rastafari
-
Spiritual Bandung
1863. Te Ua Haumene, the Māori prophet, writes his gospel. Te Ua, born in Taranaki, Aotearoa New Zealand. Raised as a slave of the Waikato people in Kawhia. Builds his own church. Puts it in service of the anti-colonial King movement. Peaceable God has told me twice that his people, Forgetful, Standing Naked, in the Island…
-
Rastafari Letters from the Mission to Africa
In April 1961, Rastafari members of the Mission to Africa passed through London. In Notting Hill, on the day of leaving for Ethiopia, the Brethren wrote two letters, which I reproduce here: “With all thy getting get understanding” Vox Populi Vox Dei, I.N.R.I. “The Just shall live by his faith” The Rastafari Brethren of Jamaica…
-
Pacific Redemption Songs
A few years ago I was reasoning with members of Ras Messengers, a reggae-jazz band who had in 1979 toured Aotearoa New Zealand. The Rastafari musicians recollected their experiences with various Māori communities. Occasionally female Māori elders (kuia), in introducing themselves to the band, would connect their genealogies back to Africa. The kuia did this…
-
Back when Britain loved Rastafari
On 21st April 1966, His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I touched down in Palisadoes airport, Kingston, Jamaica. Thousands thronged the airport, rushing over barriers and through police lines towards the plane as it came to a stop. Ethiopian banners, ites gold and green colours flew everywhere. Chanting of His Majesty’s name filled the air. Never…
-
The impact of the 1935 Italian/Ethiopian War in Guyana
Common knowledge has it that it was in Jamaica where the Rastafari faith was first and foremost proclaimed. This is true; however, this truth belies the wider impact of the Italian/Ethiopian war of 1935/6 on the Caribbean region, and especially on its peoples of African heritage. African peoples in Jamaica were not the only ones…
-
Aotearoa New Zealand: Inter and Outernational Struggles
During my five years in Aotearoa New Zealand, I undertook work that helped to retrieve the inter-connections of indigenous struggles in the Pacific with those of the African Diaspora (Outernational). I did this in order to contribute to the appreciation of the global impact/coordinates/influence of/on these indigenous struggles, and also to help to support the…
-
A Global Story of Psalms 68:31
Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God Psalms 68:31 is part of the global story of colonialism, enslavement, the “civilizing mission” and self-liberation. We can pick up the story with the King James version of the Bible, translated into the vernacular in 1611. At this time it is…
Robbie Shilliam 