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Drawing on literary, musical, and visual representations of and by Rastafari, Darren J. N. Middleton provides an introduction to Rasta through the arts, broadly conceived. The religious underpinnings of the Rasta movement are often overshadowed by Rasta's association with reggae music, dub, and performance poetry. Rastafari and the Arts: An Introduction takes a fresh view of Rasta, considering the relationship between the artistic and religious dimensions of the movement in depth. Middleton's analysis complements current introductions to Afro-Caribbean religions and offers an engaging example of the role of popular culture in illuminating the beliefs and practices of emerging religions. Recognizing that outsiders as well as insiders have shaped the Rasta movement since its modest beginnings in Jamaica, Middleton includes interviews with members of both groups, including: Ejay Khan, Barbara Makeda Blake Hannah, Geoffrey Philp, Asante Amen, Reggae Rajahs, Benjamin Zephaniah, Monica Haim, Blakk Rasta, Rocky Dawuni, and Marvin D. Sterling.
List of contents
Acknowledgments Preface 1. A Smart Way to View Rastafari 2. Rastafari Literary Art 3. Rastafari’s Righteous Wail: From Reggae to Dub Poetry 4. Benjamin Zephaniah: Postcolonial Performance Poet 5. The Reel Rasta: Selected Documentary Films 6. Artful Africans at Home and Abroad: Ghana and Japan Epilogue. Commodifying Rastafari Appendix I. Dr. M’s Rasta Riddims Playlist Appendix II. Seven Sacred Sites and Wonders of the Rastafari World Appendix III. Lois Cordelia: Art, the Bible, Rastafari, and the Internet Selected Bibliography Selected Webliography
About the author
Darren J. N. Middleton is Honors Faculty Fellow and Professor of Religion in The John V. Roach Honors College, Texas Christian University. He has published eight books, received several teaching awards, and he lives in Fort Worth.
