Rastafarians & Reggae
Cultural Research > Rastafarians Intro > Rastafarian Essay
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Introduction The Look: Most famously, the iconic ‘dreadlocks’, matted hairstyle which is achieved with no artificial instruments or chemicals. ‘Tams’ (knitted caps) and other accessories in the red, gold and green of the Ethiopian flag. Rastafarian women tend towards long, African print skirts with sandals, no make-up and with dreadlocks wrapped in a traditional African headdress. The Time: Developing from the 1930s but it was in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s that many popular reggae musicians became part of the movement. The Place: Jamaica – but quickly spread abroad, especially to London and New York where there are large West Indian communities. Influenced: Punks, New Age Travellers, Indie Kids |
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Essay Excerpt
As well as record-breaking Olympic sprinters, the West Indian island of Jamaica has also long produced more than its fair share of world class musicians. Bluebeat and ska musicians like Prince Buster and Desmond Decker in the ‘50s and ‘60s were just the protruding tip of an enormous iceberg of talent which, in more recent times, laid much of the groundwork for Rap/Hip Hop. In the ‘70s the world was mesmerized by the bone-shaking subterranean rhythms and red hot passion of reggae and, most famously, Bob Marley. |