Are the Rastafarian's exclusive of Jamaica or are there African Rastas too?

Question

Hi! Would you drom a line about Rastafarians, Reggae and Africa?

Answer 1

I have only ever heard of one Rasta colony in all of Africa. Paul Theroux, in Dark Star Safari, describes his visit to Shashemene, a small colony of Rasta in remote Ethiopia. The people in this colony are Westerners who live with firmly Western Rasta ideas. For example, Theroux observes that "The dreadlocks were weird to Ethiopians, not African at all, and not the cultural statement Rastas regarded them, but just the epitome of a bad hair day."

Answer 2

Rastafarianism started in Jamaica, in part because of magico-religious beliefs. The original black inhabitants of the island were captured Africans who had been brought there to be trained for slavery on plantations in the Southern United States.


When slavery ended, after the Civil War, the Africans were simply abandoned. Because they had no way to return to Africa, they became permanent settlers. But, they retained a great deal of African culture.

Gradually, a mythology developed that held that when a great African king ascended the throne, the island blacks would return to Africa, and life would be good, again.

Because generations passed, with no great king emerging, the mythology became a millennial social movement. Because of frustration, black Jamaicans began chanting protest songs, which were originally called "Sca." British recording companies thought that Sca might be the next music sensation. So, they brought Jamaicans to England to sing. The songs were then mixed with European technology, producing Reggae.

Part of the mythology and social movement was still centered on the idea that a great king would assume a throne in Africa. After World War II, the American CIA (no kidding) put Haile Sallasie on the throne in Ethopia, a country that resisted the Italian army,.

Hailie Sallasie became known by many names, like "The Lion of Judah," because he could trace his ancestry back to Solomon, and hence he was from the House of David and a distant relative of Jesus Christ.

Another of his names was "The Ras Tafari," an African term that cannot be translated into English.

Because of his lineage and the fact that he became the Emperor of Ethiopia, the black people of Jamaica started to refer to themselves as Rastafarians.

Both the social movement and the music persist on the island. However, the popularity of the music has become world-wide, and the Rastafarian movement has caused religious sects to form within the Coptic (African Catholicism) Church.

Today, one can find "Rastas" almost everywhere in the Western World. I don't know of any sects developing in China, Japan, or Southeast Asia.

I hope this answers your question.

Answer 3

Every race no matter where on the earth that has colored people, are African Decendants. This is why Marcus Garvey instilled in the people of Jamaica, that Africa is home for the Black man.

Rastas are not different because of natty dreads, and a location on a beautiful island. How do you think they go there?

Oh and natty or nappy, I don't believe that my God made a mistake. Nappy, kinky hair is beautiful.

Answer 4

Well, they see their God as the African God, so Africa is very important to their religion, but Rastafarism is exclusive from Jamaica.

Answer 5

yes infact the Rastafarian belief is all black people should go back to Africa

Answer 6

You can be Rasta anywhere. Its a religion that is a way of life.

Answer 7

Yes in Ethiopia.

Answer 8

Africans hate american blacks, Jamacans arent black, And Black Americans arent African. So does this answer your question "MON"?