A Rasta S Tale From Down Under

This tale will be as truthful as my memory allows. There are things in my life that I am sorry for, but I will not delete them from my memoir, for through my mistakes, I have learned many a lesson. I feel its necessary to start this tale at my youth for it is the foundation of who I am and has shaped my philosophy of today. It has also given me chance to learn from past mistakes.

First published in 1996, and hailed as something of a classic work of Rastafarian literature, this anthology explores in eleven short stories the reality of Rastafarian life in Zimbabwe. Kudos: "The Man who turned into a Rastafarian is an extremely interesting book, the kind of book you wish had not finished when you turn the back cover. Barbara Blake-Hannah, Author: 'Rastafari - The New Creation, and 'Joseph - a Rasta Reggae Fable', Jamaica. Srating 9 out of 10... This book is for anyone who enjoys a good laugh and cry while they read, Sbutthose of you into Reggae and Rasta culture you will be in for a real treat. This is a book that no Reggae library would be complete without.. This is the kind of book you will want to give to the person that wonders why you listen to that bloody music all the time Lance Naphtali Green, Twelve Tribes of Israel and Rastainoz.com, Australia. S..from the minute I started reading this book I could not put it down. Mary Holden, aka SistaMarydread, Rastaites.com, United Kingdom

When you talk about terrorism, most people in New Zealand think about problems overseas. But those in Gisborne and the East Coast merely cast their minds back twenty years to the Ruatoria Troubles. From 1985 until 1990 the township was terrorised by a cannabis-growing Maori sect calling itself the Rastafarians. Their story is one of the most bizarre chapters in modern New Zealand history. Yet most people have never heard of The Rastas or their reign of terror... until now.

This lively collection of essays coming out of the 1995 symposium held in Jamaica to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Bob Marleys birth is a distinctive contribution to the substantial body of knowledge on global reggae that circulates in cyberspace and on the ground. Glocal simultaneously acknowledges reggaes global dispersal and adaptation in other local contexts of consumption and transformation. Co-sponsored by the Bob Marley Foundation and the International Reggae Studies Centre at the University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica, the symposium provided an opportunity for scholars and cultural practitioners from Jamaica and around the world to consider the international flowering of reggae, particularly as manifested in the prolific career of the Honorable Robert Nesta Marely, OJ, Jamaicas most distinguished cultural ambassador. Altogether these essays suggest the breadth of Bob Marleys vision and the importance of his contribution to Jamaican society and world culture. Speaking from a variety of perspectives, these authors engage in a cross-cultural conversation, a seasoning that illuminates the may meanings of the work of the man whose birth we celebrate.

"From Abba to ZZ Top via Oasis, James Brown and Frank Sinatra, The Penguin Encyclopedia of Popular Music has been revised and updated to include a range of new, contemporary entries from the Britpop scene to world music. Featuring songwriters, musicians, record labels and musical styles, it is a mine of information on today's music the world over."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Shares the spiritual wisdom of Rastafari through the stories, teachings, and traditions of practicing Rastas in Jamaica • Includes the author’s interviews with bush doctors, healers, and Rastafarians gathered during his 15 years of living in Jamaica • Reveals the old ways of the Rastafarians and how their beliefs form an unbroken lineage tracing back to King Solomon • Explains the connection of Rasta beliefs to important biblical passages Tracing their lineage back to King Solomon--the wisest man who ever lived--Rastafarians follow a spiritual tradition of peace and meditation that is more a way of life than an organized religion. During his 15 years living in Jamaica, Gerald Hausman developed deep friendships with Rastafarians and rootsmen, enabling him to experience firsthand the beliefs and traditions of these followers of the Kebra Nagast--the African gospel excised from the King James version of the Bible. He met bush doctors, Rasta preachers, members of the Marley family, and respected elders who knew Marcus Garvey, prophet of the Rasta movement and vocal proponent of the Pan-African movement in America. He also met elders who were present when Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia and descendant of the House of David, came to Jamaica in the 1960s. Through interviews with fishermen, mystics, and wise men, as well as direct encounters with spirits and the spiritual, the author reveals the deep wisdom that underlies the “old ways” of the Rastas. He connects their stories, lives, and teachings with important biblical passages as well as reggae songs. He shares their views on the medicinal and meditative powers of cannabis--the sacred herb of Solomon--and explains that while Rastas believe it to be “the opener of the door,” they maintain that peace and understanding must be found within. Illustrating the unwavering faith and hope of the Rastafari of Jamaica, Hausman shows them to be a people who, above all, emphasize equality, because the Holy Spirit within each of us makes us all one and the same.