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'GANGSTA-FARI' AND MORE
Although I and I may look like a 'bald head', I'm really an undercover Rastafarian. Yeah, mi dread inna mi heart - more like a sheep in wolf's clothing. That's what I said jokingly to a friend who called me in response to my comments last week about dreadlocked hair styling and the evolving image of the Rastafarian person. She was one of many people who boxed me back. Yeah, man, several readers weighed in on the discussion, through phone calls and emails or joined the conversation via Facebook.
My friend wanted to know if this topic has ever been taken up by elders and spokespersons in the Rastafarian community and, if not, why? I pondered deeply for a while, and then gave her the eloquent honesty of the three little words - mi nuh know! But that Sistren got me thinking. Let's imagine that the Hasidic Jew pop artiste name Matisyahu got so big and famous that people all over the world suddenly start dressing like Orthodox Jews and wear the look while doing very 'unorthodox' things. Yu think some big Jewish spokespersons and organisation would speak out and take action? Hell, yes!
trinity of dutty wines
And if a dancehall or soca diva buss a trinity of dutty wines and demonstrate her ability to 'siddung pan it' in the dance or onstage, while wearing a cross or versions of the habit that nuns wear as a sign of their consecration, you can be assured that a representative of the Roman Catholic Church would chide the sinners. And we all know what can happen to anybody who takes liberty with Muslims and their religion. But people regularly take all kinds of morally questionable public actions, wearing looks that imitate Rastafarians and, as a Facebook friend-of-a-friend called Peace Warden said, 'Idrens and sistrens see this abomination and say nothing.'
I personally find it weird and annoying that any pork-eating unbeliever can stand on a stage anywhere in the world and bawl out 'Jah!' with the assurance that a crowd comprising many non-Rastafarians, and a few haters of Rastafarians, would respond vociferously with 'Rastafari'! And by their silence, true Rasta-farians may appear to be endorsing or allow such things to continue. No, hiyah, me burn dem ting deh! Most religious groups don't take kindly to unbelievers doing anything that can be deemed to be mocking, satirising or trivialising their spiritual beliefs and religious practices. Yet, everybody and their cousin seem to feel that it's OK to tek Rasta mek pappy show, cause nobody nah seh nutten.
protesters
One of the first news items that grabbed my attention, as I sat down to write this, was a story about Buddhist protesters in Sri Lanka smashing windows in a building and damaging cars as they stoned the offices of a broadcasting company sponsoring a show in that country featuring R&B artiste Akon. And guess why dem get bringle wid Akon? They say he's guilty of desecrating an image of Buddha in a music video for the song 'Sexy Chick'. The video has images of some 'hot sexy chicks' gyrating at a pool party with a statue of Buddha in the background.
I wonder when the leaders of the Rastafari movement going to take action against di man dem who desecrate the image of His Imperial Majesty by outwardly saying Rasta but dem nah step right! One reader, Nesta, said 'I have been Rasta for 20 years and I am not impressed with these half-steppers. They shave their faces and everything'.
Is true thing, Nesta. The image of the movement is being eroded by Ras-fashionistas, Renta-dreads, and Gangsta-farians. Ras Blakka seh dat!
[email protected]
Although I and I may look like a 'bald head', I'm really an undercover Rastafarian. Yeah, mi dread inna mi heart - more like a sheep in wolf's clothing. That's what I said jokingly to a friend who called me in response to my comments last week about dreadlocked hair styling and the evolving image of the Rastafarian person. She was one of many people who boxed me back. Yeah, man, several readers weighed in on the discussion, through phone calls and emails or joined the conversation via Facebook.
My friend wanted to know if this topic has ever been taken up by elders and spokespersons in the Rastafarian community and, if not, why? I pondered deeply for a while, and then gave her the eloquent honesty of the three little words - mi nuh know! But that Sistren got me thinking. Let's imagine that the Hasidic Jew pop artiste name Matisyahu got so big and famous that people all over the world suddenly start dressing like Orthodox Jews and wear the look while doing very 'unorthodox' things. Yu think some big Jewish spokespersons and organisation would speak out and take action? Hell, yes!
trinity of dutty wines
And if a dancehall or soca diva buss a trinity of dutty wines and demonstrate her ability to 'siddung pan it' in the dance or onstage, while wearing a cross or versions of the habit that nuns wear as a sign of their consecration, you can be assured that a representative of the Roman Catholic Church would chide the sinners. And we all know what can happen to anybody who takes liberty with Muslims and their religion. But people regularly take all kinds of morally questionable public actions, wearing looks that imitate Rastafarians and, as a Facebook friend-of-a-friend called Peace Warden said, 'Idrens and sistrens see this abomination and say nothing.'
I personally find it weird and annoying that any pork-eating unbeliever can stand on a stage anywhere in the world and bawl out 'Jah!' with the assurance that a crowd comprising many non-Rastafarians, and a few haters of Rastafarians, would respond vociferously with 'Rastafari'! And by their silence, true Rasta-farians may appear to be endorsing or allow such things to continue. No, hiyah, me burn dem ting deh! Most religious groups don't take kindly to unbelievers doing anything that can be deemed to be mocking, satirising or trivialising their spiritual beliefs and religious practices. Yet, everybody and their cousin seem to feel that it's OK to tek Rasta mek pappy show, cause nobody nah seh nutten.
protesters
One of the first news items that grabbed my attention, as I sat down to write this, was a story about Buddhist protesters in Sri Lanka smashing windows in a building and damaging cars as they stoned the offices of a broadcasting company sponsoring a show in that country featuring R&B artiste Akon. And guess why dem get bringle wid Akon? They say he's guilty of desecrating an image of Buddha in a music video for the song 'Sexy Chick'. The video has images of some 'hot sexy chicks' gyrating at a pool party with a statue of Buddha in the background.
I wonder when the leaders of the Rastafari movement going to take action against di man dem who desecrate the image of His Imperial Majesty by outwardly saying Rasta but dem nah step right! One reader, Nesta, said 'I have been Rasta for 20 years and I am not impressed with these half-steppers. They shave their faces and everything'.
Is true thing, Nesta. The image of the movement is being eroded by Ras-fashionistas, Renta-dreads, and Gangsta-farians. Ras Blakka seh dat!
[email protected]
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