Fundamentals of Rastafari
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Load more
Recommended publications
-
From Pan-Africanism to Rastafari Giulia Bonacci
From Pan-Africanism to Rastafari Giulia Bonacci To cite this version: Giulia Bonacci. From Pan-Africanism to Rastafari: African American and Caribbean ’Returns’ to Ethiopia. G. Prunier, E. Ficquet. Understanding Contemporary Ethiopia, Hurst, pp.147-158, 2015, 9781849042611. hal-01340848 HAL Id: hal-01340848 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01340848 Submitted on 5 Jul 2016 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. 5 FROM PAN-AFRICANISM TO RASTAFARI AFRICAN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN ‘RETURNS’ TO ETHIOPIA Giulia Bonacci 1 On 7 November 1964 Noel Dyer, a Jamaican Rastafari who had migrated to England, took the train from London to Dover. After arriving in Paris, he worked for three months in order to be able to continue on his way to Spain and Morocco. From there, he set off towards the east. He crossed Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt on foot, went beyond the Aswan dam and over the desert to reach Sudan, where he got arrested by the authorities, because he did not have a visa. He spent three months in prison until the Ethiopian Ambassador in Khartoum heard about the Rastafari who wanted to go to Addis Ababa on foot and authorized him to enter Ethiopia. -
Chant Down Babylon: the Rastafarian Movement and Its Theodicy for the Suffering
Verge 5 Blatter 1 Chant Down Babylon: the Rastafarian Movement and Its Theodicy for the Suffering Emily Blatter The Rastafarian movement was born out of the Jamaican ghettos, where the descendents of slaves have continued to suffer from concentrated poverty, high unemployment, violent crime, and scarce opportunities for upward mobility. From its conception, the Rastafarian faith has provided hope to the disenfranchised, strengthening displaced Africans with the promise that Jah Rastafari is watching over them and that they will someday find relief in the promised land of Africa. In The Sacred Canopy , Peter Berger offers a sociological perspective on religion. Berger defines theodicy as an explanation for evil through religious legitimations and a way to maintain society by providing explanations for prevailing social inequalities. Berger explains that there exist both theodicies of happiness and theodicies of suffering. Certainly, the Rastafarian faith has provided a theodicy of suffering, providing followers with religious meaning in social inequality. Yet the Rastafarian faith challenges Berger’s notion of theodicy. Berger argues that theodicy is a form of society maintenance because it allows people to justify the existence of social evils rather than working to end them. The Rastafarian theodicy of suffering is unique in that it defies mainstream society; indeed, sociologist Charles Reavis Price labels the movement antisystemic, meaning that it confronts certain aspects of mainstream society and that it poses an alternative vision for society (9). The Rastas believe that the white man has constructed and legitimated a society that is oppressive to the black man. They call this society Babylon, and Rastas make every attempt to defy Babylon by refusing to live by the oppressors’ rules; hence, they wear their hair in dreads, smoke marijuana, and adhere to Marcus Garvey’s Ethiopianism. -
Negotiating Gender and Spirituality in Literary Representations of Rastafari
Negotiating Gender and Spirituality in Literary Representations of Rastafari Annika McPherson Abstract: While the male focus of early literary representations of Rastafari tends to emphasize the movement’s emergence, goals or specific religious practices, more recent depictions of Rasta women in narrative fiction raise important questions not only regarding the discussion of gender relations in Rastafari, but also regarding the functions of literary representations of the movement. This article outlines a dialogical ‘reasoning’ between the different negotiations of gender in novels with Rastafarian protagonists and suggests that the characters’ individual spiritual journeys are key to understanding these negotiations within the gender framework of Rastafarian decolonial practices. Male-centred Literary Representations of Rastafari Since the 1970s, especially, ‘roots’ reggae and ‘dub’ or performance poetry have frequently been discussed as to their relations to the Rastafari movement – not only based on their lyrical content, but often by reference to the artists or poets themselves. Compared to these genres, the representation of Rastafari in narrative fiction has received less attention to date. Furthermore, such references often appear to serve rather descriptive functions, e.g. as to the movement’s philosophy or linguistic practices. The early depiction of Rastafari in Roger Mais’s “morality play” Brother Man (1954), for example, has been noted for its favourable representation of the movement in comparison to the press coverage of -
Kebra Nagast-Excerpt
The Queen of Sheba and Her Only Son Menyelek (Këbra Nagast) translated by Sir E. A. Wallis Budge In parentheses Publications Ethiopian Series Cambridge, Ontario 2000 Kebra Nagast And she was exceedingly anxious to go to him, but when she pondered upon the long journey she thought that it was too far and too difficult to undertake. And time after time she asked Tâmrîn questions about Solomon, and time after time Tâmrîn told her about him, and she became very wishful and most desirous to go that she might hear his wisdom, and see his face, and embrace him, and petition his royalty. And her heart inclined to go to him, for God had made her heart incline to go and had made her to desire it. 24. How the Queen Made Ready to Set Out on her Journey And the Queen said unto them, “Hearken, O ye who are my people, and give ye ear to my words. For I desire wisdom and my heart seeketh to find understanding. I am smitten with the love of wisdom, and I am constrained by the cords of understanding; for wisdom is far better than treasure of gold and silver, and wisdom is the best of everything that hath been created on the earth. Now unto what under the heavens shall wisdom be compared? It is sweeter than honey, and it maketh one to rejoice more than wine, and it illumineth more than the sun, and it is to be loved more than precious stones. And it fatteneth more than oil, and it satisfieth more than dainty meats, and it giveth [a man] more renown than thousands of gold and silver. -
UTK Trombone Studio F2014
Handbook/Syllabus. F2014. ! Trombone-Studio-Handbook-and-Syllabus! ! ! Music!Performance!MUPF!125/126- Music!Performance!MUPF!225/226! Music!Performance!MUPF!325/326! Music!Performance!MUPF!425/426! Music!Performance!MUPF!525! Trombone!Solo!Class!MUSC!200! ! ! Meeting-Time-and-Place! HMC!306,!TBA! ! - Faculty-Contact-Information- Dr.!Alex!van!Duuren! Natalie!L.!Haslam!Music!Center,!Room!306! Cell!Phone:!352L575L0839! Email:[email protected]! Office!Hours:!By!appointment!(and!see!below!for!more)! - NAME/SIGNATURE:- ! Handbook/Syllabus. F2014. ! THIS-HANDBOOK- ! - This!handbook!contains!a!different,-specific-syllabus!for!each!lesson!level!of!trombone!lessons.!Because!most! of!the!information!in!this!handbook!is!not!levelLspecific,!and!applies!to!all!students!in!the!studio,!we!use!a! combined!document.!However,!there!are!specific!benchmarks!which!separate!the!individual!class!levels,!and! these!are!clearly!marked!in!the!“LevelLspecific!Benchmarks”!pages.!You!will!use!this!same!book!throughout! your!time!in!the!trombone!studio,!and!as!your!progress!to!higher!levels,!a!different!benchmark!page!will!apply! to!you,!as!that!new!set!of!benchmarks!becomes!relevant!(and!therefore,!you!will!have!a!new$syllabus!for!your! advanced!level).!! - MISSION-STATEMENT- ! ! The!Trombone!Studio!at!the!University!of!Tennessee!has!the!singular!goal!to!produce,!by!the!time!of!program! completion,!teachers!and!performers!that!contribute!positively!to!the!larger!field!of!the!fine!arts.!This! contribution!is!made!to!the!best!of!our!individual!abilities,!with!the!best!of!our!personal!integrity,!and!with!a! -
JAH PEOPLE: the CULTURAL HYBRIDITY of WHITE RASTAFARIANS for More Than Half a Century, the African-Based, Ras- Tafarian Movement
JAH PEOPLE: THE CULTURAL HYBRIDITY OF WHITE RASTAFARIANS MICHAEL LOADENTHAL School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution George Mason University [email protected] Abstract: For more than half a century, the African-based Rastafarian movement has existed and thrived. Since the early 1930s, Rastafari has developed, changed and gained enough supporters to be considered “one of the most popular Afro- Caribbean religions of the late twentieth century. According to a survey con- ducted in 1997, there are over one million practicing Rastafarians worldwide as well as over two million sympathizers. Rastafarians are concentrated in the Car- ibbean, though members of this diverse movement have settled in significant numbers all throughout the world. At present, there are large Rastafarian com- munities in New York, Miami, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Chicago, Huston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston and New Haven as well as many large cities in Canada, Europe, South America and Africa. While Rastafari has maintained much of its original flavour, migration, globalization and a reinterpretation of philosophical dogma has created a space for white people to join this typically black movement. Keywords: hybridity, Rastafarians, religions, migration, political movement. INTRODUCTION For more than half a century, the African-based, Ras- tafarian movement has existed and thrived. Since the ear- ly 1930s, Rastafari has developed, changed and gained enough supporters to be considered “one of the most popular Afro-Caribbean religions of the late twentieth century” (Murrell 1998, 1). According to a survey con- ducted in 1997, there are over one million practicing Ras- tafarians worldwide as well as over two million sympa- thizers. -
Kebra Nagast
TheQueenofShebaand HerOnlySonMenyelek (KëbraNagast) translatedby SirE.A.WallisBudge InparenthesesPublications EthiopianSeries Cambridge,Ontario2000 Preface ThisvolumecontainsacompleteEnglishtranslationofthe famousEthiopianwork,“TheKëbraNagast,”i.e.the“Gloryof theKings[ofEthiopia].”Thisworkhasbeenheldinpeculiar honourinAbyssiniaforseveralcenturies,andthroughoutthat countryithasbeen,andstillis,veneratedbythepeopleas containingthefinalproofoftheirdescentfromtheHebrew Patriarchs,andofthekinshipoftheirkingsoftheSolomonic linewithChrist,theSonofGod.Theimportanceofthebook, bothforthekingsandthepeopleofAbyssinia,isclearlyshown bytheletterthatKingJohnofEthiopiawrotetothelateLord GranvilleinAugust,1872.Thekingsays:“Thereisabook called’KiveraNegust’whichcontainstheLawofthewholeof Ethiopia,andthenamesoftheShûms[i.e.Chiefs],and Churches,andProvincesareinthisbook.IÊprayyoufindout whohasgotthisbook,andsendittome,forinmycountrymy peoplewillnotobeymyorderswithoutit.”Thefirstsummary ofthecontentsofthe KëbraNagast waspublishedbyBruceas farbackas1813,butlittleinterestwasrousedbyhissomewhat baldprécis.And,inspiteofthelaboursofPrætorius,Bezold, andHuguesleRoux,thecontentsoftheworkarestill practicallyunknowntothegeneralreaderinEngland.Itis hopedthatthetranslationgiveninthefollowingpageswillbe ii Preface ofusetothosewhohavenotthetimeoropportunityfor perusingtheEthiopicoriginal. TheKëbraNagast isagreatstorehouseoflegendsand traditions,somehistoricalandsomeofapurelyfolk-lore character,derivedfromtheOldTestamentandthelater Rabbinicwritings,andfromEgyptian(bothpaganand -
The Evolution of Commercial Rap Music Maurice L
Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2011 A Historical Analysis: The Evolution of Commercial Rap Music Maurice L. Johnson II Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION A HISTORICAL ANALYSIS: THE EVOLUTION OF COMMERCIAL RAP MUSIC By MAURICE L. JOHNSON II A Thesis submitted to the Department of Communication in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science Degree Awarded: Summer Semester 2011 The members of the committee approve the thesis of Maurice L. Johnson II, defended on April 7, 2011. _____________________________ Jonathan Adams Thesis Committee Chair _____________________________ Gary Heald Committee Member _____________________________ Stephen McDowell Committee Member The Graduate School has verified and approved the above-named committee members. ii I dedicated this to the collective loving memory of Marlena Curry-Gatewood, Dr. Milton Howard Johnson and Rashad Kendrick Williams. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the individuals, both in the physical and the spiritual realms, whom have assisted and encouraged me in the completion of my thesis. During the process, I faced numerous challenges from the narrowing of content and focus on the subject at hand, to seemingly unjust legal and administrative circumstances. Dr. Jonathan Adams, whose gracious support, interest, and tutelage, and knowledge in the fields of both music and communications studies, are greatly appreciated. Dr. Gary Heald encouraged me to complete my thesis as the foundation for future doctoral studies, and dissertation research. -
The Desert Trod the Transcendence of Self And
THE DESERT TROD THE TRANSCENDENCE OF SELF AND OTHER IN RASTAFARI IN GUYANA A THESIS SUBMITTED ON THE SIXTH OF APRIL 2018 TO THE DEPARTMENT OF LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE SCHOOL OF LIBERAL ARTS OF TULANE UNIVERSITY FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS BY ERIN LIERL APPROVED: Grete Viddal, Ph.D. THE DESERT TROD THE TRANSCENDENCE OF SELF AND OTHER IN RASTAFARI IN GUYANA AN ABSTRACT SUBMITTED ON THE SIXTH OF APRIL 2018 TO THE DEPARTMENT OF LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE SCHOOL OF LIBERAL ARTS OF TULANE UNIVERSITY FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS BY _______________________________ ERIN LIERL APPROVED: ________________________________ ________________________________ Grete Viddal, Ph.D. ________________________________ ABSTRACT This thesis addresses the relationship between self and other within Rastafari culture in Guyana. Heirs of a tradition of resistance against the dichotomous, hierarchical approach to nature and humanity embodied by European colonialism, Rastas in Guyana have conceptualized the individual self as an integral aspect of a divine, universal whole comprising the natural world and its diverse, interdependent constituents. This has involved the transcendence of conceptual dichotomies between self and other, humanity and divinity, physical and spiritual worlds, and people of different gender and ethnic identities. The transcendence of these conceptual divisions has supported the development of socially nonviolent and ecologically sustainable communities tied to soil, charting a course for global communities seeking to mitigate social and environmental crises. The transcendence of conceptual dichotomy is symbolized in this thesis by the “desert trod”—the journey of the Israelites of the Old Testament from captivity to the promised land. -
The Church of Scientology's View of the Relationship Between God And
The significance of the use of ganja as a religious ritual in the Rastafari movement S P Pretorius (University of South Africa) ABSTRACT The significance of the use of ganja as a religious ritual in the Rastafari movement In 2000, the South African Constitutional Court ruled that religious freedom, including the exercise of religious rituals, may not contradict the laws of the country. This ruling came as a result of the Western Cape Law Society’s refusal to admit a Rastafarian as lawyer because of his habit of smoking marijuana. He appealed to the Constitutional Court and claimed that the ruling infringed upon his right to religious freedom. The Constitutional Court upheld the decision that no exception may be made for one religion. The smoking of marijuana or “ganja” as it is better known is viewed as a deeply religious ritual element in the worship of the Rastafarian movement. But what significance and value does this ritual have in the Rastafari religion? The conclusion of this article is that irrespective of the negative connotations often associated with the use of ganja, it remains an important religious ritual in Rasta spirituality. The significance lies in the experience associated with an altered state of consciousness when ganja is used. A spiritual enlightenment or revelation of God is obtained during this altered state of consciousness, that is, a closeness or oneness with Jah. A type of spiritual/psychological healing or transformation also takes place during this period of altered consciousness in terms of establishing the self-worth of a person through what is known as the “I-and-I” consciousness. -
A Performer's Guide to Multimedia Compositions for Clarinet and Visuals: a Tutorial Focusing on Works by Joel Chabade, Merrill Ellis, William O
Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Major Papers Graduate School 2003 A performer's guide to multimedia compositions for clarinet and visuals: a tutorial focusing on works by Joel Chabade, Merrill Ellis, William O. Smith, and Reynold Weidenaar. Mary Alice Druhan Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_majorpapers Part of the Music Commons Recommended Citation Druhan, Mary Alice, "A performer's guide to multimedia compositions for clarinet and visuals: a tutorial focusing on works by Joel Chabade, Merrill Ellis, William O. Smith, and Reynold Weidenaar." (2003). LSU Major Papers. 36. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_majorpapers/36 This Major Paper is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Major Papers by an authorized graduate school editor of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A PERFORMER’S GUIDE TO MULTIMEDIA COMPOSITIONS FOR CLARINET AND VISUALS: A TUTORIAL FOCUSING ON WORKS BY JOEL CHADABE, MERRILL ELLIS, WILLIAM O. SMITH, AND REYNOLD WEIDENAAR A Written Document Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts in The School of Music by Mary Alice Druhan B.M., Louisiana State University, 1993 M.M., University of Cincinnati -
Samson and Moses As Moral Exemplars in Rastafari
WARRIORS AND PROPHETS OF LIVITY: SAMSON AND MOSES AS MORAL EXEMPLARS IN RASTAFARI __________________________________________________________________ A Dissertation Submitted to the Temple University Graduate Board __________________________________________________________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY __________________________________________________________________ by Ariella Y. Werden-Greenfield July, 2016 __________________________________________________________________ Examining Committee Members: Terry Rey, Advisory Chair, Temple University, Department of Religion Rebecca Alpert, Temple University, Department of Religion Jeremy Schipper, Temple University, Department of Religion Adam Joseph Shellhorse, Temple University, Department of Spanish and Portuguese © Copyright 2016 by Ariella Y. Werden-Greenfield All Rights Reserved ii ABSTRACT Since the early 1970’s, Rastafari has enjoyed public notoriety disproportionate to the movement’s size and humble origins in the slums of Kingston, Jamaica roughly forty years earlier. Yet, though numerous academics study Rastafari, a certain lacuna exists in contemporary scholarship in regards to the movement’s scriptural basis. By interrogating Rastafari’s recovery of the Hebrew Bible from colonial powers and Rastas’ adoption of an Israelite identity, this dissertation illuminates the biblical foundation of Rastafari ethics and symbolic registry. An analysis of the body of scholarship on Rastafari, as well as of the reggae canon, reveals