Since its emergence from the ghettoes of West Kingston, Jamaica in the
1930s, the Rastafarian Movement has been transformed from an obscure
group of outcasts to a vibrant movement that has not only become firmly
entrenched in Jamaican society, but has successfully expanded beyond the
Caribbean to North America, the British Isles, and Africa. Ennis
Barrington Edmonds provides a compelling portrait of the Rastafarian
phenomenon and chronicles how a once-obscure group, much maligned and
persecuted, became a dominant cultural force in the world today.
Edmonds charts the evolution of the relationship between Rastafari and
the wider Jamaican society. In the early years of the movement, there
was outright confrontation and repression, as Rastas were seen as a
threat to Jamaican society. This evolved into a grudging tolerance and
eventually an aggressive appropriation of Rastafarian symbols in the
1970s and 1980s--as evidenced by the veritable coronation of reggae
artist Bob Marley--resulting in the "culture tourism" of the late
twentieth century. Edmonds focuses in particular on the internal
development of Rastafarianism as a social movement, with its network of
"houses" (small, informal groups that form around leading Rastas) and
"mansions" (larger, more communal associations), to track the process of
this strikingly successful integration. He further demonstrates how
Rastafarian artistic creativity, especially in fashioning the music and
message of reggae, was a significant factor in the transition of Rastas
from the status of outcasts to the position of culture bearers.
Rastafari
presents an intimate account of a unique movement, which over the
course of several decades had entrenched itself in Jamaican society and
has become the international cultural and political force it is today.
Gracias!
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Deletemuchas gracias+++
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