Who are rastamans, and what is the peculiarity of this subculture. Rasta is awesome! Rastaman colors order
Instead of an introduction
If you have enough free time to take a short but exciting walk in the fresh air, you can conduct an interesting independent experiment. Go outside and walk around the center of your city for a couple of hours. Your attentive glance will notice a huge variety of completely different people. But, despite this, most of them, unfortunately, is just a gray mass. Their faces do not express anything but immersion in their daily affairs and concern for pressing problems. Sometimes it seems that these people, having risen from their beds in the morning and left the house, did not wake up.
Unlike the rest
But there are those among this crowd of inhabitants who cannot be overlooked. These people are clearly distinguished by their appearance (sometimes behavior) and attract everyone's attention. In society, it is customary to call people who belong to any social minorities informals. And their culture is a subculture. And today this subculture has a huge number of directions that we are unlikely to be able to list. Here are just a few of them: rockers, rappers, punks, hippies, goths, emos, skaters, clubbers, bikers, hipsters, etc. There are a huge number of them. And a fairly significant part of the informals are those who call themselves Rastafarians. In this article, we will touch on this particular topic and talk about who a rastaman is.
Misconceptions about Rastas
As a rule, in circles far from the subculture, there is a false and distorted opinion about rastamans. It is believed that these are limited, not striving for anything and degrading people who are engaged in doing nothing and endlessly smoking weed. Many “normal” people are convinced that rastamans have a negative impact on youth and corrupt society. But all this is just from ignorance. It is safe to say that by learning who a Rastafarian really is and understanding more deeply what their culture consists of, many people will understand what they are wrong about and change their position. Let this not be accepted with a bang, but at least the proportion of negativity towards them will decrease.
Who are rastamans really
Rastamans are followers of Rastafarianism, the teachings of the Jamaican nationalist Marcus Garvey. It arose at the beginning of the 20th century. in Jamaica. The direction of this teaching is the liberation of the black people from oppression and discrimination, as well as the creation of an independent state in Africa. Garvey also preached an African exposition of the Bible, which said that Jesus was black and the Jews were Africans. Rastamans believe in God Jah - the creator of all the best and most precious in Paradise on earth - Africa. Another very important moment of the teaching was the opposition to Babylon. This is how the Rastamans call the developed Western civilization with its substituted and perverted values. The Rastas are convinced that politicians rule everything in Babylon and such a thing as “human freedom” is completely absent there. Everything is done only for the benefit of those in power, and the simple person is left with the illusion of freedom and miserable crumbs from the master's table, so that he does not raise his head, because he is a "cog" in the well-established mechanism of the system. This is only a small part of the ideas of Rastafarianism. A detailed exposition of this profound philosophical and religious teaching is worthy not only of a separate article, but of an entire scientific work.
How to recognize a rastaman
The appearance of a rastaman is his bright distinguishing feature. Hair in most cases is braided into pigtails, which are called "dreadlocks". Real adherents of Rastafarianism wear them for years. And if you see a person with thick and long braids (they can even be below the knees), then know that you have a rastaman in front of you. In their wardrobe, green, yellow and red colors are preferred. And on the clothes themselves, quite often there is the symbolism of cannabis (marijuana). Marijuana, by the way, is an essential attribute in the life of a rastaman. And her smoking is strongly motivated and encouraged in Rasta culture. Indeed, for a rastaman, this is not a drug, but a sacred plant, the smoking of which makes a person closer to a harmonious life, the Universe and God.
deceptive impression
People who are unaware of Rasta culture should by no means be accused of misunderstanding what a Rastaman is. The fact is that now it has become very fashionable among young people to oppose themselves to society. There are also many who justify negative actions or their weaknesses with inherently positive things. So, for example, many teenagers, braiding pigtails in the salon, wearing a T-shirt with a hemp image, smoking something incomprehensible to the point of madness and supplementing it with alcohol, commit some inadequate, and sometimes even disgusting acts, and then proudly and defiantly declare, that they are rastamans. Know that smoking "weed" and a store-bought beret in bright colors does not make a person a rastaman. And the aforementioned individuals are most likely just scumbags without a king in their heads. They have nothing to do with Rastafarianism. It is an honor to be a real rastaman, and these people are very respected in their society.
Rasta in music
It is not surprising that Rastafarianism is also reflected in musical creativity. The musical style of rastafarians is called “reggae”. The person who brought the ideas of this culture and its music to the masses is known all over the world. His name is Robert Nesta Marley, but when people talk about him, they always say "Bob Marley". In the second half of the 20th century, he and his group "The Wailers" made a splash, opening the rhythms of Rasta music to the whole world. After that, reggae and Rastafarianism became widespread and gained thousands of followers all over the planet.
Reggae in Russia
The reggae style did not bypass Russian musicians either. We will not go into the details of the development of Rasta culture in Russia in this article. One has only to say that in the late 80s, the domestic Rasta movement was born, and its followers began to appear. The main musical groups that promote the ideas of Rastafarianism in their work are such groups as “Jah Division”, “Shamansky Beat”, “Alai Oli”, “5'Nizza”, “Dub Incorporation”, “Republic of Jah”, “Committee of Protection heat”, etc. The song of the performer “Rastaman” - “I don’t need a crown” is very popular. In addition, almost any self-respecting Rastafarian can play a few favorite songs on the guitar. The chords of the songs are freely available on the Internet. And in general, there are a lot of creative personalities in Rasta culture.
Conclusion
Any person who has clarified a little for himself who a rastaman really is and what, at least roughly, is a rasta culture, will not be able to help but notice the many positive qualities inherent in them.
First, let's turn to the all-knowing Wikipedia.
Rastamans are followers of the religious movement Rastafarianism. The name of the subculture comes from the name of the last emperor of Ethiopia, Ras Tafari Makkonen, who after the coronation took the name of Haile Selassie.
It was him, later, that the Rastafari endowed with divine power and named him Jah (distorted from "Jehovah"). According to one of the legends, the Rastafarians believe that all earthly humanity originated in Ethiopia, it was on her land that there was paradise.
They also believe that the Bible was originally written in Amharic (the official language of Ethiopia) and later translated into Hebrew.
According to one interpretation of their Bible, blacks were given by the god Jah into slavery to white people as a punishment for sins and, therefore, must live under the yoke of "Babylon", waiting for the coming of the messiah, who will return all blacks to their homeland in Ethiopia.
"Babylon" is an abstract concept of the modern pragmatic industrial world.
Spotting a rastaman is not difficult. As a rule, they wear bright red-yellow-green (it is these colors that make up the flag of Ethiopia) voluminous hats, from under which dreadlocks stick out - pigtails of hair whipped into tangles.
It is from them that Jah recognizes his followers and, in the case of the Apocalypse, will pull them out of the abyss. Rastamans also wear baggy clothes with the symbols of a revered culture - this is a cannabis leaf, put on appropriate jewelry (beads, bracelets).
Philosophy
Rastas immerse themselves in their thoughts to the sound of reggae music, a classic example of which is the work of Bob Marley. But the rastamans themselves play their own music, beating reggae rhythms on the drums.
Smoking marijuana is allowed as part of some divine ritual, bringing the rastaman in this state closer to the god Jah.
Commandments
Rastamans, like all believers, have their own rules, which they try to strictly follow, as the god Jah bequeathed to them:
- respect the traditions of Rastafari and the traditions of other religious cultures;
- honor humanity;
- preach Rastafarianism;
- philosophize;
- smoking marijuana;
- comprehend the meaning of life.
In addition to the commandments, there are also prohibitions among the followers of Rastafarianism. Taboos are imposed on smoking tobacco, drinking strong alcohol, gambling, all this is contrary to philosophical beliefs.
There are also gastronomic restrictions. So they are not allowed to eat pork, scaled fish, shellfish, salt and drink milk.
Rastaffari in Russia
Rastafarianism in Russia found followers in the mid-1990s and coincided with the fall of the "Iron Curtain" separating Soviet citizens from other world cultural, religious, and musical trends.
Post-Soviet Rastafarians have nothing in common with the true followers of Rastafarianism.
They smoke intoxicating mixtures, wear tricolor hats, indulge in laziness, listen to reggae, but they are not the original followers of the idea of African superiority, because they have no idea about the history of the original subculture and its philosophy.
The ideology of Rastafarianism originated 400 years ago. The hope of all Africans is to get home, away from Babylon. For many years, American ships took African slaves to America, and their first destination was the island - Jamaica. It was there that this African culture was born. The Rastaman subculture itself occurred in 1920, it is built around the cult of hemp (cannabis). It is listening to reggae songs and using marijuana that distinguishes the true admirers of Rastafari.
Who are these rastamans?
In simple terms, a rastaman is a lover of smoking "weed". Most often these are people with dark skin, but today the subculture has become more popular. So there are also "white people" in the circle of rastafarians. Initially, rastamanism was not considered as a drug addiction, it was another worldview on the life of other people, it was a kind of religion. Unfortunately, modern rastamans have ruined the culture, turning it into a common pastime with marijuana. The long-standing tradition of African tribes has been defamed. Rastas like to spend time with friends who understand their ideology.. They like to think, discuss some events from life (criticizing politics), and all this to the marvelous reggae music with cannabis weed in their hands. Many Rastas do not use marijuana, they have enough communication and music. As in every subculture, rastamans have their own rules and beliefs, but more on that below.
Rasta clothing style
It's hard not to notice a true rastaman. Rastaman colors are green, yellow, red. The colors were not chosen by chance, they are the colors of the Ethiopian flag. Today, Rastafarian clothing and style is partially respected. The required attribute must be hat on the head with three colored stripes. Most often, such hats are not bought, but knitted on their own. On a T-shirt or jeans, the cannabis sign is a hemp leaf. This sign can be sewn into the material or serve as a talisman around the neck. Many rastas get tattoos on their bodies, in the form of a cannabis leaf or the face of Bob Marley.
Another important distinguishing feature that a rastaman should have is dreadlocks on his head. This hairstyle serves as a reminder of ancient African culture. Moreover, there is a belief that when the end of the world comes, the god of all rastas, Jah, will identify his people by their hair and pull them out by the hair.
Musical preferences
Of course, the favorite direction in Rastafarian music is reggae. Their idol and God is Bob Marley. Rastamans chose this style not by chance, because the real reggae allows you to relax and feel a surge of positive emotions. Rastafans are creative people, they themselves are not averse to playing musical instruments. Most often, the guitar and drums are chosen for playing.
To date, the classic reggae style has been supplemented with electronic instruments, such styles as ska, rock-steady, dub, and others have appeared. Over the years, styles and musical arrangements have intermingled, but you still hear those classic notes of real Rastafarian melodies.
Basic rules of rastamans
Each subculture has its own permissibility and prohibitions, let's consider what every rastaman should read and what he should not do:
- Treat people with love;
- Tell other people about Rastamanism;
- To comprehend the meaning of life and philosophize;
- Play drums or other instrument;
- Smoke marijuana.
- Do not drink alcohol (beer, wine, vodka, liquors);
- smoking tobacco;
- Wear other people's things;
- Eat food prepared by another person;
- You can not eat pork meat, fish, shellfish, drink milk and use salt.
How to become a rastaman?
Today it is quite easy to become a rastaman. You just need to wear appropriate clothes, smoke marijuana and listen to reggae. But most modern rastafarians stop at this stage. Thus, not understanding that the essence of the Rastafarian subculture lies not only in smoking weed, but also in knowing something more. Many people forget that it is a great subculture that came to us from far away. Her story must be honored and known to every self-respecting rastaman.
Unfortunately, Rastafarianism is underestimated by the outside world. In fact, this subculture has brought a rich and artistic heritage to generations, including hymns from Bob Marley, perhaps the most moving of all created works of the 20th century.
19425The Rastaman subculture is not only the famous Ethiopian tricolor, cannabis and reggae, the meaning of the subculture is much deeper, but it appeared in general from religious beliefs. Rastamans are called representatives of the Rastafari culture, which was formed around the 1920s in Jamaica. The subculture was based on African national-religious movements or sects, in this variety the most striking figures were the Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie and the Jamaican Markus Mosaiah Garvey. Rastafarianism was transferred from Jamaica to Ethiopia thanks to the diplomacy of the same Haile Sellasie, who designated this movement as "a paradise for blacks - not in heaven, but on the earth of the African biblical country of Ethiopia." After the 60s, Rastafarianism appeared in America and the Caribbean.
The Rastaman subculture emerged from the religion of Rastafarianism, in which there is a cult of using cannabis to easily enter a trance for prayer or rituals. However, people often become rastas just to wear dreadlocks and smoke weed, both in Ethiopia and Russia. Real rastamans have their own philosophy, they are forbidden to drink alcohol, smoke tobacco, wear other people's things, eat pork and fish, drink milk. In general, rastamans, as well as, stand for world peace, mutual assistance and love for one's neighbor, endless self-knowledge and personal freedom.
Appearance of a rastaman
The appearance of a rastaman against the backdrop of Russian cityscapes is hard to miss. They usually wear cannabis T-shirts, knitted hats and bags, Aladdin pants and tons of brooches. Of course, natural dreadlocks are the best sign of rastamans, they are decorated with ribbons, rings, bandanas. It is highly respected to wear clothes made from natural fabrics, for example, from linen or hemp, it is usually made in India, Cambodia, Ethiopia.
Musical preferences
Music is attached to any subculture, and rastafarians have their favorite direction - reggae. The reggae idol is, of course, the Jamaican musician Bob Marley. The first founders of this genre in Russia were and still are Jah Division. Also Russia also has its own reggae idols, for example, Boris Grebenshchikov, Alai Oli, AKIMAMA, Roma V.P.R., linguist and writer Dmitry Gaiduk, who created the books Rastaman Folk Tales. Songs about getting rid of Babylon (white culture) and positive vibrations sounded 400 years ago: they were a call for freedom and love. Usually those who perform reggae consider themselves representatives of the rastaman subculture. Reggae festivals are organized all over the world, lectures, creative meetings, master classes in weaving dreadlocks and feathers are held.
Have you ever heard of rastamans? You must have heard. But, probably, many people think that rastamans are those who smoke weed or just listen to reggae. It's not like that at all. So really? A real Rastaman is a person whose religion is called Rastafari. Although this is the most unexplored religion, but it has many codes and rules that a real rastaman must adhere to.
Such a person should always speak only the truth, smoke ganja, do not drink alcohol, do not eat meat, do not smoke tobacco and do not go to the doctor, because God Jah will cure him of any disease, if necessary. If he does not cure, then he will simply give him another incarnation.
How to recognize a rastaman on the street?In addition to these rules, there is also the so-called dress code for hairstyles and clothing colors. The rastaman will have dreadlocks on his head, and all his clothes will consist of red, yellow and green flowers. However, if a person eats meat or, say, drinks medicines, he cannot be a rastaman. At the same time, a person who does not wear dreadlocks or wears a formal suit can be one. Because external attributes cannot determine your religiosity. Various pictures and photographs can clearly show who a rastaman is, but in order to deeply study them, you need to dig through more than one article, and even better, talk to him personally.
What is religion?
The roots of this religion come from the 15th century and they originated in a large region that includes expanses from Egypt to Ethiopia. Then the main philosophy of this religion was the spiritual unification of Africa.
After so much time, the flow of Rastafarians not only has not disappeared, but is gaining momentum. Of course, the current ideas, concepts have changed, but not so significantly. If you saw a multi-colored person with dreadlocks and a colored cap on his head, it is immediately clear from him who he is. Rastaman will always be kind, calm and responsive. This is their advantage. They will never create conflict situations, representatives of Rastamanism are against violence and war in general.
Notable names
Among them are very popular, prominent personalities such as Mortimer Planno, Samuel Brown, Rus MacPherson, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer. These names will seem familiar to few people, but who the Rastafarian Bob Marley is, probably everyone knows.
A truly outstanding musician from Jamaica, who won the hearts of millions of people around the world, and not just in Jamaica, with his rich inner world and ideological ideas.
Almost every rastafarian knows Bob Marley's songs, the chords of his songs sound everywhere. However, besides him, there are other performers in the world of rasta music, less famous, but no less talented.
Almost all Russian rastamans know the song, the author of which is a rastaman, - "I don't need a crown." Having a guitar and not even the most professional playing skills, it will be easy to play relaxing tunes in the company, which will create an even more appropriate atmosphere for this strange, contradictory and almost unexplored, but very interesting religion called Rastafari.
