
    “Marcus Garvey” (1975)
    • Started with Dodd
    • Rec. with Jack Ruby, North Coast
    – “Dreader sound”
    – Horns, harmony vocals, less pop oriented
    – Lyrics about Black history, social conditions
    • International success

    • Lyrics, over
    Ex: Burning Spear –
    “Marcus Garvey” (1975)
    Marcus Garvey's words come to pass
    Can't get no food to eat
    Can't get no money to spend
    Come, little one and let me do what I can
    For you, and you alone
    You know the right and do heed might
    Shall be spanked with many stripes
    Weeping and wailing and moaning
    You've got yourself to blame, I tell you
    Do right, do right, do right
    Ex: Max Romeo – “War Ina Babylon” (1976)

    • A comment on the place of Rastafari in Jamaican


    society.
    • Political violence of 1970s from a Rasta POV
    • Prod. Lee Perry
    Ex: Max Romeo – “War Ina Babylon” (1976)
    Lyrics:
    It sipple out deh (it’s slippery out there – slippery means dangerous)
    War ina Babylon
    Tribal war ina Babylon (look at dat)
    It sipple out deh (wha you say?)

    De barber man no like de dreadlocks man


    De dreadlocks man no like de barber man no
    De policeman no like de dreadlocks man
    De dreadlocks man no like de policeman, no

    When come pride then cometh shame


    A man pride shall bring him low, yeah, oh yeah
    Honour shall uphold the humble in spirit
    And you know it's true, yeah, oh yeah
    Lee “Scratch” Perry
    • Black Ark Studio
    • (More in Dub Section)
    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y651C7aNXRc
    Bob Marley and the Wailers – “War”
    (1976)
    • Lyrics are taken almost verbatim from a
    speech given by Haile Selassie to the UN in
    1963
    H.I.M. Haile Selassie I Speech to the United Nations (excerpt) New York City,
    NY October 4, 1963

    "...until the philosophy which holds one race superior and another
    inferior is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned; that until
    there are no longer first class and second class citizens of any nation;
    that until the color of a man's skin is of no more significance than the
    color of his eyes; that until the basic human rights are equally
    guaranteed to all without regard to race; that until that day, the dream
    of lasting peace and world citizenship and the rule of international
    morality will remain but a fleeting illusion, to be pursued but never
    attained; and until the ignoble and unhappy regimes that hold our
    brothers in Angola, in Mozambique and in South Africa in subhuman
    bondage have been toppled and destroyed; […] until that day, the
    African continent will not know peace. We Africans will fight, if
    necessary, and we know that we shall win, as we are confident in the
    victory of good over evil..."
    Ex: Bob Marley and the Wailers – “War” (1976)
    Until the philosophy which hold one race superior and another/ inferior
    Is finally/ And permanently/ Discredited/ And abandoned -
    Everywhere is war/ Me say war

    That until there no longer/ First class and second class citizens of any nation
    Until the colour of a man's skin/ Is of no more significance than the colour of
    his eyes/ Me say war

    That until the basic human rights/ Are equally guaranteed to all/ Without
    regard to race/ Dis a war

    That until that day/ The dream of lasting peace/ World citizenship/ Rule of
    international morality/ Will remain in but a fleeting illusion to be pursued/ But
    never attained/ Now everywhere is war - war

    And until the ignoble and unhappy regimes that hold our brothers in Angola/
    In Mozambique/ South Africa/ Sub-human bondage/ Have been toppled/
    Utterly destroyed/ Well, everywhere is war/ Me say war.
    Rastafarian Practices
    • Ital food (all natural - no salt, alcohol or meat and
    sometimes no fish. In line with Old Testament
    dietary restrictions)
    • Smoking ganja before "reasoning sessions" - not
    all Rastas partake, but many do;
    • Wearing of dreadlocks (also from the Old
    Testament);
    • Playing with language (oppressor becomes
    downpresser, politics is politricks, etc.
    Very playful use of English). This way of speaking
    is used by many Jamaicans, not just Rastas.
    Second Half of 1970s
    • Roots and Love songs (Lover’s Rock)
    • Sometimes by same artist
    – Wider commercial appeal this way

    – Rastafarian imagery sometimes used as a


    marketing ploy
    Ex: Black Uhuru
    “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” (1979)
    • Reggae song and dub version (2:45)
    • Dub and Rasta music
    Black Uhuru – “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” (1980)
    Guess who's coming to dinner, Natty Dreadlocks (x2)

    Oh I can see you brought some herb for me, Natty Dreadlocks
    And Rasta near land Nyabinghi Cudjoe are coming over the hills
    Say in time like this, we must live as one
    So the Book of Rule shall stand, Dreadlock, Dreadlock

    Guess who's coming to dinner, Natty Dreadlocks (x2)

    So let's give thanks and praise, Natty Dreadlocks


    I appreciate the herb you brought for me, Natty Dreadlocks
    Now that things and time have changed
    Suffering make me realize what it takes
    And how to be a Natty Dreadlocks
    Guess who's coming to dinner, Natty Dreadlocks

    I'm just coming in from the woods, Natty Dreadlocks


    Ex: Johnny Clarke – “Roots Natty” (1977)
    Roots natty roots, natty congo, Roots natty roots natty
    dread And all my brother who were born ina
    Canada, Your fore parents were born in Africa. And all
    my sisters who were born in Canada, Your fore parents
    were born in Africa, So you are African, born ina
    Canada, African, born ina Canada, African, born ina
    Canada Our fore parents were born in Africa, And we
    are born in Jamaica, But every day some people a
    talk, Like they are born in Africa But we are African
    born in Jamaica, African born ina America, African born
    ina England African born ina Canada, Africans, born ina
    Jamaica…

    You might also like