Rastaman - who is he? Who is a rastaman? Reggae in Russia.
Instead of introducing
If you have enough free time to take a small but exciting walk in the fresh air, then you can conduct an interesting independent experiment. Go outside and walk around the center of your city for a couple of hours. Your close look will notice a huge variety of completely different people. But, despite this, most of them, unfortunately, are just a gray mass. Their faces do not express anything other than immersion in their daily affairs and preoccupation with pressing problems. Sometimes it seems that these people, having got up 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 ordinary people who cannot be overlooked. These people stand out vividly by their appearance (sometimes by their 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, emo, skaters, clubbers, bikers, hipsters, etc. There are a lot of them. And a fairly significant part of the informal community is made up of those who call themselves Rastamans. In this article, we will touch upon this particular topic and talk about who a rastaman is.
Misconception about rastamans
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 smoke weed. Many “normal” people are convinced that Rastas have a negative impact on young people and corrupt society. But all this is just out of ignorance. It is safe to say that after learning who the Rastafarian really is and having a deeper understanding of what their culture consists of, many people will understand what they are wrong about and change their position. Even if this will not be accepted with a bang, at least the share of negativity in relation to them will decrease.
Who are the 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 presentation of the Bible, which said that Jesus was black and the Jews were African. Rastamans believe in God Jah - the creator of all the best and most precious in Paradise on earth - Africa. Another very important point 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 Babylon is ruled by politicians and there is no such thing as "human freedom" at all. Everything is done only for the benefit of those in power, and the common man is left with the illusion of freedom and pitiful crumbs from the master's table so as not to raise his head, because he is a “cog” in the well-established mechanism of the system. This is just a small part of the ideas of Rastafarianism. A detailed presentation of this deep philosophical and religious teaching is worthy not only of a separate article, but also of an entire scientific work.
How to recognize a rastaman
The appearance of a rastaman is his striking distinguishing feature. Hair in most cases is braided in pigtails, which are called “dreadlocks”. True Rastafarians have worn them for years. And if you saw a person with thick and long braids (they may even be below the knees), then know that you are a rastaman. In their wardrobe, green, yellow and red are preferred. And on the clothes themselves, the symbolism of cannabis (marijuana) is often present. Marijuana, by the way, is an essential attribute in the life of a rastaman. And her smoking is strongly motivated and encouraged in the 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 ignorant of the Rasta culture should by no means be accused of misconceptions about who a Rasta man 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 the image of hemp, smoking something incomprehensible to madness and supplementing it with alcohol, commit some inadequate, and sometimes even disgusting deeds and then declare with pride and challenge, that they are rastamans. Be aware that smoking weed and store-bought picks in bright colors don't make a person a rastafarian. And the aforementioned individuals are most likely just thugs 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 reflected in musical creativity. The musical style of the Rastas is called "reggae". The person who brought the ideas of this culture and its music to the broad masses is known all over the world. His name is Robert Nesta Marley, but when they talk about him, they always say "Bob Marley". In the second half of the 20th century, he and his band "The Wailers" made a splash, opening the rhythms of Rasta culture 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 has not spared Russian musicians either. We will not go into details of the development of the Rasta culture in Russia in this article. One has only to say that at the end of the 80s, the domestic Rasta movement was born, its followers began to appear. The main musical groups promoting 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 for the Protection heat ”, etc. The song of the performer“ Rastaman ”-“ I don’t need a crown ”is very popular. In addition, almost any self-respecting rastaman 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 very, very many creative personalities in the Rasta culture.
Conclusion
Any person who has a little clarified for himself who a Rasta culture really is and what, at least approximately, is a Rasta culture, will not be able to fail to notice the many positive qualities inherent in them.
The Rastafarian 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 representatives of the Rastafari culture, which formed around the 1920s in Jamaica. The subculture was based on African national-religious movements or sects, in this diversity the most striking figures were the Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie and the Jamaican Marcus Mosaya Garvey. Rastafarianism was transferred from Jamaica to Ethiopia thanks to the diplomacy of the very Haile Sellasie, who designated this movement as "a paradise for blacks - not in heaven, but on the land of the African biblical country of Ethiopia." After the 60s, Rastafarianism appeared in America and the Caribbean.
The Rastafarian subculture came out of the Rastafarian religion, in which there is a cult of using cannabis for the purpose of easily entering a trance for prayer or rituals. However, rastamans often become simply to wear dreadlocks and smoke weed, and this applies to both Ethiopia and Russia. Real rastamans have their own philosophy, they are forbidden to drink alcohol, smoke tobacco, carry other people's things, eat pork and fish, drink milk. In general, Rastas, like them, advocate world peace, mutual assistance and love for one's neighbor, endless knowledge of oneself and personal freedom.
Rastaman appearance
The appearance of a rastaman against the background of Russian city landscapes is hard to miss. They usually wear hemp T-shirts, knitted hats and bags, aladdin pants and tons of feniches. Of course, natural dreadlocks are the best sign of rastamans, they are decorated with ribbons, rings, bandanas. It is honored to wear clothes made from natural fabrics, for example, from flax or hemp, usually it is produced in India, Cambodia, Ethiopia.
Musical preferences
Music is attached to any subculture, and rastamans have their own favorite direction - reggae. The reggae idol is, of course, Jamaican musician Bob Marley. The first founders of this genre in Russia were and remain Jah Division. Also Russia 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 deliverance from 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. All over the world, reggae festivals are held, lectures, creative meetings, master classes on weaving dreadlocks and feniches are held.
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Nowadays, young people are actively borrowing Western culture, and, as a rule, extremely harmful and antisocial phenomena. Today, a huge number of words and expressions have appeared that denote various concepts. However, not many people know their true meaning and origin. Therefore, on our website, we have opened a separate section in which we will decipher the words on this topic. Bookmark us to periodically look at the light. Today we will talk about such a curious word as Rastaman which means you can read a little below.
However, before I continue, I would like to recommend you some more sensible publications on the subject of junkie slang. For example, what does Ganja mean, how to understand the word Rolu, what Pluha means, what is Screw, etc.
So let's continue what does Rastaman mean? This term was borrowed from the English language "Rasta", and denotes a person who practices Rastafarianism, worships the god "Jah", and praises him with all his might.
Rastaman- in Russia, this is an ordinary junkie who mainly uses weed (hemp or marijuana), although in the West this is a broader concept
What does Rastafaray mean?
Ratsaman is an informal or slang term for Rastafarians. A Rastafarian is one who belongs to a religion founded in the 20th century in Jamaica, in which the worship of the living god / emperor Haile Selassie from Ethiopia is concluded. In popular culture, religion " Rastafari"most often associated with reggae music, dreadlocks, marijuana and the rejection of the modern materialistic world, or as it is also called -" Babylon ".
Rasta is one who has deep love and an intimate relationship with God (Jah Almighty), Rasta is one who:
... who believes in equal rights and justice for all mankind;
Every day thanks and praises for everything he has;
Who knows that the first man and woman to appear on earth were discovered in Africa and were known to have a Negro complexion;
Who knows that God always watches over everything we say and do;
Who knows that every man and woman will be responsible for their own judgment of God based on his lifestyle;
Who knows that eating meat is an unclean act;
Who knows that the Black Man (Emperor Haile Selassie) was crowned King of Ethiopia in 1930 and ruled until 1974;
This is someone who reads and studies the Christian Bible on a daily basis (usually the King James version);
This is the one who knows about the Babylonian system;
Has a deep love and respect for all nature, because we know that God is in Nature, and it is our birthright to enjoy this gift given by Jah.
What is Jamaican Rasta?
Jamaican Rastaman is a person belonging to the Rastafarai movement, which originated in Jamaica. Although it is usually considered a religion, Rastaman considers it a way of life and culture as well as a spiritual path.Traffic Rastafarai originated in the 1930s and is based on the teachings of Marcus Garvey, a Jamaican who had a vision of uniting black people around the world and bringing them back to Africa. The name comes from the name of the Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie, Tafari Maconne, whom many Rastas consider the Messiah. Some Rastas immigrated to Ethiopia in the 1960s and formed a settlement known as the 12 Tribes.
Rastafarai is a mixture of African and Christian beliefs with an emphasis on biblical literalism. Rastas are known worldwide for their use of marijuana. Marijuana, or ganja, is considered a sacrament and is used as part of ritual prayer. Rastas are also known for their dreadlocks, which stem from the biblical commandment to avoid hair cutting. Most Rastas are vegetarians, although some eat fish. Rastafarai movement is peaceful, many rastas take part in anti-war and other pacifist movements. However, self-defense is not prohibited. Sometimes Rastas defend themselves against government oppression.
After reading this short article, you learned what does Rastaman mean, and now you can tell your friends about this amazing word.
First, let's turn to the all-knowing Wikipedia.
Rastamans are followers of the Rastafarian religious movement. 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 Haile Selassie.
It was he who, subsequently, was endowed with divine power by the Rastafarians and named him Jah (distorted from "Jehovah"). According to one of the legends, the Rastafari believe that all earthly mankind 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 of the interpretations of their Bible, blacks were given by the god Jah into slavery to white people as punishment for their sins and, therefore, must live under the yoke of "Babylon", awaiting 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.
It will not be difficult to spot a rastaman. As a rule, they wear bright red-yellow-green (these are the colors that make up the flag of Ethiopia) voluminous hats, from under which dreadlocks stick out - pigtails of hair whipped into tangles.
It is by them that Jah will recognize her followers and, in the case of the Apocalypse, will pull them out of the abyss. Rastas also wear baggy clothes with the symbols of a revered culture - this is a cannabis leaf, wear appropriate jewelry (beads, bracelets).
Philosophy
Rastas immerse themselves in their reflections to the sounds of reggae music, a classic example of which is the work of Bob Marley. But the Rastas themselves play their own music, beating the rhythms of reggae on 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 them:
- respect the Rastafari traditions and 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 bans. So they are not allowed to eat pork meat, fish, shellfish, peeled from scales, 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 to do with true followers of Rastafarianism.
They smoke intoxicating mixtures, wear tricolor hats, allow themselves to mess around, listen to reggae music, but at the same time they are not the original followers of the idea of African superiority, because they have not the slightest idea about the history of the origin of the original subculture and its philosophy.
Rastafarians, they are rastamans- interesting guys. There are not so many of them on the streets of Moscow, but they look colorful and unusual for most passers-by. I communicated with them: they all look at their movement differently. You can talk a lot about the origins of this doctrine and culture, but there are facts that are generally known.
Who are the Rastamans
It is a mistake to think that this is only youth subculture where monotonous rhythm comes first reggae and a vivid image. And although in Russia rasta culture appeared only in the early 90s, its origins are much deeper.
Don't look for a translation of the word "rastaman". It came from the Ahmar language. Ras is translated as prince, and Tefari is the name. This emperor's middle name Ethiopia- Haile Silassie, which means "Power of the Trinity", and he is the first saint in this religion.
Although Rastafarianism was born in Jamaica, it acquired the main features in Africa... It even bore initially nationalistic features. Rastamans are followers of this doctrine, a monotoetic African cult based on BIblia... Bob Marley was an unwitting popularizer of Rasta. He blinded the reggae musical style from the many chants common in various Rastafarian sects.
Today Rasta culture bears little resemblance to religious teaching. The main focus is on music andappearance: the visual component is an important part of belonging to a subculture. Here's what emerged from the Rasta in other youth movements:
- reggae style influenced modern hip-hop;
- dreadlocks- a special hairstyle, found its application among extreme metal performers;
- legends about the republic Jah stepped into punk rock;
- tattoo, originally Rasta, can be done in any tattoo parlor.
Rastamans in Moscow
If you want to see real rastamans, then come to China town... Children often gather in the park and attract attention by their appearance. Massive knee dreadlocks, piercings, tattoos... In baggy, semi-athletic clothing and on a bike- these are their main features. In Russia not everyone knows about religious teaching. Young people are attracted by unusual clothes and music.
There is also a special store in the Kitai-Gorod area. "Rastashop" where they can buy everything they need. Therefore, this meeting place was chosen. square nearby. What's interesting about Rastashop:
- all for smoking(pipes, bongs, vaporizers);
- bright clothes and accessories with symbols;
- musical instruments, special hairbrushes much more.
Don't listen to scary stories about rastamans. These are funny, cheerful guys, as a rule, erudite and interesting.
