MAGAZINE
BRINGING YOU THE WORLD OF RASTAFARI AND REGGAE
SPRING 2021 | £4 ORDER AT
www.jusjahmagazine.com
HONOURING THE LIFE OF
KING EMMANUEL CHARLES EDWARDS JUS’JAHmagazine | 1 Spring 2021
SPECIAL THANK YOU’S Special Thank You’s Thank you to everyone who helped to make the Spring 2021 issue of Jus’ Jah Magazine. Give thanks to Jah Rastafari for guiding my team to produce another special publication. About the cover: This cover shows King Emmanuel Charles Edwards in Jamaica. This picture was provided by his son, Priest Jesus Emmanuel Edwards and he remains the copyright holder.
NOTICES
Jus’ Jah Magazine is published four times a year in the UK. No content may be reproduced in any format without prior written consent from the owner. Jus’ Jah Magazine is committed to producing a culturally-rich, vibrant and representative publication. Our contributors offer a unique range of views. Their individual opinions are their own and not necessarily shared by Jus’ Jah Magazine. Our departments Greetings@jusjahmagazine.com General enquiries. Sales@jusjahmagazine.com To advertise with us or collaborate. Picth@jusjahmagazine.com If you have a story you want published. Subscriptions@jusjahmagazine.com For all enquiries about subscribing. Editor@jusjahmagazine.com All editorial enquiries including interviews, features and corrections.
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Thank you to Nicholas Dixon, Justice Dixon, Jahzarah Dixon, Jahfari Dixon, Glynis Mc Queen-Simon, GEMs Management Consulting, Teodora Nikolov, Priest Jesus Emmanuel Edwards, Priest Abuna Jacob Edwards, Bobo Hill, Empress Kush I Crown, Ronnie Tomlinson, Destine Media, Sizzla Kalonji, Mr. Williamz, Ethan Beer, Kartel Music Group, Leon ‘Mack’ Sutherland, D. Lorina, Sheldon Gava, D’Original Reverence, Shirley Anstis, Officially Flexitarians and Jus’ Jah Kitchen. My deepest love and gratitude to my parents for their love, teachings and guidance. Thank you so much to all the readers and supporters for believing in Jus’ Jah Magazine, our vision and editorial values. This issue of Jus’ Jah Magazine is livicated (dedicated) to King Emmanuel Charles Edwards. And we remember Empress Sista Tegisti Selassie, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry and Earl ‘DMX’ Simmons. Continue guiding us, as our ancestors.
CONTENTS PAGE 2. Thank you’s 3. Contents Page 4. Advert 5. Letter from the Publisher 6-7. The Rasta Calendar 8-9. La Soufriere Erupts in St. Vincent 10. Remembering 11. Nyabinghi Chant 12-15. Meet Author: Shirley Anstis 16. Happy Windrush Day 17. www.jusjahmagazine.com 18-19. Guest writer: D. Lorina 20-21. Visiting Bobo Hill 22-27. HONOURING: King Emmanuel Charles Edwards 28-31. Honouring The Life of king Emmanuel Charles Edwards 33. The First Rasta: Leonard Howell 36-37. Remembering 38. Happy Earthday Haile Selassie i 39. Poetry Corner with Mount Zinai 40-43. The Iconic Dancehall Storyteller: Mr. Williamz 44. Sizzla releases new single Crown on your Head 45. Mr. Williamz releases Sound Killa Mindset 46-50. Music with a Message: Meet D’Original Reverence 51. Happy Earthday Marcus Garvey 52. Say no to Racism in Football 54-59. Meet Community Champions: the Officially Flexitarians 60-61. Our readers and supporters 63. Jus jah kitchen 64-65. Ital food: Detox Time! 66-67. Jus’ Jah Kitchen: Ital Stew Peas 68-69. Comics by Justice Dixon 70. Twelve tribes chart 71. Bobo Shanti word search 72. His Majesty says 73. About this picture 74-76. Back page www.jusjahmagazine.com
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“INI AH REASON” REGGAE PODCAST
A brand-new podcast discussing all things related to Reggae and Dancehall music. We also highlight issues within the Rasta community, the Caribbean and Africa. INI Ah Reason is hosted by Journalist and Editor, Sinai Fleary, and Reggae artist and Songwriter, Asha Heights. Join the discussion by using #INIpodcast
THE PODCAST IS AVAILABLE ON
YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Soundcloud and Colourfulradio.com
Instagram: @iniahreason
Twitter: @InIAhReason Facebook: @InIAhReason
MAGAZINE
Letter from the Publisher Dear reader, I hope this issue finds you spiritually, mentally and physically healthy. We have finally reached Volume Two of Jus’ Jah Magazine! I couldn’t have reached this far without all of your support, so thank you so much. I would like to thank everyone who purchased copies from our first volume. Jus’ Jah Magazine was launched and published during a worldwide pandemic and to see it received with so much admiration and love, has made the process so memorable. I am so happy to announce that King Emmanuel Charles Edwards is on our new cover! King Emmanuel is the founder of the Ethiopia Africa Black International Congress (E.A.B.I.C), this group is now known as Bobo Shanti or Bobo Ashanti. The Bobo Shanti are one of the main houses within the Rastafari Movement along with Nyabinghi and the Twelve Tribes of Israel. To honour King Emmanuel in the right and proper way, I was granted an interview with two of his sons. Priest Jesus Edwards and Priest Abuna Edwards spoke exclusively to Jus’ Jah Magazine about growing up with their famous father and how they are continuing with his work and mission. Plus, they share some never-before-seen photos of their family. This issue also features Dancehall and Reggae artist Mr. Williamz, Author Shirley Anstis, Reggae artist D’ Original Reverence and Community Champions Officially Flexitarians. Plus, our guest writer, D. Lorina, has some wise words about courtship. Thank you to all of you for being a part of this historic issue. Give thanks for your support and patience. Jah guidance and blessings always,
Sinai Fleary Editor & Founder
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CALENDAR
THE RASTA CALENDAR
There are several key events that are of historical and cultural significance to Rastafarians. These special dates are celebrated throughout the year. Here are some of those important dates in the Rasta calendar.
GENA OR GENNA
THE BATTLE OF ADWA
January 7th (Annually)
March 1st (Annually)
Gena is the Ethiopian Orthodox Church celebration of Christmas. Often called Rasmas in Rasta communities.
On this date in 1896, the first war was fought between Ethiopia and Italy, in the town of Adwa. Menelik II lead Ethiopia’s 100,000-strong army to victory against the Italians, who wanted to colonise Ethiopia.
ROBERT NESTA MARLEY EARTHDAY February 6th (Annually) Bob Marley, was born on this day in 1945, in Nine Mile, Jamaica. His earthday is celebrated by Reggae fans and members of the Rasta community in Jamaica. Celebrations usually take place across the island, but also at Marley’s home, which is now the famous Bob Marley Museum in Hope Road, Kingston. 6
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EMPRESS MENEN I EARTHDAY April 3rd (Annually) Rastas honour the earthday of Empress Menen Asfaw, who was the wife of Emperor Haile Selassie I. According to the Ethiopian calendar, she was born on Magabit 26 1881. This translates to April 3rd, 1891, in the Gregorian calendar. She founded the Empress Menen School for girls and did extensive charity work in her homeland.
CALENDAR AFRICA DAY
HAILE SELASSIE I EARTHDAY
May 25th (Annually)
July 23rd (Annually)
(PREVIOUSLY KNOWN AS AFRICAN LIBERATION DAY)
Is the annual celebration of the establishment of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), now known as the African Union. The OAU/AU was set up on May 25th, 1963, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Two of the founding fathers were Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia and Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana.
KING EMMANUEL CHARLES EDWARDS EARTHDAY May 31st Annually King Emmnanuel Charles Edwards was born on May 31st, 1915. He was the founder and leader of the Ethiopia Africa Black International Congress, True Church of Salvation (E.A.B.I.C.). On March 1, 1958, the E.A.B.I.C was formed. The HQ is situated in Bull Bay, Jamaica, and is known as Bobo Hill.
LEONARD HOWELL EARTHDAY June 16th (Annually) Leonard Howell is regarded as the ‘First Rasta’ and was born 1898. He began preaching about the crowning of Ras TafarI Makonnen in 1933. Howell formed one of the earliest Rasta communities called Pinnacle, in St. Catherine, Jamaica.
Haile Selassie I’s earthday is one of the key dates in the Rasta calendar. He was born in 1892. His name at birth was Tafari Makonnen. His father was Makonnen Wolde Mikael and his mother was named Yeshimebet Ali. His earthday is acknowledged in the Rastafari community with traditional Nyabinghi celebrations.
MARCUS MOSIAH GARVEY EARTHDAY August 17th (Annually) Marcus Mosiah Garvey Jr. ONH is revered as a prophet for the RastafarI Movement. His earthday (birthday) is celebrated annually, by Garveyites, Pan-Africanists and Rastas.
ETHIOPIAN NEW YEAR September 11th (Annually) The Ethiopian calendar is seven years behind the Gregorian calendar. Enkutatash is the word for Ethiopian New Year in Amharic - the official language spoken in Ethiopia.
ROYAL ETHIOPIAN CORONATION November 2nd (Annually) The Rastafari Movement commemorate the anniversary of the Coronation of Haile Selassie I and Empress Menen Asfaw, which took place on this date in 1930.
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TRIBUTE
LA SOUFRIERE ERUPTS IN ST. VINCENT By Sinai Fleary
O
n April 9th, the La Soufriere volcano erupted on the Caribbean island of St. Vincent and the Grenadines
(SVG). It was the first major eruption at the volcano since 1979. The latest eruptive activity began back in December 2020. But a series of powerful explosive eruptions began on April 9th, forcing thousands of people to leave their homes in the North East and North West of the island. Since then, tens of thousands of people have been forced to stay in shelters or seek refuge in neighbouring Caribbean islands, like Barbados, St. Lucia and Grenada. The immediate response from the Caribbean was like watching your big brother and sister run over to you when you fell over as a child. The love and solidarity shown was beautiful and is something that I truly admire about the Caribbean region. Even when each island is struggling with their own issues, they can always pause and offer a helping hand to their Caribbean brother and sisters. There was a heartfelt response right here in London, UK, too. Many from the Caribbean diaspora raised funds and collected essential items for the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Georgetown resident Leon ‘Mack’Sutherland holds up rocks which came from the La Soufriere Volcano. The volcano eruption touched me personally, as my mother was born and raised on the island. I have visited St. Vincent as a child and as an adult and have so many fond memories of the place, the people and my experiences there. I was sent all of these pictures from a family friend, called Mack (Leon
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TRIBUTE
Sutherland). He took these photos just after La Soufriere erupted and you can see just how captivating the images are. Mack has stayed in his local community in Georgetown to help with the clean up process and to ensure livestock and vulnerable people are ok. Through social media, I was able to see donations for SVG coming from members of the Rastafari community, who shipped supplies and bought them directly to the people. I would like to thank Rastafari United Front in St Lucia, Reggae artist Chronixx and his Chor Foundation, Herbal Practitioner, Honourable Priest Kailash from St. Lucia and his Mount Kailash Rejuvenation Centre, Kenty’s in St Lucia and Richsol Foods in Vancouver, Canada,
for their donations. Continue to help where you can, as it will take a long time for life in SVG to return to normal. But with a little bit of help from their brothers and sisters around the world – it will be faster.
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REMEMBERING
REMEMBERING EMPRESS TEGISTI SELASSIE (MERLENE ELLIS-REID) (08/03/1946 – 03/08/2021) RASTAFARI ELDER, MOTHER, WIFE, SISTER, GRANDMOTHER, GREAT-GRANDMOTHER AND FRIEND EMPRESS SISTA TEGISTI SELASSIE WAS A WELL-KNOWN RASTAFARI ELDER. SHE WAS AN INSTRUMENTAL AND KEY PART OF THE RASTA COMMUNITY IN THE UK. SHE PASSED AWAY IN MALAWI, IN AFRICA. RESPECTED, LOVED, TEACHER, SPIRITED, LIONESS AND EMPRESS
FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS Reggae Month was created to celebrate the contributions and achievements of Reggae artists, producers, promoters creative and entrepreneurs. The month-long celebration is an annual event which highlights Jamaica’s heritage and musical history. Some of the key highlights of RISE IN POWER Reggae Month include celebrations for Dennis Brown’s earthday (Feb 1st), Bob Marley’s earthday (FEB 6th) and various other industry and seminars. 10 JUS’JAHmagazine | Springworkshops 2021
CHANT
NYABINGHI CHANT
The Conquering Lion The Conquering Lion must break every chain (repeat) The Conquering Lion must break every chain And give I the victory again and again The Lion of Judah must break every chain (repeat) And give I the victory again and again The Conquering Lion must break every chain (repeat) The Conquering Lion must break every chain And give I the victory again and again The Lion of Judah must break every chain (repeat) And give I the victory again and again
The Conquering Lion must break every chain (repeat) The Conquering Lion must break every chain And give I the victory again and again The Lion of Judah must break every chain (repeat) And give I the victory again and again
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INTERVIEW
MEET AUTHOR
SHIRLEY ANSTIS
I
Interview by Sinai Fleary
ntroduce yourself to the Jus’ Jah Magazine readers.
My name is Shirley Anstis and I am a mental health counsellor. I also offer writing therapy workshops which are fun and creative. Tell us a little bit about your upbringing. I was born in London and my parents were part of the Windrush generation. They returned to the Caribbean when I was very young. I returned to the UK to study at college. I had a great experience attending school in the Caribbean. My parents were very involved in their community. My dad was an English teacher and that influenced me to get into writing. I have studied a lot and that gave me lots of writing practice.
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INTERVIEW My career as a counsellor keeps me curious and I get many book ideas. You went to school in Grenada, what was that experience like? In Grenada, I was part of a small community and I would always meet the same people who went to my school. I would see them at church and at the market. So there was a cohesive aspect to my time in Grenada. I attended high school in The Bahamas and my sisters and I were the only Grenadian children at the school. The main difference I noticed was in The Bahamas it was very Americanised at the time. But also, there was a lot more affluence there. What inspired you to finally write the books you have? My dad always wanted to write a book but sadly he died before he did. So that motivated me to get on with writing. I wrote a self-awareness book, which is about discovering who you are today. It is called An A-Z for Your Life. I wrote that book in 2009.
I also wrote a book about Grenadian nicknames. I spoke to over 70 people in Grenada about their nicknames and what they mean to them. What are some of the nicknames you have discovered through writing this book? Some of the names are quite hurtful
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INTERVIEW and some are quite funny, nicknames such as Flex and Rope. But it all highlights the Caribbean culture. How has the Caribbean changed in your opinion, since you went to school there? Life there is more complex now, especially with social media and technology in general. You are a selfpublished author, would you encourage other authors to go through that process? It was very hard and requires a lot of persistence. I’d encourage you to find a good editor and designer too. What was the driving force to get this book about the Black British Members of Parliament done? I worked as a career’s adviser for some time and what I found was alot of Black students didn’t know of many role models outside of sport and music. I wanted to create more resources for young people to see more possibilities for their future including politics. How has the publishing industry 14
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changed post George Floyd? I think it has been trying to catch up with demand. There are a lot of anti-racist books and some Black British History books. I haven’t tried to get an agent but that might change in the future. As a counsellor, what advice would you give to our community coming out of lockdown? You have to remember you have choices. Be cautious and practice
INTERVIEW
self-care and don’t feel pressured to do things you’re not comfortable with. Be aware that there is a lot of uncertainty and accept that you can’t change everything. Be flexible and realistic. What tips can you give us to look after our mental health? Stop scrolling online; social media is not reality. Focus on yourself and where you want to be. Learn to let go of comparison and what people think and that will work wonders! Where can people contact you online? Twitter & Instagram: @shirleyanstis Web: www.envisioncounselling.co.uk LinkedIn: Shirley Anstis Web: www.livingbeingdoing.com All books are available on Amazon!
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Happy Windrush Day (Annually in United Kingdom)
Windrush Day was introduced on 22nd June, 2018, on the 70th anniversary of the Windrush migration.
On 22 June,1948, 492 African-Caribbean people arrived at Tilbury Docks, Essex, in the UK, on the Empire Windrush ship. News reports at the time reported that the number of people was 492, but the ship’s records show there were 1,027 passengers. According to the passenger lists, 802 of those on board the ship gave their last country of residence as somewhere in the Caribbean. Since 1948, hundreds of thousands of people have come from the Caribbean to work and live in the UK. The Caribbean community has contributed to making the UK what it is today.
SALUTE TO THE WINDRUSH GENERATION AND THEIR DESCENDANTS! Brave, selfless, hard working, family-orientated, dignified, creative, pioneers and cultural icons.
MAGAZINE
Subscribe to the Jus’ Jah Magazine YouTube Channel! Jus’ Jah Magazine has some exciting and new video content coming soon to our YouTube Channel. Make sure you subscribe to the channel, so you don’t miss the vibes! SUBSCRIBE AT: http://www.youtube.com/user/JusJahMagazine
GUEST WRITER
Re-building Our Community© Self Evaluation
COURTSHIP ITS PURPOSE Written by D. Lorina
T
o want something special is to do that which will allow you to get it. For instance; want a particular job? You will ensure you boost your grades; gain new skills and experiences in order to fulfill the job description. Want to lose or gain weight? One will set up a dietary plan and an array of exercises to reach their desired weight. Want a new house? Well, enough physical cash will need to be brought forward, therefore, sacrifices are made to achieve just that. Where am I going with this? one may ask and what does this have to do with courtship? Well, to achieve the above goals the changes were made for the better. So why is a similar approach not often taken when pursuing a new relationship? Many relationship mishaps and breakdowns are due to lack of communication period. In order to establish a healthy relationship an interrogation process must get underway by this I am referring to courtship. If we can for a moment envision a court 18
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setting you have the claimant, respondent, their representatives, judge, jury, witnesses and the onlookers. Evidence is presented, the claimant and respondent give their accounts. The witnesses give their account and their representatives are their advisers. The onlookers represent close friends and family, the jurors are those who have no emotional attachment to both claimant and respondent and the judge is the one to
GUEST WRITER permit an order. Now with that in mind the same measures should be taken during courtship. For courtship is the first stage that will or will not determine marriage. I say that to say this, many relationships are built on the wrong foundation. There are those not wanting to pursue long term commitments, many are there soley for what they are there for. Although many go in with good intentions, the cracks soon show because this was not what they bargained for. This is the purpose of courtship, to sieve the unwanted baggage. Naturally, and quite often the man will approach a woman. It is then for the woman to ensure that he is fit for purpose and vice versa. It is easy to get caught up in the flattery stage. Who would not want a little boost now and then? However, have your radar turned on and tuned up with anyone who shows you interest, women especially, I guarantee not all is what it seems in most. Question them on every word they come at you with, especially those that speak in riddles. Also, look out for the ones who lay their cards out on the table. Not all are the same, but at times they have their own agenda and what may seem like the raw truth to you may well be a death trap. So scrutinise words as much as possible to get a broader perspective on the one that is
pursuing you. They will soon show whether they are worth your time, space and energy. Might I add, that it is important for all of us to appreciate the time in which we live. Nothing is forever, so why enter that which serves no purpose? Although relationships are private and between the two involved might I stress, courtship sets a foundation. It establishes boundaries and a standard from the beginning. Both parties are aware that the other comes with an entourage. Therefore, suspicion of vulnerability from preying men and women is eradicated. On the other hand, be mindful of those who you allow in your circle for they too may not have your best interest to heart. As human beings we evolve this is a natural occurrence. We grow, age, mature and we become wiser. So, should this not be with our relationships that one wants to engage in? Steps have to be taken. One should not be their old self, for that old self served that old purpose. To be continued...
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HONOURING
VISITING BOBO HILL By Sinai Fleary
I
have visited Bobo Hill on one occasion and it was at the end of 2010. My family and I travelled to Jamaica to visit family and spend some quality time away from Babylon. We had plans to rest, eat good Ital food and do a lot of thinking and reflecting. 2010 had been a difficult year and we needed some time away from London life. After spending most of our time in Old Harbour, St Catherine’s, we wanted to go to
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Bobo Hill. We planned our day and prepared for our journey -which would take about one hour and 30 minutes. But nothing prepared us for what happened when we arrived in Bull Bay, where the historic hill is situated. Our driver told us he couldn’t drive up to Bobo Hill and that it was only accessible by foot. I wasn’t dressed for climbing up the green lush country mountains. But we were determined to get to the top and see the hill, which we had heard so much about in music and conversations with Bobo Shanti elders. What also made us so determined, was the fact we had our children with us. We wanted them to see the hill and walk on the grounds up there. Holding onto other family members I made it to the top after a climb that had locals smiling and encouraging me every time I slipped. When we reached the top, the view was spectacular! It was everything I had imagined. It was peaceful and absolutely stunning! The sound of water flowing could be heard nearby. When we arrived there was lots of building work happening with some unfinished concrete structures within view. What I loved about being up on the hill,
HONOURING
was seeing all the red, gold and green homes which we had passed on the way to reach the top. It was like an announcement that we were in a Rastaman town. When we went through the big red, gold and green gates, we entered a small building that was decorated with pictures of Haile Selassie I, King Emmanuel and Marcus Garvey. We were greeted by an elder Bobo Rasta (unfortunately I can’t remember his name), who was dressed in a robe and turban. Straightaway we were welcomed and asked about which country we had come from. Our children were greeted and we were given a small tour around Bobo Hill.
We were shown the school area, the tabernacle and several other places. What was striking about Bobo Hill, was how bright the sun shined up there. The place was beautiful, just like the people who lived up there. In our short time, we learned a lot and vowed to return. In 2021, I have returned to Bobo Hill. Not physically, due to the pandemic, but by being granted an interview with two sons of King Emmanuel Charles Edwards, who founded the Ethiopia Africa Black Congress (E.A.B.I.C) on Bobo Hill in 1958. Jus’ Jah Magazine was granted an exclusive interview with Priest Jesus Charles Edwards (who is the current President of the E.A.B.I.C.) and Priest Abuna Jacob Edwards. Please enjoy the interview which is spread over the next ten pages! *All pictures provided by Priest Jesus Charles Edwards.
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HONOURING
HONOURING
KING EMMANUEL CHARLES EDWARDS Interview by Sinai Fleary
I
n an exclusive interview with Jus’ Jah Magazine, Priest Jesus Charles Edwards, son of King Emmanuel, opens up about his father, his legacy and his role as the President of the Ethiopia Africa Black International Congress (E.A.B.I.C). Introduce yourself to the Jus’ Jah Magazine readers. My name is Honourable Priest Jesus Emmanuel Edwards, son of King Emmanuel Charles Edwards. I am the President of the Ethiopia Africa Black International Congress Church of Salvation and I am living in the seat of President at this time. Tell us the history of the Bobo Shanti (E.A.B.I.C) branch of Rastafari. Well, it is a long story. Our father said he got
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HONOURING called on this work through a vision, but he never acted on it. He was on a building working and he said a man lick him down off the building top. He began the work (E.A.B.I.C) in 1958. It started on Spanish Town Road and then moved to Bull Bay, where he continued the work. He is the man of R (meaning right). He came to rise Black people. Marcus Garvey say “look to the east and a king shall come.” What are the teachings of the Bobo Shanti movement? Please explain the importance of wearing robes and turbans. Well as you can see we are royalty! When they came to Africa, they saw us living in peace and as kings and queens. Many people in Africa wear robes, have tall hair (long hair) and wrap their hair in a turban. For INI (us), that is our livity (way of life) and culture from creation. It is important for INI to reconnect to who we are as Africans and how you present yourself is a way to do that. The teachings of the Bobo Shanti order are that Honourable Marcus Garvey is INI Prophet, Emperor Haile Selassie I is INI King and Priest Emmanuel is INI Priest. Why do Bobo Shanti’s wear different colours on different days? INI wear white on the Sabbath because the white stands for purity. Also, we don’t work on the Sabbath so we can wear white – as it won’t get dirty up! On Monday and Wednesday, we have fasting service. The red represents the blood of you. The black is for the people and green is for the green field and prosperity. Why does the Bobo Shanti flag have red on the top and not at the bottom?
If you turn yourself upside down blood is going to run to your head. So they always say keep the red pon top and ah so the rainbow come. No one could ever turn down the stop light (traffic lights), they come red, gold and green. That is the rightful way for INI fi live. The angel colours are red, gold and green and Marcus Garvey’s are red black and green, said the Most High. We haffi know we self and know which colours fi choose. Tell us why keeping the Sabbath is so important for Bobo Shanti people and what actually happens on the day? The Sabbath is a day of life because Christ create the world in six days and on the seventh day he rested. We have to respect
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HONOURING the man who give us life and we must do the same. We must walk in his footsteps. The Sabbath is important and is held from Friday night to Saturday evening at six o’clock. Sabbath preparations start from Thursday. On this day, you clean your house, prepare your white clothing and you do your cooking. By six o’clock the fire (cooker/oven) should be out. The Sabbath is your divine moment and your spiritual time to rebalance with your God. It is also a time to get a sabbatical rest and restore back yourself and refresh back your soul for life, said the Most High Jah Rastafari. What was it like growing up with King Emmanuel Charles Edwards as your father? It was just love! It was like being in a school room because everyone would come around to learn from him. I was always surrounded by so many angels, man and woman. He was teaching them how to cook and wrap their turban. We helped a lot of people. Many would come from foreign (abroad) to learn from my father because they wanted to live a better and more clean life. We were around daddy as a teacher. We would be on the field and we would ramp a lot. We had our karate time and we would play a little sword fight, but we still knew about salvation because that was our duty. What would you want people to know about your father? My father is the crowned champion of human rights and he is the Black Christ in flesh. He would speak about repatriation all the time. You are a priest on Bobo Hill, tell us what that involves and what training did 24
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Harman Edwards, son of Jesus Charles Edwards and grandson of king Emmanuel Charles Edwards Photo Credit: Priest Jesus Emmanuel Edwards you have to go through to earn the title of priest? Well this title is ordained from birth through my father. But members have to go through the foundation. You build yourself from a prophet stage to a priest. You are called a prophet, whether you have on turban or not.When you come and learn to read your Psalms and we see how you go along in your duties and then you can get anointed to become a priest. You need to learn the order before you can
HONOURING
King Emmanuel Charles Edwards Photo Credit: Priest Jesus Emmanuel Edwards celebrations on special dates, like January 7th, Marcus Garvey Earthday, November 2nd and His Majesty earth strong. be anointed to be a leading priest. You have to learn to keep yourself clean first, before you can teach another angel the livity. The priest’s role is a clean role. You must have clean hands and a pure heart. The Empress has her role. She is instrumental in teaching the children to know the way. What happens on Bobo Hill? We have a school for children and we have the Jerusalem School Room where they learn the bible. We also have the youth banquet, where the children perform. We have various lectures where you can learn about Marcus Garvey and King Emmanuel. We have Sabbath service and have
Why is repatriation so important? We need to go home to Ethiopia, Africa, as that is our home. Tell us about some of the work that is needs to be done at Bobo Hill. We are building towards Africa, but there is some work that needs to be done at the foundation in Bull Bay. We need some building work done. But we nah develop Jamaica to stay here, but we need to be safe to ensure when it rains things do not break down. We are calling of every member of Bobo Shanti, who wear turban. This includes all the entertainer dem! Them ah hail Emmanuel name, Marcus name and Selassie I name. Sizzla has played his part, he came and
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HONOURING
King Emmanuel Charles Edwards and Empress Rachel parents of Priest Jesus Charles Edwards (pictured as a baby) and family friends. Photo Credit: Priest Jesus Charles Edwards
donated towards the Tabernacle. Nuff of them need to come and support Bobo Hill, but we are not begging for anything. But you see how much entertainer we have, we should have one ship or a plane going back to Africa and fulfilling what Marcus Garvey started. What foods do the Bobo Shanti eat and 26
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also tell us which are foods are prohibited. We eat vegetables and drink bitters. We drink rice bitters, Moringa and Neem. We use lots of herbs in our food to cleanse our blood and system. Some eat fish but not during Lent. Marcus Garvey told us they would poison our food and if you look at the foods being sold now, not all of them are healthy and beneficial to INI.
HONOURING
King Emmanuel Charles Edwards and Priest Jesus as a young boy (pictured in red) along with Honourable Priest Jackie, Honourable Priest Brown, Honourable Prophet Selvin Photo Credit: Priest Jesus Charles Edwards
We do not eat meat. How important is it to fast? We fast on different days and it teaches you discipline. On the Sabbath, we do not eat until 12 Midday. It is part of our training to ensure that your body and spirit can withstand things. We are fasting and praying in the wilderness. Bobo Shanti people are very self-reliant and follow this teaching from Marcus Garvey. How important is self-reliance in 2021? Those messages cannot die and are ever living. We must study the Human Rights Charter. Tell us about the Women Freedom Liberation League and what is its purpose? It was formed from creation and is to show the woman herself from Proverbs. It is about mutual respect. In the foundation, women have time for
Priest Jesus daughters, Rennesta Edwards and Nyamekye Edwards. Photo Credit: Rosenda Meja Junior themselves and a man has a time for himself. So they can never get tired of each other. What message do you have for our people in 2021? INI is still going through slavery now in this time. We have to look into ourselves to find out who we truly are. We have to love ourselves, that is so important. If you do not love yourself, you are on the path to destruction. By loving our self, we can set ourselves free, said the Most High Selassie I Jah Rastafari.
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HONOURING
HONOURING THE LIFE OF KING
EMMANUEL CHARLES EDWARDS Interview by Sinai Fleary
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us’ Jah Magazine also spoke to Honourable Priest Abuna Jacob Edwards, who is also a son of King Emmanuel Charles Edwards. He now lives in Ghana and shared some important messages with us. Please introduce yourself to the Jus’ Jah Magazine readers. I’m Priest Abuna Jacobs Edwards and I am a priest inna the church of INI father and I am in Ghana, Africa. I am a son of King Emmanuel Charles Edwards. My father came and started the work and was agitating for the right of his children to bring them home of Africa. The work started from the Rastafari settlement, Back-O-Wall (now Tivoli Gardens), Trench Town, all the way to Bull Bay – ten miles from the bloody city. He was agitating all heads of government, 28
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HONOURING from Britain and all European allies. He wanted to show them the right way and educate them about the suffering of our people and to ensure we get reparations and repatriation. Tell us about your role as a priest. As a priest, we’ve come to teach the nation about righteousness. We are passing on the work which our father taught us. My father gave me the name Abuna, which means priest in Amharic –the language spoken in Ethiopia. INI obeys the churchical order. You have the prophet that gets the vision, and the priest is the one who maintains the order. And without the king the people perish. My father said soap and water cleanses the flesh, but the salvation cleanses the heart. The role of a priest is to turn us away from the darkness and bring us to the glorious light of the father. Tell us about some of the work you are doing in Ghana and what is the overall Bobo Shanti movement like there? Jah sent us here, to show them the ancient order. Since I came to Ghana, we have now built a Rasta church and have been teaching the people about the movement. We have ordained many priests and many have come to us to learn about Bobo Shanti. What year did you go to Ghana? I went to Ghana in 1994 and I have never returned to Jamaica. I am home!
Jah says that Africa belongs to all Black men, Black women and children. How can the Rastafari movement help with some of the work you are doing in Ghana? We are currently farming and we have a variety of skills here. We also make crafts, mats and buttons and badges. What sort of things are you growing in Ghana as a farmer? I grow Plantain, Corn and Cassava. I have been growing some vegetables also. Marcus Garvey said self-reliance is the way and as members of the Bobo Shanti that is our way of life. What was it like growing up with your father King Emmanuel Charles Edwards? He was a man of principle and
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HONOURING commandments and he was very serious in his work. He would implement fasting into our routine and that helped to make us disciplined. It was really glorious growing up with him and I really miss my father. He was a very strict man and didn’t joke with his order and he would tell you things straight. He didn’t entertain anything within his camp! Every morning he would read out the principles and order for the day and if you can’t follow them, you couldn’t be there. It was a holy ground and I have many great memories of growing up with him. What are some of the things he taught you? He taught us so much and some of those things people are just learning now. He taught us Ethiopia has the oldest version of the Bible. INI are Ethiopians and we are proud to hail His Majesty, who sits upon the throne of David. We need to teach ourselves about our history, birth right and culture. All of us are Ethiopians. In Psalms 16 it tells us we are royalty but European history came and told us we are boys and girls. How has the perception of Rastafari changed in Ghana since you arrived in 1994? Rastafari is a livity and culture of ancient ways. For me, I see Christ as a Rastaman because he nuh use scissors and comb. If you look in the Bible and go to the book of Numbers, it will tell you about your vow as a Nazarite. Nuff people like to say how Haile Selassie never had any dread (locks), but he was an example for everyone –for the ball head, the Jheri curl and the Afros. We are in Ghana, just keeping up the livity and the ways of the father. 30
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What would you say to those in African diaspora to encourage them to return to Africa? If you have the finance to come, come home. Repatriation is a must! Jah says freedom and redemption. China for the Chinese, India for the Indians, Europe for the Europeans and Africa for the Africans. Anything you want you can achieve it here, but it is a mind set. They took us to build the West and we have to come back and build our home. Marcus Garvey already told us one aim, one
HONOURING heart and one destiny. Tell us about how your father contacted Queen Elizabeth II. Our father showed them the ways of the right. When Queen Elizabeth came to Jamaica, King Emmanuel sent a package to her and was agitating for the rights of Black people. She made a speech in the Jamaican parliament saying there is an individual in Jamaica who no one should trouble. She also went as far to say if my father wanted to go home to Africa, she would sponsor him and his congress. But my father told her ‘no’ and said he has ‘come for all of his people’. All of the heads of government know about my father. Tell us a little bit of the history about your father’s early days in Jamaica. He got a fight. He was originally at 54b Spanish Town Road, but they came to bulldoze down his camp. From there, he went
Bobo Shanti Ambassadors to Bull Bay and that is where the Bobo Shanti headquarters are now. Talk to us about Women’s Freedom Liberation League within the Bobo Shanti movement. Marcus Garvey said the women dem fi go in front and agitate for the cause because they are the mothers and they bring forth the children of the nation. If you check back to His Majesty, he stands up with his Queen and that is so Jah set it!
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HISTORY
THE FIRST RASTA:
LEONARD HOWELL L eonard Percival Howell was born on June 16, 1898, to parents Thomas and Clementina Howell. His parents were independent farmers and business owners. In the 1920s, he left Jamaica to study in America. It was here he would become aware of the racial discrimination, segregation and oppression that African Americans were receiving. Howell himself had been a victim of hatred and found it difficult to stand aside and do nothing. He decided it was his destiny to stand up for people who were facing inequality. He travelled to many countries and began preaching about the mistreatment of Black people. Howell’s determination and commitment to his cause was noticed by many African heads of state including Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya and Benito Sylvian of Ethiopia. His spiritual and political development took an important turn when he began to study the work of Marcus Mosiah Garvey and the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). Understanding Garvey’s philosophy, Howell began preaching about the divine Kingship of Ethiopia and the divinity of Emperor Haile Selassie I. His beliefs would capture the hearts of many Jamaicans who felt disenfranchised and socially excluded from the island, which was a British colony at the time. He wrote and published a book called The Promise Key, which was published under his pen name G.G. (Gong Guru) Maragh.
Howell is considered one of the first preachers of the Rastafari faith and is fondly referred to as the ‘First Rasta’. In the early 1930s, Joseph Hibbert and Archibald Dunkley were also instrumental in the development of the Rastafari movement in Jamaica. For many years, Howell was regarded a trouble maker, for going against the establishment with his preaching of a Black Messiah and was arrested more than 50 times. Howell is the founder of Pinnacle in St. Catherine, which is considered one of the very first Rastafari communities. The Pinnacle community worked together growing crops, making and selling crafts and raising livestock. They became economically independent. But on May 22, 1954, police officers descended on Pinnacle and demolished the settlement. Over a hundred people were arrested, farms were burnt down, money was confiscated, and families destroyed. Many of the Rasta families had to move to other areas of Jamaica and try to piece their lives back together. Despite the harassment Howell faced, the Rastafari faith spread from Pinnacle throughout Jamaica and to neighbouring Caribbean islands. Howell passed away on 25th February, 1981, in Kingston. Today, large Rastafari communities can still be found in Jamaica and around the world. For more information on Leonard Howell please visit www.lphfoudation.org
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JUSTICE FOR PRINCESS NZINGA KING STOP THE PERSECUTION AND DISCRIMINATION OF THE RASTAFARI COMMUNITY GLOBALLY. 34
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END RACISM NOW JUS’JAHmagazine | Spring 2021
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REMEMBERING
REMEMBERING REMEMBERING EARL ‘DMX’ SIMMONS (18/12/1970 – 09/04/2021) LEGEND, MESSENGER, LOVED, UNIQUE DMX (DARK MAN X) WAS A GIFTED RAPPER, ACTOR AND A BELIEVER IN GOD. BETWEEN 1998 AND 2003, ALL FIVE OF DMX’S ALBUMS WENT TO NO. 1 HE SOLD OVER 75 MILLION RECORDS WORLDWIDE. HE WAS 50 AND WILL BE DEARLY MISSED. FOREVER OUR SOLDIER RISE IN POWER 36
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REMEMBERING
REMEMBERING LEE ‘SCRATCH’ PERRY (20/03/1936 – 29/08/2021) AWARD-WINNING PRODUCER, SINGER AND SONGWRITER LEE ‘SCRATCH’ PERRY WAS A CREATIVE GENIUS AND ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FIGURES IN JAMAICAN MUSIC. HE WORKED WITH BOB MARLEY AND THE WAILERS, THE HEPTONES, MAX ROMEO AND MANY OTHERS. PIONEER, REBEL, MENTOR, GENIUS, LEGEND LEE ‘SCRATCH’ PERRY DIED IN JAMAICA AND WAS 85 YEARS OLD. FOREVER OUR CREATIVE GENIUS RISE IN POWER JUS’JAHmagazine | Spring 2021
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HAPPY EARTHDAY
HAPPY EARTHDAY HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY HAILE SELASSIE I
Emperor Haile Selassie I, was born Tafari Makonnen, on 23rd July, 1892, in Ethiopia. He reigned as the Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974. He modernised the East African country and was instrumental in promoting Pan-Africanism across Africa. He was one of the founding fathers of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), now known as the African Union (AU). The Emperor bought Ethiopia into the United Nations and League of Nations. Emperor Haile Selassie I is regarded as the Messiah or Second Coming of Christ, to those within the Rastafari movement. In 1920, when Marcus Garvey said, “Look to Africa, when a Black King shall be crowned, for the day of deliverance is at hand,” many believe this was prophecy. In 1930, when Ras Tafari Makonnen was crowned Emperor Haile Selassie I, many saw this as Garvey’s vision being fulfilled. The religious, spiritual and cultural movement takes its name from the Emperor’s pre-coronation name, Ras Tafari. His official title is: “His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I, Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah, King of Kings and Elect of God.” 38
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POETRY
Poetry Corner Lockdown By Mount Zinai
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ust because the world is in crisis, doesn’t mean you have to be, Just because they turn a blind eye, Doesn’t mean you have to say you didn’t see, We are forced to be still and sit with yourselves, It’s time to do work and listen to your inside voices, As you analyse all your recent life choices, Use this time given, To sharpen, Your mindset and habits, Are they healthy? Or are they keeping you in prison, Travel with your heart and soul, Set yourself daily goals, Stay away from those internet trolls, Who are only there to dampen your soul, Have conversations with the wise and old, Laugh and play, with the babies and the young, Take each day as it comes, And fill it with enlightenment and fun, Take time to indulge in nature As it is there, we are reminded of the scriptures, And remember just because the world is in crisis, doesn’t mean you have to be. Where shall we go? To the river, spring or sea, Our bodies are home, but our mind is free, Go within, there is a whole world to explore and see.
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INTERVIEW
THE ICONIC DANCEHALL STORYTELLER
MR. WILLIAMZ Interview by Sinai Fleary
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ntroduce yourself for the Jus’ Jah Magazine readers.
My stage name is Mr. Williamz and I grew up in Jamaica. I got into dancehall music from a very early age and it has stayed with me over time. You were born in London but spent many years in Jamaica. What was it like growing up in both places? Well, it was really good. We were living in the country side of Jamaica and I got to experience the real rural living. I was very young when I went to Jamaica and this made me very adaptable as a yout. It was a great experience which allowed me to see a different side of life. Where we lived was a village and everyone socialised with each other. But living in London, it was completely different. In the big city it is like no one doesn’t really know you except your closet friends and family. You are a local legend
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Photo Credit: Mr. Williamz Pictures provided by Kartel Music Group
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INTERVIEW in West London, what was it like growing up in this part of London as a young man? I was 16 years old when I came back to London and it was great. In West London, we were surrounded by so much Caribbean culture. We had the Notting Hill Carnival and it was always a nice vibe. I would go to the local youth club to use the music facilities. As a teenager, I would describe myself as a bit of a hermit and spent a lot of time at home. I was focused on my music and my sketching. Me and my friends would go to the barber shops and see the different hairstyles and clothes people were wearing. They were similar to what I saw back home and it made me feel like there was a deep connection between London and Jamaica. Congratulations on your new album, ‘SoundKilla Mindset’. It is a masterpiece! One of my favourite songs on the album is Worldwide Shopping, talk us through how this song came about. Photo Credit: Mr. Williamz I had to do a lot of shopping Pictures provided by Kartel Music Group because my girl was upset. together? As I have travelled a lot, so I I put them together in different ways but it intertwined that experience into the song. is always through inspiration. I wrote the song to include an Growing up, I liked listening to stories and international shopping trip, which happens I would hear many in the Dancehall and on in one day and on one song –to try and find cassettes. the perfect gift so she doesn’t feel upset. I paid attention to a lot of the older It has a little comedy within the story, but generation and how they told stories. For I wanted to get the right balance between me, it wasn’t just about the lyrics, but what being serious and fun. was also important was the way that they told you something. It was the art form that You are one of the UK’s most gifted I grew up admiring. storytellers. How do put your lyrics
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INTERVIEW It is easy to make something sound catchy but if it doesn’t have a storyline it can be boring. Talk about the title of your album, why did you call it ‘SoundKilla Mindset’? We had several ideas. At first we thought we could call it my world and we were playing around with ideas. But SoundKilla engulfed the whole mood of the LP. I am a huge fan of the Sound System genre. Growing up, the Sound System was my entertainment. Now people watch Netflix for their entertainment, but mine was always music and Sound System culture. I would always collect cassettes and play them in the house. My dad would send me to the shop and I would go and they would be playing a cassette and I would always have to stop and take in the vibes. I was always late going back home from the shop, because I stopped to listen to music. The feel of the album collectively sounds like a Sound System, so that is how it got the name SoundKilla Mindset. What was the process like to make the album? When we were making the riddims and mixing the songs, I wanted it to sound hard –just like when you are on a Sound System. Having a heavy bass line was vital. Having a sound killer mind set has allowed me to be the type of lyricist I am. The Sound System business is very competitive yuh know. Everything has to be right, the sound quality, and the bass line. The competitive nature of the business pushes you to become better and better and that is what drives the industry. The sound killer mind set really does equip you as an MC. 42
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Sound System sessions are not rehearsed like when you are doing a concert with a set. It prepares you for spontaneous things happening. It is ultimately a training session. The Sound System is like a university and classroom for learning about music. A lot of talented singers have come through the sound system era. Do you think the Sound System culture gets enough credit for its influence on other genres of music? No, definitely not! A lot of other genres music have direct links to the Sound System like Hip-Hop, Drum N Bass, Garage and Jungle. The Sound System has unfortunately been pushed to the side, when it gave birth to so many genres. It is a main part of the music industry. When people from the Caribbean were coming to the UK, like my granddad, they were bringing their records with them. It is because of people like him, London became a hub for Reggae music in the 1970s and 80s. It is important for people to understand the foundation and roots of things. Tell me about your song Give Thanks to Jah and the concept behind it. It is a melody that I have always heard growing up. I had some of the lyrics for while and I just kept adding to them until I wrote the complete song. I was on Jr. Gong’s Welcome to Jamrock Cruise and I met this rapper called MC Supernatural. We linked up in America and we had some studio time and made the song. I love the concept of the video, because there are two versions of you –one is drawn. Are you an artist in your spare time?
INTERVIEW Yeah! I have always been into art and drawing since a young boy. People who remember me during my school years will always remember me drawing. Back in the days, many posters for dances and record covers were all hand drawn. I think being a musician and an artist go hand in hand.
Yeah I would like to do some more acting. I did a little bit of drama in school and college. In the film Yardie, I was doing what I love, which is being around a Sound System. It was cool acting in the scene that represented the Sound System.
Who is your favourite artist Photo Credit: Mr. Williamz of all time? How did you Pictures provided by Kartel Music Group Woah! This is find lockdown? hard question. I How did you feel can’t just say one because it is a whole genre. not being able to travel and perform? But I would say Super Cat, because we I was in London and at the time know have a similar resemblance and voice tone. one knew what was happening. Before the Growing up, he is a man that inspired me lockdown, I was spending a lot of time and my peers a lot. With Super Cat, he was practicing my sketching. I was in a semialways talking about reality and things with lockdown before the pandemic, so I didn’t meaning and that is why I rate him! find it that hard. I just used the time wisely. What is next for Mr Williamz for the rest of 2021? I have a few things planned. I have the lyrics book to go along with this project, which includes handwritten lyrics and some artwork. I have some merchandise which is available now and some new music videos coming soon. There will be some exclusive giveaways also. When everything is balanced in the right way, I look forward to getting back on the stage and performing for my fans. Your acting debut was in Idris Elba’s film Yardie. Is acting something you want to go into?
During lockdown, we had the historic Verzuz battle between Bounty Killer and Beenie Man, what did you make of the celebration? It was entertaining and it was great to see the two of them bringing it to that level. They really brought some good energy and vibes. It was an honour to see them represent Dancehall and Jamaica in that way. Where can people contact you online? Website: www.mrwilliamz.net Instagram: @45general Facebook: www.facebook.com/ mrwilliamz Twitter: @Mr_Williamz
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REGGAE
SIZZLA RELEASES NEW SINGLE
CROWN ON YOUR HEAD By Jus’ jah staff
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izzla Kalonji is one of the most celebrated Reggae musicians of our time. His catalogue of music stretches almost three decades and it is still growing. Kalonji’s latest release is a new song entitled “Crown on Your Head” and it couldn’t have come at a better time. It inspires and encourages and that message from Kalonji is always appreciated. “Crown on Your Head” is a timely reminder to focus on the good in life and to never forget who you are and keep your crown on your head. A simple message, that is packaged and delivered to perfection. Kalonji shines with his signature singing vocals on the catchy and inspiring chorus. This new single is a taste of what is to come from his new album, ‘On A High’, which is also out now. We are looking forward to seeing Sizzla back doing what he does best, inspiring his fans with his music, live performances and messages. Crown on Your Head by Sizzla Kalonji is OUT NOW! Sizzla’s new album On A High is also OUT NOW! Jus’ Jah Magazine will be reviewing the album in the next issue of our magazine! 44
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Photo Credit: Image supplied by Destine Media
REGGAE
MR. WILLIAMZ RELEASES
SOUND KILLA MINDSET By Jus’ jah staff
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ancehall legend Mr. Williamz has released his new album entitled ‘SoundKilla Mindset’. The album consists of ten new songs by the charismatic artist. Listening to ‘SoundKilla Mindset’ will leave you in a good mood. It embodies the feel-good factor and the stellar production provides the perfect setting for Mr. Williamz to showcase his lyrical versatility. The riddims and lyrics mesh so well together that you instantly want to rewind songs.
Mr. Williamz delivers storytelling at its best, by effortlessly painting a picture on each track. Some of our favourite songs on the album are Worldwide Shopping, Lyrics Collection, Well Excellent and Give Thanks to Jah. The entire project is a masterpiece which showcases what Dancehall is all about, great riddims, great lyrics and lots of good vibes. Mr. Williamz remains one of the best in the business and you won’t be disappointed by this project. SoundKilla Mindset by Mr. Williamz is OUT NOW!
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INTERVIEW
MUSIC WITH A MESSAGE:
MEET D’ ORIGINAL REVERENCE Interview by Sinai Fleary
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ntroduce yourself to the Jus’ Jah Magazine readers. Greetings to the whole world. I am D’Original Reverence, the Voice of The Mountains. I hail out of the Caribbean island of beautiful Trinidad and Tobago, and I currently reside in the Divided States of America. I am a son of my village, a musician, entrepreneur, a member of the human society and I am a Rastafarian in our walk and in our faith. What inspired you to pursue a career in music? That is a great question! I was raised by my grandparents in Trinidad. At the age of three years old, I was introduced to music. I was given the opportunity to take professional piano lessons and we were also part of our church choir. Music was always around us. As you know, Trinidad and Tobago is known for its music and culture. It is also home to the Steel Pan –which is the only musical instrument to be created in the 21st Century. Trinidad and Tobago gave birth to so many genres of music, including Soca, Calypso and Rapso. Music is a huge part of life in Trinidad and Tobago and I was introduced to music at such an early age because of where I was born. This is what inspired me the most. 46
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Photo Credit: D’Original Reverence What sort of music did you listen to as a young man? Which artists did you gravitate to? I listened to Ray Charles, John Coltrane, Marvin Gaye, Bob Andy, Bob Marley and The Wailers, Peter Tosh, The Abyssinians and
INTERVIEW Burning Spear and others. I listened to The Ras Shorty I, Mighty Sparrow, Lord Kitchener and David Rudder and I also listened to Biggie Smalls, and Tupac and a lot of jazz and R&B. Trinidad and Tobago is a multicultural country and my neighbours were from East India and we were also greatly influenced by the music which they played.
other bands on occassion. But also, we are consciously aware that our ancestors walk with us every day and every night, and so we pay our respect and honor them by referencing them as “we” at all times.
Tell us about your name D’Original Reverence, what does it mean? Reverence is a name we were given in a vision in a dream by His Imperial Majesty Did all these Haile Selassie influences shape The First. We are you into the artist spiritual beings you are now? who are engaged Photo Credit: D’Original Reverence Yes, it has. As in a physical a musician, any of us who claim such a title experience of life energy, grateful to be here, in this time must pay respects to those who as a member of the cosmic polarities. We are came before us. rooted in the appreciation of mother nature It took a lot of courage and discipline from and her gifts and by all of the sacrifices and those artists to allow us to be where we are. contributions of our ancient ancestors. Our Our music is rooted in a lot of instruments. gratitude for life and all of its lessons have We use a lot of live instruments in our been humbling and so... Reverence. music and try not to use so much of the D’ Original refers to our unique vocals, digitalised options which are available. The sound, presentation and delivery. goal is to preserve the root and essence of the If you are surrounded by any nature, you originality of live instruments. will be woken in the mornings and end your evenings to the sounds of birds and all of You always refer to yourself as ‘we’ or ‘us’ Jah wonderful creations giving praises in are you part of a band? “reverence to HIM the Almighty JAH”, and We use those references because we do not so...Reverence. walk this earth alone. Even though we may be We hold in great reverence an awe for considered a solo artist, we have brothers and mother nature and the woman queenly sisters who share and contribute to the music. energy that provides life and balance, and so... If we are on the road doing tours, we will Reverence. be accompanied by our brothers and sisters We also chose that name to represent what as a band at times. We also perform with we intend to contribute to music and the
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INTERVIEW world community. The name establishes what people can expect to hear from our word, sound and power.
Our interactions with each other and with the planet determine the strength of the heart signal which is love. The love of family, Tell us about your the respect for ourselves song Troddin’ To Mt. and our elders, and Zion. the respect for our It is a live acoustic women and children song and was written as global citizens is the and recorded at password. These are the our home –in the connections and the mountains –in moral compass that we Pennsylvania. The need in the world. We vocals and instruments Are The Wi-Fi is the (acoustic guitar) are unspoken connection delivered with an old we must have with other school simplicity that human beings. These is distinctly clear and are the teaching and the Photo Credit: D’Original Reverence meditative. ways of Rastafari. Everyone of us has lost someone we We released a new version of We are the love and has an ancestor. For us, the loss Wi-Fi in July to honour the earthstrong of His of our beloved grandparents has never Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie I. stopped hurting and we wanted to livicate What other musical projects have you got (dedicate) a song to them and to their living lined up for 2021? legacy, something very musical and deeply There is a lot happening in 2021. We resonating without saying too many words. are releasing some new singles from our We also wanted to honour those elders who collaborations, such as dub remix versions are still among the living ones. of ‘N DUB World’ and ‘We Are The Wifi’ We built that song with all of our love and produced by Third Island Productions. sentimental feelings and released it globally Out of Argentina we will be releasing a on all digital platforms for Mother’s Day as a double project which is a great remix of “10lb gift to all mothers around the world. of Collie” and a Dub Steppa version titled “10lb of DUB”. Tell me about the song We are the Wi-Fi. We will be working with the legendary Joe We returned to music after a 20-year hiatus. Ferry and the Big SKA Band on some new We Are The Wifi was our first song music and will be collaborating with other professionally as D’Original Reverence and artists and producers here in the USA and in it is not your traditional Reggae song, it is Brazil, France, Japan, Colombia and across a unique fusion of genres and instruments Africa and also hope to be close to completing and bares an important meaning. The tune is our debut album titled “The Voice Of The about us, each one is interconnected. Mountains” by the end of 2021. We the people of the earth are the Wi-Fi, which radiates around the world. Nothing What are your hopes for your music? on the earth moves or works without the Our music is hope. We want to provide Wi-Fi. Our person to person connections healing to the forgotten people in our society, is the signal we need to stay in tune with. through our music. 48
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INTERVIEW When I say forgotten, I mean the homeless, those struggling with mental health, the disenfranchised and the sick. We hope that our music can be one of the contributions towards a better and more loving world. Our music is used on yoga and mediation platforms. Our music has also been used in the recent Black Lives Matter protests. We hope that is continues to inspire others. We were on the frontline protesting against police brutality and the killing of George Floyd with our music as a voice for liberation and justice. Our hope is that our music makes a difference. As a Black man living in America, what is the atmosphere like now? Has things improved or is there still a long way to go? As a Black man in America, what is on my mind is the 400 years of free labour which was contributed to these Divided States of America by force. Our ancestors were never given the 40 acres and a mule. And we were stripped of our traditional cultures and languages. Today, we still have to fight to have some sort of justice or fairness. We have seen the murder of countless Black and Brown brothers and sisters. We have seen the economic disenfranchisement of our communities. We continue to see the miseducation of our
youth and the deplorable social and economic conditions of our communities of color. Even if racism is unspoken, it is still clearly overstood by those who look like you and I. As a Black man in America, we have seen some progress but not enough. We are seeing some tolerances and some scattered improvements but by far not enough respect and honor is given to who the Black man and Black woman are. Equal Rights and Justice still remain a fleeting illusion for most. We are seeing a lot of attempts to consistently distract and miseducate the Black man and woman about who they are originally. As a Black man living in the United States, we are still fighting the same fights that Dr. King fought. We are still fighting for the same basic human rights because we have been given a lot of distractions. Black and Brown people need to understand we are African. We need more action and collective security amongst ourselves so that we can have a stronger voice. It is a time for action now. Tell us about how you found Rastafari. We were raised in the Catholic Church in Trinidad and Tobago. We had a very rigid household upbringing. I don’t remember hearing any Reggae music in our home much. My family played a lot of Sam Cooke and George Benson, alot of Calypso and Gospel. I started listening to a lot of Bob Marley’s music at my friend’s houses because I couldn’t bring anything to do with Rastafari into our home. As a school boy, I noticed the magnificent way of the Rastaman and was inspired by their wisdom, diet, crafts and Ital way of self sufficient life. The love for JAH that the Rasta has, was what really moved me, and it was there we first learnt of Haile Selassie The First. I approached my grandmother because she was always the easier of my grandparents to reason with. I said to her, ‘I kind of like the Rastafari way of living and ting’, and she looked at me and responded with a firm ‘not in this house’. No, she was not in favour of it because she
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INTERVIEW thought my grandfather would not approve. But in the end, she told me to follow my heart and be myself in all things in life. I started growing dreadlocks when I was 17 years old. I found Rastafari through searching the Bible for the truth. Rastafari saved my life! Our parents, grandparents and communities never encouraged us to find Rastafari, in a way Rastafari found us. What changed your way of thinking? It was when I started to listen to Peter Tosh and Bob Marley. But also, when I started to read the works of Walter Rodney, Kwame Toure, Frantz Fanon, that changed my way of thinking about who the Black man was and is. One of the things that drew me to Rastafari, was seeing the image of Haile Selassie I on every stage that Bob Marley performed on. It is hard to not notice that. Bob Marley spoke so much about His Majesty, that I started to look him up and read about Ethiopia and its glory. I didn’t have to many Rastas around me at the time, so I had to do my own research. During my teenage years, I was able to travel around the community and sit with the elder Rastas in Trinidad. I was only allowed to sit with the Rastas during reasonings after school, if you tried to go to their place of business during school hours –they would chase you away and tell you that you had to be in school. They were always strict about school and education. They would always tell us education is first and foremost. Rastafari was introduced to us through a hands-on experience. How did your grandfather react to YOU finding Rastafari? He would chastise us and told us we had to cut off our dreadlocks to stay in his house. Eventually, I had to leave. I have always been independent and I had to find my way in world. This experience freed 50
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Photo Credit: D’Original Reverence me from the shackles of my grandparent’s expectations. Rastafari is not something you join. It is not a club. It is not something you pick up for an event. It is not a costume. It is a covenant with JAH it is a life time commitment to the laws of the Most High. Rastafari is the truth. You will find the truth in our livity as Rastafarians. How would you describe your music? Our music is not for the charts of men, but for the hearts of men! It is a natural warm breeze of goodness and a ray of light. What advice would you give to people? Be confident that good will conquer evil and never forget to pray. Where can people contact you online? Instagram: @doriginalreverence Facebook: @doriginalreverence432hz.
HAPPY EARTHDAY
MARCUS MOSIAH GARVEY Pan-Africanist, Leader, Publisher, Journalist and Prophet. (17/08/1887~10/06/1940) “Up you mighty race accomplish what you will.”Marcus Mosiah Garvey
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RACISM
SAY NO TO RACISM IN FOOTBALL By Sinai Fleary
F
ootball has always been a huge part of my life. Growing up, my father and older brother were big football fans. My older brother knows everything about football and has passed on so much knowledge about it to other members of the family. From my dad and brother, I learned very early on the power of the beautiful game. It was competitive, entertaining and had the ability to bring people together. As I have gone through my life, football still has a fond place in my heart. The dedication of the players is what keeps me going back to watch matches. I, like millions of others was looking forward to watching Euro 2020 during the summer. I wanted to cheer on my favourite player, Raheem Sterling, and was looking forward to seeing the new players make their international debuts. The tournament was great, but what I started to notice towards the end was the lack of recognition for the Black players who played for the England team. Sterling was outstanding and was a major part of England being able to qualify pass the group stages. But his face was missing in the mainstream British press. I found myself asking why? But deep down I knew the answer. England made it to the finals and the country was excited and buzzing. But that vibe all changed when three young Black players missed their penalties. 52
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As a result, England was out and France had won the entire competition. But what followed, was disgusting. The three players, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bakayo Saka, received the most vile racist abuse on social media. This shocked many, but I wasn’t at all susprised. Racism is prevalent in British society, so why would anyone think football would be exempt? The UK has a long way to go to erase racism and does a great job at masking it with symbols of diversity, tolerance and acceptance. The truth is, racism is everywhere in this country. It’s in schools, policing, media, the music and entertainment industry, on the street and in some of our homes. Jus’ Jah Magazine would like to send a message of love and support to all our Black footballers at this time. We will continue to call out racism and anti-blackness whenever we see it!
HAITI PRAYERS TO OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN
HAITI (AYITI) ANOTHER EARTHQUAKE HAS HIT HAITI AND LEFT A TRAIL OF DESTRUCTION. JUS’ JAH MAGAZINE WOULD LIKE TO OFFER PRAYERS TO OUR BROTEHRS AND SISTERS IN HAITI (AYITI).
IF ANYONE KNOWS OF ANY CREDIBLE ORGANISATIONS WHERE WE CAN DONATE AND HELP PEOPLE IN HAITI, PLEASE CONTACT: EDITOR@JUSJAHMAGAZINE.COM UNITY IS STRENGTH! JUS’JAHmagazine | Spring 2021
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COMMUNITY CHAMPS
MEET COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS
THE OFFICIALLY
FLEXITARIANS Interview by Sinai Fleary
Image supplied by Officially Flexitarians 54
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I
COMMUNITY CHAMPS
ntroduce yourselves to our readers
Claudette: My name is Claudette, also known as Dimple and I’m from East London. Pamela: My name is Pamela aka Royalty P, and I am also an East Londoner. Tell us about what it was like growing up in Caribbean household in the UK and how that helped to shape you into the women you are today. Pamela: My parents are both from Barbados and growing up in a Caribbean household was very interesting. I come from a big family and I am the youngest of seven siblings. I was lucky to be the first one of my siblings to go back to Barbados, when I was 9 years old, which allowed me to see first-hand where my mum and dad came from and see three of my siblings and extended family. I remember stepping off the plane and the sky was so bright. It was an amazing Image supplied by Officially Flexitarians experience to have at an early age and that is what always I had a great childhood, growing up with draws me back there. Caribbean parents. My upbringing was very traditional. My Claudette: My dad was born in Jamaica father was the head of the household. He and came to England when he was about 13. worked in the Civil Service and my Mother My mum was born in the UK to Guyanese raised us, and worked in the NHS (National parents. I experienced both cultures, the Health Service) and in schools. My parents English and Caribbean. I would go with my often cooked the national dish of Barbados, dad everywhere and learned most of my which is Cou Cou and Flying Fish and Caribbean culture from him. wanted us to have a taste of ‘back home’. I He took me to Notting Hill Carnival and I remember my father’s plate of food always remember him introducing me to Caribbean being piled high in a pyramid shape.
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COMMUNITY CHAMPS
food and I got to try things like Shave Ice, Sugar Cane and Guineps. I still remember being on his shoulders and watching all the colours, costumes and performances on stage, where I knew I was part of something special. When I was with my mum, there was a big emphasis on Guyanese food. She would make sure I knew about the Pepper Pot, Roti and Dhal. I went to a lot of parties with my father and that is where I got to see the community spirit within the Black community. How was the community spirit within the Black community in the UK then? Pamela: Following on from what Claudette has said, I definitely felt the community spirit back then. As a child, you couldn’t misbehave on the road because someone would see you and tell you off. Everyone looked out for each other. The parties were great and the whole family would be there. What were your formative Pamela aka Royalty P, Pictures supplied by Pamela years like and how did you find encouraged. You almost had to forge your yourself as young women? own way. My first job was in youth work, Pamela: We came from an era where when I was a youth myself, and I always career development in schools wasn’t really liked working with young people. Following 56
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COMMUNITY CHAMPS working in HR within the NHS for 14 years, I went into working with young people who were NEET (Not in Employment, Education or Training), helping them get into a career, I wanted to give them something which I feel I never had. I am currently doing a Masters degree and it is part of my desire to help others. I am studying Psychology and want to work for myself and set up my own business. Claudette: My mum has always worked hard and I would describe her as a grafter. I have always looked up to my mum. My dad had his own business and he is still running it to this day. I have never been an academic person but I have worked hard and managed to do well. I know, I enjoy helping people to find their feet and make the best out of life. I started work at 14 in my first Saturday job in a hairdressers and that would be used for my school stationery and other bits. However, I have been working in Health and Social Care, including Employment & Training, Claudette aka Dimple, Pictures supplied by Youth Work and Child Contact Claudette Supervision/Mediation for the last 20 years. Pamela: Can I just say Claudette is amazing and she always puts herself down. She is very academic. We both got here because we are street smart and worked incredibly hard to fully vegan for three years, before deciding navigate ourselves into the positions we are to include fish again and Pam was eating in. mainly vegan but she eats fish but never How did you come up with the name of dairy. When we met up with friends and your platform Officially Flexitarians? family, they would comment on the food Claudette: We were both going through we were eating, if we had fish on plate. different journeys with our food. I went So, we had to explain that we was on our
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COMMUNITY CHAMPS own Flexi Food Journey and that is how we came up with the name. So, we are Officially Flexitarians because we are plant-based, with some fish, but no dairy products. Tell us about your social media platform, Officially Flexitarians. Pamela: Last year in February 2020, we had already started our platform and it was to document our food journey. It was also to share our holiday travel, restaurant and events reviews, as well as our friendship, as we have been besties, actually more like sisters, for over 40 years -since we were 9 years old!!! Some of the young members in our family have said we are the oldest influencers on the gram, as well as the Ant n Dec of IG – we laughed and said we’ll take that!!! During the lockdown, we wanted to provide a forum for individuals, creatives and businesses to connect, network, collaborate and promote. When George Floyd was killed, we felt there was a sense of unity amongst the Black community, and it was a time to be seen and heard. Our platform has allowed us to meet so many amazing people, with amazing talents, products and ideas. We have created different elements of our platform, including promotion of Musicians, Artists, DJs, businesses, reviews, as well as natural hair, health and finance awareness and is what I like to call ‘edu-tainment’. Without even knowing, we have been following the seven principles of Kwanzaa. Claudette: It was a chance for us to be unapologetically Black and highlight and celebrate people within our community. It really changed the way we shopped as a people, searching, and purchasing from our own communities, which is something that we feel is important to pass down to future generations. The platform has enabled us to bring people together, and what I say is a vision of a spiral that 58
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Pamela aka Royalty P, Pictures supplied by Pamela circles outwards, continuing to grow and connecting people along the way. Tell us about some of the people you have had on Officially Flexitarians. Claudette and Pamela: We co-hosts our Instagram Live Shows, with a variety of guests that come on, we were happy when Instagram upgraded the amount of people
COMMUNITY CHAMPS that could join the lives. Some of the guests on Officially Flexitarians include: Reggae Singer, Warrior King, Majah Bless & Super Twinz (Majah Bless is an Artist in JA and Super Twinz are his 8-year-old twins who sing, dance and do Spoken Word. Raggo Zulu Rebel - Artist (UK), The Real Unscripted - Poet/Spoken Word (Chicago), Mr Landrover - Vegan restaurateur, content creator (Barbados), Gevani Hutton Artist (JA), Ginjah (featured) Artist (JA), Darrel Blake - Black History Researcher, Historian, Activist (UK), Candice Chenade - Artist (JA/UK), Zaiona - Artist (UK 13 years old) and Tippa Irie (UK Reggae music legend). We have also had some child entrepreneurs, discussion panels discussing Black Men and Mental Health and a discussion about colourism. Do you think things have changed for Black people after the murder of George Floyd? Claudette: I don’t know. You get the usual flurry of things like people posting antiracism statements, but I think things have gone back to normal. In the workplace, you will get the workshops and discussions around racism but then things will go back to how they were. We watch these videos of Black people being murdered and just carry on. The difference this time with George Floyd was we were all in lockdown and watching more media without distraction. These videos are usually quick and watching George Floyd die for nine minutes was so heart breaking. Those nine minutes were so long. I think what happened to him struck a chord with so many people, as it made you think about the boys and men in your family. Pamela: Exactly, I think you will only know when things go back to normal, whatever normal will be in the future. When
people go back into the workplace and establishments, we will see whether people have learned anything or not. How do you look after your mental health, while still navigating the social media space? Pamela: Part of it is, we try to be as positive as possible. Being positive allows you to have some gratitude for your life. I always like to live life to the fullest but it is also important be realistic. Hosting our Live Shows has been good for our wellbeing as it has been a great source of fun, laughter and kept us going since last year. Claudette: Looking after my wellbeing is very important for me, especially as I am in remission from cancer. I feel its important to live life to the fullest and make the most of it. We have attended many virtual parties, carnivals, fetes, here and abroad including Trinidad, New York, Jamaica, Barbados, Toronto and many more. What is next for you ladies in 2021? Claudette: We are still doing our shows and we are hoping to have a podcast or a radio show. We are being approached to host some events that are ‘outside outside’, and we are looking forward to these! Pamela: Maybe a regular feature in your magazine, we would love to write something for Jus’ Jah Magazine. I will be finishing my Masters degree. Claudette & Pamela: We want to say thank you to all that support us on IG and we welcome any new supporter. So, if anyone would like to feature on our IG page, please slide in neatly to our DMs. Where can people get in touch with you online? Instagram: @Officially_flexitarians. We are also currently developing our YouTube Channel.
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READERS
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OUR READERS
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READERS
AND SUPPORTERS
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A MUSICAL AND CULTURAL ICON:
JUSTICE DMX REMEMBERING FOR GEORGE FLOYD 22.5 YEARS IS NOT ENOUGH!
In every issue of Jus’ Jah Magazine, we select a picture from the Jus’ Jah archives and share a little story behind that image. This is a photo of the late Rapper and Actor DMX with some of his fans in London. The picture was taken by our editor, Sinai, outside the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire –which is a live music venue in west London. Sinai and her younger brother, Joshua, attended the DMX concert on 1st July, 2004. The concert was jam-packed and DMX performed for a number of hours. His show was a mixture of energetic performances, powerful motivational speeches to the crowd and Biblical prayers. After the concert, during the early hours, hundreds of fans waited to greet the rapper on the streets. Sinai and her brother were some of them. DMX was down-to-earth and even though his management team were rushing him to go back to his hotel, he made time for the fans who waited. This was a testament of the type of person he was. DMX was so humble and had a warm and welcoming spirit. Despite his own trauma and painful experiences he was able to show love to so many. Jus’ Jah Magazine is saddened to hear about the sudden passing of our dear brother. RIP Earl ‘DMX’ Simmons.
END POLICE BRUTALITY!
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REMEMBERING
KITCHEN BRINGING YOU ITAL FOOD INFORMATION AND RECIPES
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ITAL IS VITAL
ITAL FOOD DETOX TIME! By Jus’ Jah Staff
Every now and again it is good to assess what you are eating and see if there is anything else you can add –to boost your vitamin and mineral intake. I think some people have underestimated the importance of what you eat. Instead the focus is now on the taste, rather than the nutritional value. Yes, food needs to taste good but if we only eat things that taste great, we may miss out on key ingredients – which can cleanse the body and restore it. I am currently on a journey and hope to understand food on a whole another level. When we think about things that taste bitter, like Cerassie/Corilla or bitters they have so many health benefits. Even sour fruits like lemons, grapefruits and limes are beneficial –but how often are we eating these? 64
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ITAL IS VITAL
We look forward to updating you regularly on our progress and will let you know how we get on in our next issue. Try to simply make a commitment to drink more water, or to take a detox/flush once a month. Jus’ Jah Magazine will be going on a food journey over the next few months and will incorporate more elements of fasting, detox and bitters into our eating habits.
No one is perfect and sometimes we need to take a step back and make a change for the better. Happy detoxing!
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RECIPE
JUS’ JAH KITCHEN: ITAL STEW PEAS
Try this delicious Ital Kidney Beans stew recipe from the Jus’ Jah Kitchen. You will need: 1 packet of dried Kidney Beans Vegetables 1 Onion 3 cloves of Garlic A thumb sized piece of Ginger Spring Onions Small bunch of Thyme Half a small Scotch Bonnet Pepper Red, yellow and green Sweet Peppers A small piece of Pumpkin A small Courgette Two Carrots Fresh Coconut milk or 1 can of Coconut milk Seasonings Half a teaspoon of pink Himalayan Salt Half a teaspoon of Black Pepper 1 teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper 1 tablespoon of Paprika 1 teaspoon of dried Mixed Herbs 1 Vegetable stock cube 1) Pour half a packet of dried Kidney Beans into a Calabash or bowl and cover with hot water and leave to soak for at least 24 hours (do this the night before). 2) Peel and wash all the vegetables in cold water. 66
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RECIPE
3) Get a large pot and put on a medium fire and add two tablespoons of Sunflower oil. 4) Add the chopped Onion, Garlic, Thyme, Scotch Bonnet Pepper, sweet Peppers, Ginger and Spring Onions and lightly fry. 5) Drain the Kidney Beans, rinse them again in cold water and drain and then add them to the pot. 6) Add all dried seasonings and mix well. 7) Add vegetable stock cube and two cups of hot water and coconut milk and allow to cook for 30 minutes on a medium fire. 8) Check your pot and add more coconut milk and water if needed (if it dries out). 9) Add the chopped pumpkin, courgette and carrots and gently mix them in. 10) Turn fire low and allow to cook for another 30 minutes or until kidney beans are soft. Feel free to add more water and coconut milk if needed. Serve with brown rice/ Hard Food, Plantain, Salad and Avocado and add hot pepper sauce if needed and enjoy!
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COMICS
RICE AND PEAS By Justice Dixon
1 2
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COMICS
3
4
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TWELVE
TRIBES CHART T
here are three main branches in the Rastafari Movement. They are Nyabinghi, Bobo Shanti and Twelve Tribes. These branches are often called Houses or Mansions. The Twelve Tribes
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of Israel branch was founded by Vernon Carrington, who is fondly known as Prophet Gad, in Kingston, Jamaica. The chart is based on Jacob’s 12 sons and corresponds with the ancient Israelite calendar.
WORD SEARCH
Bobo Shanti Word Search
Take some time out and relax with our word search. Try and find some names associated with the Bobo Shanti mansion of Rastafari.
SABBATH PROPHET HOLY EMMANUEL
Sabbath Prophet Holy Emmanuel
BULL BAY ROBE TURBAN PRIEST
HILL EABIC BOBO REPATRIATION
KING EMPRESS CHANT AFRICA
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HIS MAJESTY SAYS
“O
ur youth must be steadfast and take advantage of the benefits of modern civilisation. Do not fall prey to idleness for it shall be a curse to you and to succeeding generations. You must set yourselves up as examples of determination and hard work. Plan your time and use both your physical and mental powers purposefully and productively.
- Emperor Haile Selassie I
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”
ABOUT
THIS PICTURE Written by Sinai Fleary
This is a picture of Rastafari elder and musician Drumbeygo. He is a well known musician, who can play a number of instruments including the flute, Saxophone and other percussion instruments. He is originally from Jamaica and is a popular member of the west London community. Drumbeygo is pictured here with a copy of the first issue of Jus’ Jah Magazine. We look forward to featuring him in the next issue of Jus’ Jah Magazine. Salute elder!
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MAGAZINE Jus’ Jah magazine would love to hear from you! So, feel free to send us a message.
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