World of Reggae Music: Roots and Culture
Rastaman
Red, gold, and green flags emblazoned with the Lion of Judah fly above swirling clouds of ganja smoke while pulsing bass and driving reggae riddims flow through sound systems stacked ten-feet high. This edition of the World of Reggae Music Collection is entitled Roots and Culture. This first volume of Roots and Culture features the Rastaman. The Rastaman is an integral part of Caribbean culture and the reggae movement.
Rita Marley
introduced Robert Nesta Marley to the foundations of the Rastafarian religion or “way of life.” She had seen the Emperor of Ethiopia Haile Selassie I on his visit to Jamaica and had been struck by the spirit on seeing what she believed to be an incarnation of God, Jah Rastafari. Bob Marley and The Wailers
later became a great messenger of the “king’s music.”
Bob Marley
and The Wailers
, the I-Threes (Rita Marley
, Judy Mowatt
, and Marcia Griffiths
), Peter Tosh
, and Bunny Wailer
all professed to the wisdom of Jah in their music. Not only did Marley and the Wailer family play roots and culture reggae, but so did the great rastaman icons Burning Spear
, Dennis Brown
, and Jacob Miller
. The Rastafarian-inspired bands The Abyssinians
, Black Uhuru
, Aswad
, Gladiators
, The Melodians
, The Mighty Diamonds
, Steel Pulse
, Culture
,Wailing Souls
, Third World
, Israel Vibration
, The Itals
, and The Heptones
rocked reggae for crowds of thousands of listeners and fired the souls and imaginations of millions of fans.
Not only the great reggae bands played tribute to the roots and culture of the rastaman, but so did the finest singjays from Dillinger, Barrington Levy, Ranking Joe, Sizzla, and Luciano to Buju Banton, Half Pint, Capleton, Anthony B, and Konshens. From the young to the old, from Tarrus Riley, Gyptian, Morgan Heritage, Alborosie, and Bushman to the old-school reggae originals of Jimmy Riley, Horace Andy, Johnny Clarke, and Cornell Campbell, Rastafarian culture and reggae still captures the pulse of an Island people.
The Abyssinians – Satta Massagana
Capleton – Raggy Road
Bob Marley & the Wailers – Rastaman Chant
Sly & Robbie – Rastaman Chant
Stephen Marley & Ziggy Marley – The Chapel
Black Uhuru & the Revolutionaries – Dread In The Mountain
Aswad – Candles
The Melodians – Rivers Of Babylon
Linval Thompson & U-Roy – Don’t Cut Off Your Dreadlocks & Joyful Locks
Steel Pulse – Not King James Version
Josey Wales – Bobo Dread
VC – By His Deeds
Bob Marley & The Wailers – Rastaman Live Up!
Burning Spear – Old Marcus Garvey
Burning Spear – Farther East of Jack
Chronixx – Capture Land
Sizzla – Praise Ye Jah
Peter Tosh – Igziabeher (Let Jah Be Praised)
Alborosie & Michael Rose – Callin’
Barrington Levy – A Yah We Deh
Bunny Wailer, Toot & the Maytals – Take A Trip
The Heptones – Cool Rasta
Luciano – It’s Me Again Jah
The Shadows – Brother Noah
Buju Banton – Untold Stories
Gregory Isaacs – Thief a Man
Jacob Miller – Tenement Yard
Israel Vibration – Jericho
Busy Signal – Nah Follow Dem
Morgan Heritage – Down By The River
Bob Marley & the Wailers – Positive Vibration
The Mighty Diamonds – I Need A Roof
Ini Kamoze – I Want Ital
Delroy Wilson – Rascal Man
Tony Rebel – Jah Is By My Side
Kiddus I – Graduation In Zion
Sizzla – Rastaman Chant
Third World – Cool Meditation
Jah Cure – Trod in the Valley
Dennis Brown – To the Foundation
Luciano & Sizzla – Jah Blessing
Fred Locks – Black Star Liner
Willie Williams – Armagideon Time
Bob Marley & the Wailers – Jah Live
Sly & Robbie – Jah Live
Raging Fyah – Jah Glory
The Abyssinians – Declaration Of Rights
Buju Banton – Give I Strength
Steel Pulse – Babylon Makes The Rules
Chronixx – Rastaman Wheel Out
Burning Spear – Red, Gold & Green
Burning Spear – Workshop
Alborosie – I Rusalem
The Wailing Souls – Kingdom Rise Kingdom Fall
Black Uhuru – Whole World Is Africa
Alton Ellis – Back To Africa
Gentleman – Jah Jah Never Fail
Tenor Saw – Jah Guide and Protect Me
Tenor Saw – Jah Guide Dub
Alborosie – Rastafari Anthem
Bob Marley & the Wailers – Natty Dread
Irie Love – Put Jah First
Garnett Silk – Kingly Character
Horace Andy – Psalm 68
Horace Andy – Dub 68
Half Pint – Bless Us
Buju Banton – ‘Til I’m Laid To Rest
Johnny Clarke – Satta Massagana
I-Roy – Satta
Cocoa Tea – Heathen
Anthony B & Horace Andy – Enter The Kingdom of Zion
J.O.E. – Rasta Chant
The Abyssinians – Y Mas Gan
Alborosie – Dung A Babylon
Toyan – Dread in a Babylon
Damian Marley & Nas – Africa Must Wake Up
Sugar Minott – Black Roots
Burning Spear – Lion
Third World – Dreamland
Tarrus Riley – Love Created I
Johnny Clarke – Be Holy My Brothers And Sisters
Israel Vibration – We a De Rasta
Burning Spear – Jah No Dead
Bob Marley & the Wailers – Iron Lion Zion
Tenor Saw – Who’s Gonna Help Me Praise
Black-Am-I – Samson Strength
Black Uhuru – I Love King Selassie
Mad Cobra – Salassi I Rule
The Mighty Diamonds – Africa
Busy Signal – Jah Love
Ranking Joe & Michael Rose – Poor Man Struggle
Alborosie – Humbleness
Steel Pulse – Biko’s Kindred Lament
The Gladiators – Roots Natty
Sizzla – Black Woman & Child
Busy Signal – Run Whey
Gentleman – Strange Things
Raging Fyah – Music Isn’t Biased
Alborosie – Still Blazing
Yabby You – Conquering Lion
Burning Spear – Calling Rastafari
The Itals – Roll River Jordan
Johnny Clarke – Enter Into His Gates
Third World – Satta Massagana
Raging Fyah – Behold
Israel Vibration – Sodom and Gomarrah
Cornell Campbell – Lion of Judah
Freddie McGregor – Be Alright
Anthony B – Give Praises
Cocoa Tea – Holy Mount Zion
Bunny Wailer – Rastaman
The Mighty Diamonds – jah Will Work It Out
Johnny Clarke – False Rasta
Alborosie – Grow Your Dreads
Richie Spice – Better Tomorrow
Alton Ellis – True Born African
Black Uhuru – Leaving to Zion
Culture – Get Ready To Ride The Lion To Zion
Aswad – Back To Africa
The Mighty Diamonds – Jah Jah Bless The Dreadlocks
Ras Michael And The Sons Of Negus – Rise Jah Jah Children (The Lion Sleeps)
The Wailing Souls – Jah Give Us Life
Winston Francis – Going to Zion
Sylford Walker & Welton Irie – Chant Down Babylon
Alborosie – Call Up Jah
Morgan Heritage – Hail Up the Lion
Michael Prophet – Jah Love
NEED
Capleton & Luciano – Hail King Selassie
Sizzla – Really And Truly
Patrick Andy – Living in Mount Zion
Wayne Wade – Poor and Humble
Ras Bug – Fisherman
I-Roy – Rootsman
Freddie McGregor – Rastaman Camp
Willie Francis – Let’s Go To Zion
Earth & Stone – False Ruler
Bushman – King Selassie I
Determine – jah a mi sponsor
Luciano – Jah Is My Navigator
Horace Andy – Children of Israel
Justin Hinds & the Dominoes – Jordan River
Sugar Minott – Rome
Devon Irons – When Jah Comes
Max Romeo – Babylon’s Burning
Luciano – Jah Live
Morgan Heritage – Set Yourself Free
Bushman – What’s the Matter With the World
Beres Hammond & Flourgon – I Love Jah
Garnett Silk – Mama Africa
Culture – Humble African
Anthony Cruz & Marlene Johnson – Africa
Tarrus Riley – Marcus Teaching
Sylford Walker – Jah Golden Pen
Black Uhuru – Going To Zion
Hell & Fire – Show Us The Way
Little Roy – Bongo Nyah
Junior Byles – King Of Babylon
Konshens – Rasta Imposter
Luciano & Candy Man – Dem No Know Jah
Max Roemo, Conrad Crystal, & Suga Roy – Chant Rasta
Peter Tosh – Mama Africa
Alborosie – I Am
Frankie Paul – Red, Gold, and Green
Cornell Campbell – I Heart Is Clean/Zinc Fence
Dillinger – Gate Number
Pancho Alphonso & the Revolutionaries – Never Give Up In Babylon
Burning Spear – Jah Is Real
Jimmy Riley – Tell The Youths The Truth
Dolphin Morris & Prince Far I – Su Su Pan Rasta / Heavy Manners
Gregory Isaacs – Babylon Too Rough
Culture – Jah Rastafari
The Wailing Souls – They Don’t Know Jah
Jacob Miller – I’m A Rastaman
Conrad Crystal, Suga Roy, & Gyptian – Jah Jah See Dem
