An Introduction to Rastafarianism

Rastafarianism is a religious movement born out of the black slums of Jamaica which harnessed the teachings of the Jamaican born black nationalist, Marcus Garvey and conditionally uses selective Old Testament Christian writings to support its teachings and practices. Born in 1887, Garvey's influence on the poor black slave descendants in Jamaica came to its peak in the 1920's where his message of encouragement and calling on black people to take pride in themselves won some fanatical supporters. Although historically Marcus Garvey was a political leader interested in making the black race economically equal with the white, in oral tradition he has become a divinely anointed prophet.

With the crowning of Ras Tafari Makonnen on November 2nd 1930 in Ethiopia, many believed Garvey's prediction of a black king crowned in Africa who would be a redeemer and liberator of the dispossessed black race had come to fruition. Makonnen claimed for himself the titles of "Emperor Haile Selassie I, Conquering lion of the tribe of Judah, Elect of God and King of the kings of Ethiopia." Ethiopia holds great significance to Rastafaris who believe in a coming judgement day when the righteous will be called home to Mount Zion (identified with Africa) to live forever in peace and harmony. Marcus Garvey, although no admirer of Haile Selassie, as he observed that slavery still existed in Ethiopia, continued to be revered by the fanatical Rastafarians despite being a Roman Catholic by birth who never spoke out explicitly to support the growing movement.

Without centralised organisation, any one definitive text, official buildings or a recognisable and ongoing office of leader the religion is difficult to categorise. This results in a wide variety of beliefs and practices coming under the general umbrella of Rastafarianism that often result from individual interpretations. There are however some notable characteristics as covered below.

Distinguishing it from other groups and religions which stress conformity to the powers that be, here it is the individual which is important. Individuals follow a path to truth for themselves and reject the power of modern, oppressive white society ("Babylon") which is seen to be rebelling against God, the "Earth's Rightful Ruler" called "JAH". JAH is within all individuals and all individuals are connected to God. This is reflected in the often used phrase "I and I" when referring to oneself.

One early leader of the movement in Jamaica was Leonard Howell, who was arrested by the Jamaican government in 1933 for preaching a 'revolutionary doctrine'. Howell established the first commune of Rastafari and six principles of Rastafari which have changed little over the years: 1) a hatred for the white race, 2) the complete superiority of the black race, 3) revenge on the wickedness of white peoples, 4) the negation, persecution and humiliation of the government and legal bodies of Jamaica, 5) preparation to return to Africa, and 6) acknowledging Emperor Haile Salassie as the supreme being and only ruler of black people.

Even though he helped to shape the movement's ideas, his arrest is also thought to have a large influence on the movement's organisational structure. The prolonged police harassment that Howell was subjected to is thought to be the main reason why Rastafarians have decided to remain leaderless.

In 1954 the situation grew increasingly tense as the Jamaican government intervened and overran the now Rastafarian mini-state called the Pinnacle that Howell ruled over. After this many followers migrated out of the original rural setting to the ghettos and slums of Kingston. Although authentic Elders advocate non-violence in their teachings, a frustrated and desperate few incited confrontation with authorities which resulted in deadly shoot-outs with British troops in the late '50s and early '60s bringing some negative worldwide attention to the movement.

From the mid 1970s to the present has seen a phenomenal growth in the Rastafarian Movement, namely down to the worldwide exposure and acceptance of reggae music. This is mainly attributed to Bob Marley who as a musical artist was also a prophet of Rastafarianism whose lyrics often touch on themes relevant to Rasta doctrine. The reggae movement was initially attractive to the Caribbean black youths, many of whom saw it as an extension of their adolescent rebellion from school and parental authority. With the migration of Caribbean families to England and America, thus the music spread and became popular, along with a certain other botanical Jamaican export.

Some followers choose to classify the religion as Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity (distinguishing it from Catholic and Protestant Christianity) or even Judaism. In the latter case the belief is held that black people are descended from the twelve tribes of Israel, and that black Jews have lived in Ethiopia for centuries, disconnected from the rest of Judaism. This and other ideas result from interpretation of Bible translations, which are also thought to be incomplete and have been distorted by white oppressors over time.

One of the more obvious symbols of the Rastafarians are the dreadlocks on a Rasta's head. They are said to represent the Lion of Judah and are in contrast to the straight, blond look of the white man and the establishment and in response to interpretations of passages from Leviticus 2 in the Bible.

Another major symbol of Rastafarians are colours, specifically red, gold and green. These were taken from the Garvey movement and form the background of the Ethiopian flag. Red stands for the Rasta Church Triumphant but also the blood of the martyrs of Rasta. The green represents the beauty and vegetation of Ethiopia, the promised land, and the gold symbolises the wealth of the homeland that shall be regained.

The true Rasta also only eats I-tal food. This is special food which never touches chemicals, is natural and not from cans. The food is cooked but served in the rawest form possible, without salts, preservatives, or condiments. Rastafarians are therefore vegetarians. Drink is anything herbal, such as tea and not unnatural such as liquor, milk, coffee and soft drinks.

Marijuana or Ganja is commonly smoked in a ritualised form and as medicine and is not officially advocated for recreational use. It is believed to aid understanding and meditation and is claimed to be the 'holy' or 'green' herb mentioned in some translations of the Bible.

Today the worldwide following of Rastafari is believed to be in the region of 1,000,000, with official branches in many countries including England, Canada, the Caribbean islands and America. Some sources claim that six out of ten Jamaicans are believed to be Rastafarians or Rastafarian sympathisers with more conservative estimates stating that five to ten percent of Jamaicans are Rasta.

Reggae Musics Illustrious Ancestors - Mento, Ska And Rocksteady

Reggae Musics Illustrious Ancestors - Mento, Ska And Rocksteady

Mento 

Jamaica's original rural folk music, called mento, is the grandfather of reggae music and had significant influences on the formation of that genre. Jamaica's "country music" was inspired by African and European music as well as by American jazz and featured acoustic guitars, banjos, bamboo saxes, hand drums and marimbula (large thumb pianos) also called rhumba boxes, which were large enough to sit on and play. There were also a variety of hand percussion instruments like maracas. Mento's vocals had a distinctly African sound and the lyrics were almost always humorous and happy. Everywhere people gathered you could find a mento band and there were many mento and calypso competitions throughout the island. Mento also gave birth to Jamaica's recording industry in the 1950s when it first became available on 78 RPM records. Mento is still around today.

Before World War II, calypso from Trinidad and Tobago had made its way into Jamaica's music and, although quite different, the two were often confused. Jamaica's own calypso artists performed alongside its mento artists throughout the island, for locals and tourists alike. A calypso craze swept the U.S. and U.K. in the late 1950s as Harry Belafonte came onto the scene. Many of his songs were actually mento but they were more often described as calypso. 

After the war, transistor radios and jukeboxes had become widely available and Jamaicans were able to hear music from the southern U.S., particularly jazz and rhythm and blues from some of the greats like Fats Domino and Jelly Roll Morton, and records flooded into the island. 

And then, in the early 1960s, came American R&B. With a faster and far more danceable tempo, the genre caught on quickly in Jamaica. Attempting to copy this sound with local artists, Jamaicans added their own unique twists, blending in elements of their Caribbean heritage, fusing it with mento and calypso and jazz, to create a unique genre heavily driven by drums and bass and accented with rhythms on the off-beat, or the "upstroke".  This purely Jamaican genre dominated the Jamaican music scene at the time and was known as ... ska. 

Ska 

Coinciding with the festive mood in the air when Jamaica won its independence from the U.K. in 1962, ska had a type of 12-bar rhythm and blues framework; the guitar accented the second and fourth beats in the bar, essentially flipping the R&B shuffle beat, and gave rise to this new sound. 

Because Jamaica didn't ratify the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works until 1994, Jamaican musicians often created instrumental ska versions of songs by popular American and British artists; copyright infringement was not an issue! The Skatalites re-made Motown hits, surf music and even the Beatles in their own style. The Wailers' first single Simmer Down was a ska smash in Jamaica in late 1963/early 1964 but they also covered And I Love Her by the Beatles and Like a Rolling Stone by Bob Dylan.

Although the sound system concept had taken root in Jamaica in the mid 1950s, ska led to its explosion in popularity and it became a major, uniquely Jamaican, industry that continues to thrive today. Enterprising DJs with U.S. sources for the latest records would load up pickup trucks with a generator, turntables, and huge speakers, and drive around the island blaring out the latest hits. Essentially these sound systems were like loud mobile discos! DJs charged admission and sold food and alcohol, enabling them to profit in Jamaican's unstable economy. Thousands would sometimes gather and sound systems became big business. Amidst fierce competition, Clement "Coxsone" Dodd and Duke Reid surfaced as two of the star DJs of the day. Reliant on a steady source of new music, these two superstars began to produce their own records, ultimately becoming Studio One (Dodd) and Treasure Isle (Reid). 

Other important ska producers were Prince Buster, whose Blue Beat label records inspired many Jamaican ska (and later reggae) artists, and Edward Seaga, who owned and operated the West Indies Records Limited (WIRL) in the 1960s but went on to become Prime Minister of Jamaica and leader of the Jamaican Labour Party in the 1980s.

As Jamaicans emigrated in large numbers to the U.K., the sound system culture followed and became firmly entrenched there. Without the efforts of a white Anglo-Jamaican named Chris Blackwell, the rest of the world might not have come to know this Jamaican brand of music. Blackwell, a record distributor, moved his label to the U.K. in 1962 and began releasing records there on various labels, including the Island label. His early artists included the Skatalites, Jimmy Cliff and Bob Marley. Blackwell's international breakthrough came in 1964 when his artist Millie Small hit the U.S. airwaves with My Boy Lollipop.

Back in Jamaica, as American R&B and soul music became slower and smoother in the mid-1960s, ska changed its sound and evolved into... rocksteady.

Rocksteady 

Songs that described dances were very popular now in the U.S. and U.K, as well as Jamaica.  In the U.S., we had The Twist, The Locomotion, The Hanky Panky and The Mashed Potato. One popular dance-song in Jamaica was The Rock Steady by Alton Ellis. The name for this entire genre may have been based on that song title.

The only noteworthy difference between ska and rocksteady was the tempo. Both styles had the famous Jamaican rhythm guitar complemented by drums, bass, horns, vocals and a groove that kept you on your feet moving, but the drum and bass are played at a slower, more relaxed, pace and the rhythm is more syncopated.

Rocksteady arose at a time when Jamaica's poverty-stricken youths had become disillusioned about their futures after Jamaica gained independence from Britain. Turning into delinquents, these unruly youths became known as "rude boys".  Rocksteady's themes mainly dealt with love and the rude boy culture, and had catchy dance moves which were far more energetic than the earlier ska dance moves. Many bass lines originally created for rocksteady songs continue to be used in today's Jamaican music.

As a musical style, rocksteady was short-lived, and existed for only about two years. Some of the more well-known rocksteady artists were Alton Ellis, Justin Hinds and the Dominos, Derrick Morgan, The Gaylads, The Kingstonians, Delroy Wilson, Bob Andy, Ken Boothe, The Maytals and The Paragons. 

Continuing to evolve, Jamaica's musical tempo slowed, bass patterns became more complex, and the piano gave way to the electric organ, giving birth to... reggae, which eventually became the most popular music genre in the world!

An Introduction to Rastafarianism

Rastafarianism is a religious movement born out of the black slums of Jamaica which harnessed the teachings of the Jamaican born black nationalist, Marcus Garvey and conditionally uses selective Old Testament Christian writings to support its teachings and practices. Born in 1887, Garvey's influence on the poor black slave descendants in Jamaica came to its peak in the 1920's where his message of encouragement and calling on black people to take pride in themselves won some fanatical supporters. Although historically Marcus Garvey was a political leader interested in making the black race economically equal with the white, in oral tradition he has become a divinely anointed prophet.

With the crowning of Ras Tafari Makonnen on November 2nd 1930 in Ethiopia, many believed Garvey's prediction of a black king crowned in Africa who would be a redeemer and liberator of the dispossessed black race had come to fruition. Makonnen claimed for himself the titles of "Emperor Haile Selassie I, Conquering lion of the tribe of Judah, Elect of God and King of the kings of Ethiopia." Ethiopia holds great significance to Rastafaris who believe in a coming judgement day when the righteous will be called home to Mount Zion (identified with Africa) to live forever in peace and harmony. Marcus Garvey, although no admirer of Haile Selassie, as he observed that slavery still existed in Ethiopia, continued to be revered by the fanatical Rastafarians despite being a Roman Catholic by birth who never spoke out explicitly to support the growing movement.

Without centralised organisation, any one definitive text, official buildings or a recognisable and ongoing office of leader the religion is difficult to categorise. This results in a wide variety of beliefs and practices coming under the general umbrella of Rastafarianism that often result from individual interpretations. There are however some notable characteristics as covered below.

Distinguishing it from other groups and religions which stress conformity to the powers that be, here it is the individual which is important. Individuals follow a path to truth for themselves and reject the power of modern, oppressive white society ("Babylon") which is seen to be rebelling against God, the "Earth's Rightful Ruler" called "JAH". JAH is within all individuals and all individuals are connected to God. This is reflected in the often used phrase "I and I" when referring to oneself.

One early leader of the movement in Jamaica was Leonard Howell, who was arrested by the Jamaican government in 1933 for preaching a 'revolutionary doctrine'. Howell established the first commune of Rastafari and six principles of Rastafari which have changed little over the years: 1) a hatred for the white race, 2) the complete superiority of the black race, 3) revenge on the wickedness of white peoples, 4) the negation, persecution and humiliation of the government and legal bodies of Jamaica, 5) preparation to return to Africa, and 6) acknowledging Emperor Haile Salassie as the supreme being and only ruler of black people.

Even though he helped to shape the movement's ideas, his arrest is also thought to have a large influence on the movement's organisational structure. The prolonged police harassment that Howell was subjected to is thought to be the main reason why Rastafarians have decided to remain leaderless.

In 1954 the situation grew increasingly tense as the Jamaican government intervened and overran the now Rastafarian mini-state called the Pinnacle that Howell ruled over. After this many followers migrated out of the original rural setting to the ghettos and slums of Kingston. Although authentic Elders advocate non-violence in their teachings, a frustrated and desperate few incited confrontation with authorities which resulted in deadly shoot-outs with British troops in the late '50s and early '60s bringing some negative worldwide attention to the movement.

From the mid 1970s to the present has seen a phenomenal growth in the Rastafarian Movement, namely down to the worldwide exposure and acceptance of reggae music. This is mainly attributed to Bob Marley who as a musical artist was also a prophet of Rastafarianism whose lyrics often touch on themes relevant to Rasta doctrine. The reggae movement was initially attractive to the Caribbean black youths, many of whom saw it as an extension of their adolescent rebellion from school and parental authority. With the migration of Caribbean families to England and America, thus the music spread and became popular, along with a certain other botanical Jamaican export.

Some followers choose to classify the religion as Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity (distinguishing it from Catholic and Protestant Christianity) or even Judaism. In the latter case the belief is held that black people are descended from the twelve tribes of Israel, and that black Jews have lived in Ethiopia for centuries, disconnected from the rest of Judaism. This and other ideas result from interpretation of Bible translations, which are also thought to be incomplete and have been distorted by white oppressors over time.

One of the more obvious symbols of the Rastafarians are the dreadlocks on a Rasta's head. They are said to represent the Lion of Judah and are in contrast to the straight, blond look of the white man and the establishment and in response to interpretations of passages from Leviticus 2 in the Bible.

Another major symbol of Rastafarians are colours, specifically red, gold and green. These were taken from the Garvey movement and form the background of the Ethiopian flag. Red stands for the Rasta Church Triumphant but also the blood of the martyrs of Rasta. The green represents the beauty and vegetation of Ethiopia, the promised land, and the gold symbolises the wealth of the homeland that shall be regained.

The true Rasta also only eats I-tal food. This is special food which never touches chemicals, is natural and not from cans. The food is cooked but served in the rawest form possible, without salts, preservatives, or condiments. Rastafarians are therefore vegetarians. Drink is anything herbal, such as tea and not unnatural such as liquor, milk, coffee and soft drinks.

Marijuana or Ganja is commonly smoked in a ritualised form and as medicine and is not officially advocated for recreational use. It is believed to aid understanding and meditation and is claimed to be the 'holy' or 'green' herb mentioned in some translations of the Bible.

Today the worldwide following of Rastafari is believed to be in the region of 1,000,000, with official branches in many countries including England, Canada, the Caribbean islands and America. Some sources claim that six out of ten Jamaicans are believed to be Rastafarians or Rastafarian sympathisers with more conservative estimates stating that five to ten percent of Jamaicans are Rasta.

Caribbean Party Themes

Ahhh, the Caribbean. Creating Caribbean party themes is a pleasure. Anyone who has ever been to any of the Islands knows what I mean. Turquoise blue water, white beaches, rum drinks, and the Island beat give this theme all the ideas needed to create an awesome party.

Where

As with most theme parties, you'll need a decent-sized room or backyard, or you can rent a party room. The Caribbean party themes, weather permitting, definitely would be great in an outdoor setting (especially if you have a pool). Or, in the winter, Caribbean party themes are just what is needed for an escape from the cold weather.

Invitations

One creative idea for Caribbean party themes is to make fake flight tickets, arrival destination at one of the the Islands on the date and time of the party. Another idea is to create a flyer for a "Caribbean Festival" (or Jamacian Reggae Jam, San Juan Latin Dance Contest, Bermuda Triangle Party, etc.).

Other options are to get tropical looking blank invitations or paper and print them on your computer, or to buy fill-in-the-blank invitations.

Costumes

Caribbean party themes call for grass skirts, beach hats, rasta wigs, reggae hats, dreadlock wigs, coconut bikini tops, bright prints, etc. Be sure to note on the invitation if you expect your guests to dress up!

Favors

Caribbean party themes favors (or game/door prizes) for your guests can include palm tree shaped votive candles, shell necklaces, reggae CDs, small bottles of hot sauce, sunglasses, sun visors, sunscreen, small bottles of Bacardi, a gift bag with several of these things, or any other gifts that have a Caribbean flair.

Decorations

Decorations and favors for the Caribbean party themes abound, but you have to be careful to include only stuff that you'd find in the Caribbean. In other words, you aren't having a luau, so no tiki masks or other uniquely Hawaiian decor. You can, however, use many of the luau or Hawaiian labeled decorations for your Caribbean party. Here are some ideas for decorating:

* Cover a wall with a tropical photo mural

* Scatter tan and shades of blue balloons around (beach colors) or bright tropical floral colors like yellow, pink, purple, green. There are even balloons shaped like flamingos, shells, and palm trees! Or, get white and blue round paper lanterns.

* Use any of several kinds of palm trees, flamingos, parrots, tropical fish, and suns (inflatable, metallic, paper, tissue, lighted strings or otherwise) for Caribbean party themes.

* Exotic flowers (real or silk) or tropical candle holders or luminaries can be table centerpieces or accents anywhere in your party area.

* Grass skirting on the tables is a neat touch too. If you really want to go all out, you can get a grass tiki "hut" and use it as the bar or other serving area.

Food

The Caribbean's unique flavors will be sure to delight your guests! Be sure to use Caribbean sauces and spices like Jerk sauce, Jamacian hot sauce, tabasco, and a host of pepper sauces and spices when creating your food. Some menu ideas are: Jerk Chicken (or Pork Chops, Beef, Lamb), Fried Plantains, Banana Bread, Jamacian Rice and Beans, Fishcakes, Seafood Patties, Coconut Shrimp, Any kind of Kabobs (with Island style spices), Conch Fritters, Spicy Pasta Salad, Crab Souffle, and for those who aren't that adventurous, regular barbequed chicken.

Have some Caribbean sweets and desserts on hand too! Try Bermuda Triangle cookies, coconut cookies/cake, pineapple cake with rum sauce, rum bananas, pineapple tarts, fruit pies, fruit salad with pina colada sauce. Be sure to have stuff on hand for non-fruit lovers, like chocolate cake, chocolate souffle (remember the French influence on some of the islands), etc.

Drinks

Don't forget tropical drinks! Serve daiquiris, pina coladas, rum punch, Bahama Mamas, and a whole host of other tropical drinks (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic). Caribbean party themes wouldn't be complete without Bacardi-based rum drinks!

Cake

If it's a birthday or other celebration, you'll need a cake. Or you might just want a cake as a dessert item. With a tropical theme, I'd go with coconut or pineapple upside down cake! Or you might want a round or sheet cake decorated as Bob Marley or with the Bemuda Triangle. Other ideas could be a palm tree, Jamacian flag, turquoise ocean with tropical fish, steel drum instruments, etc.

Games

Anyone up for a conga line or limbo? How low can YOU go? Other than those games, I wouldn't "clutter" the party with any scheduled games. Let the music and the guests entertain themselves. Dancing and rum make for great fun!

Entertainment

Reggae, steel drum, calypso, and other Caribbean sounds are mandatory. You can also play an Ocean Sounds CD (This would be nice during a sit-down dinner.) Or, hire a band or DJ and let them worry about keeping the sounds coming!

The Origins of Reggae Music

Caribbean music has entertained many music fans and has a great influence on the rest of the world. Music from the Caribbean islands such as Calypso, ska, rock steady and dancehall have evolved from each other and fused into what we know as reggae music. This music genre has also been influenced by elements of African rhythms and American blues. Strong bass lines and the bass drum beating characterize this music genre.

Reggae music originated from the island nation of Jamaica. This country is home to many homegrown musicians and record producers who have developed the distinctive style. Lee 'Scratch' Perry is the most famous Jamaican producer. He is responsible for launching the careers of many reggae musicians.

Artists such as Burning Spear and Horace Andy spread reggae music beyond the islands. However, none of them can match Bob Marley in terms of popularizing this music to the rest of world. No Woman, No Cry, Buffalo Soldier and Redemption Song are just some of Marley's hits. When he passed away, he enjoyed legendary status and was given a state funeral in Jamaica.

In addition to Bob Marley, Johnny Nash, Jimmy Cliff, Desmond Dekker, and other crossover singers also had success in the British pop charts. The Police, UB40, Selector, The Clash and The Specials fused reggae music with rock. In fact, one of the first multi racial groups in the UK was the British band UB40.

Social issues, such as poverty and political freedom are addressed in the lyrics of many reggae songs. These songs are the anthems of the poor who grow up in shanty towns and are still struggling to make ends meet. Some of the songs are about the beliefs of the Rastafarian religion, of which Marley was a practitioner. There are explorations of spirituality, invoking God, or Jah as he is called in some of the songs. However, some reggae songs are controversial because they defend the use of cannabis which Rastafarians advocate.

Reggae Music in all of its forms, have influenced and led on to other forms of music, namely drum and bass and hip hop. So far, nobody has taken over from Marley's mantle and rap and R & B dominate the charts at the moment. Music experts say that Reggae music needs another charismatic figure to spread the word.

This unique kind of music has achieved a lot considering that it came out of a small island with early recordings produced on basic equipment. People responded to the melodic simplicity of the music and the heartfelt lyrics. There was always a high standard of musicianship and a direct connection between the artists and the fans in reggae music. Since nobody can keep a good thing down, this Caribbean music will surely rise again.