Jamaica


It has often been observed that the island of Jamaica has had a phenomenally big influence on the rest of the world, out of all proportion to its relatively tiny size, especially in the field of music, and conceivably likewise in religion.



It was in Jamaica in the 1920's that the Rastafarian movement began. During the following few decades, the Rastas remained a small and obscure group, little known outside of the island. But since that time, their inspirational message has spread around the globe, largely due to its hugely successful propagation through the medium of reggae music. Today, there are an estimated one million Rastafarians worldwide.

Jamaica often seems to have a strange dual significance for Rastafarians. On the one hand, it is the typical 'paradise island', with a warm climate, lush vegetation and glorious beaches. But on the other hand, in historical terms, it is the place of continued exile for the Black African Diaspora. Poverty is a major problem among the Jamaican masses, for whom the miserable 'ghetto-living' is all too often a daily reality. Jamaica has therefore been called 'Jamdung' (literally 'pressing down'), a bitter expression of perceived state oppression.



Amid such an atmosphere of dejection, it is no surprise that Garvey's 'Back to Africa' movement, with its hopeful message of a better life in the 'Promised Land', inspired a large following. To this day, one of the principle aspirations for the Rastafarian is repatriation to the African homeland, though increasingly it is also interpreted symbolically rather than literally. In any case, in line with the bibilcal imagery, the Jamaican state is identified with 'Babylon', though similarly this term may be applied to any society whose poor are oppressed.

Over the years, a career in music has been one of the only feasible routes leading out of the ghetto to a better life and a kind of salvation. The combination of reggae's vibrant rhythms with the arresting impact of the Rastafarian claim that the Almighty God is 'a living man' is an inspirational and valued contributor to this powerful metaphor of emancipation via the rising crescendo of musical and spiritual vibes. Thus in the long run, even Jamaica herself, though previously condemned as the whore Babylon, seems to have been sufficiently redeemed to become affectionately known as 'Jah-Mecca'.

It is worth remembering that, despite its disproportionately large influence on the rest of the world, Rastafari is far from being the dominant religion in Jamaica, which remains one of the most important strongholds of Christianity.