Went to Sleep Snoop Dogg, Woke Up Snoop Lion

Photo courtesy of martlet.ca

 

 

So have you heard of Snoop Dogg's Lion's new documentary, released earlier this year? Well, it's on Netflix now, and being both a fan of Snoop's, and a descendant of Jamaica who respects Rastafarianism (I actually reviewed a book about the religion here,) I had to watch it. (I also just came back from a trip to Jamaica, where I went on Bob Marley tour, led by a group of Rastas). While it's true that Snoop has nothing to prove to me or you, I must say, I'm not convinced.



According to the film, his reasons for converting to Rasta (actually, I'm not even clear if he's actually converted), seems to have stemmed from experiencing the violent deaths of some of his closest friends, and realizing that some of his music perpetuated this kind of violence. He says he decided to make music that focused on love and the struggle, which was akin to the type of music Bob Marley created back in the day. Oh, and let's not forget that he's a heavy weed smoker, which is something Rastas engage in, as well, so I guess that equals a perfect fit? Not quite.

Snoop's doc is so heavily focused on the deaths he's seen, and the weed he likes to smoke, that I was left with a bunch of questions at the end. What else about Rastafarianism attracted him? Has he embraced the ital (all natural) food that Rastas eat? Has his family converted too? If not, how do they feel about it? All we really hear from his family in the film is that his daughter, Cori, feels like her dad is a happier person. Most importantly, and most integral to the religion, has he embraced Jah Rastafari as his god? AND, how was he able to smuggle all of that weed from LA to Kingston on the plane? LOL

Not to tear the doc apart, but I can't say it was enlightening, or particularly thorough with respect to the religion. Weed smokers might love it. On the plus side, it does sound like he's come up with some great reggae-inspired music through this "reincarnation" process.

 

 

Photo Courtesy of Keepittrill.com

 

Are any of you all Snoop Dogg Lion (I keep forgetting) fans? What do you think about his reincarnation? Have you been able to catch this doc on Netflix?

 

Signing Off,

Nic

The Book of the Night Women

                                                                 Photo Credit: Notevenpast.org
"And if she [the negro] just come from the ship, more so be the difference. If the negro is a Igbo, sooner or later, she goin' kill herself. If she come from or born to an Angolan, then she goin' be lazy till her dying day. If she come come from or born to a Popo or Ibibio, then she goin' work hard and laugh and merry and thank God for massa. If she be Akan, her hand working as hard as her mind plotting. But the Lord help you if you get an Ashanti, what the White people call Coromantee. Not even massa whip can tame she."

The Book of the Night Women takes place in late 18th century, early 19th century Jamaica on a plantation, and centers on the story of a young, mulatto slave with blazing green eyes named Lilith. As Lilith's mother dies shortly after giving birth, Lilith is raised by an unrelated, uncaring slave woman ("Massa" is Lilith's father, so he's obviously not stepping in to care for her) until the head house slave, Homer, steps in and takes the girl under her wing. Lilith, hot-tempered and extremely stubborn (she has Ashanti blood running through her veins, after all), constantly clashes with Homer, but Homer doesn't give up on her.

While the book follows Lilith through her ups and downs on the plantation (her smart mouth and hard head get her in trouble more than a few times), the reader is also privy to a plan that Homer is leading for a slave revolt against their White oppressors. Homer, and the other women spear-heading the movement, are very powerful, as each of them dabble in Myal and Obeah (black magic), and even though Lilith is a thorn in their sides, they try to include her, because they recognize that same power within her. Lilith is torn about whether she wants to participate, as she knows what it feels like to murder others (I told you she's hot tempered). It also doesn't help that she's been carrying on a (somewhat) secret, romantic relationship with the plantation's Irish over-seer.

Kingston-born Marlon James, a literature and creative writing professor at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, is the book's author.

Photo Credit: slaverysite.com

 

While this book is not a quick read at 417 pages, it did paint a very clear picture of slavery in the Caribbean. The rapes, the murders, the maroons, the British plantation owners, the division between the fair skinned house slaves and dark skinned field slaves are all made real in this novel. It's also a bit dark, as black magic plays a huge role in the story. Given the fact that I love history, and my family is from Jamaica, I had to read this book. I think you should read it to.

Are you interested in slavery-era novels? Do you know of other good books that focus on slavery in the Caribbean?

Peace,

Nic

The Conquering Lion of Judah

Hey friends! I’ve been so busy with grad school, and PhD program applications that I haven’t had much time to update this site (and I certainly haven’t had too many opportunities for casual reading), but I decided to make some time to write today. For the past few months, anytime I’ve gotten a few minutes, I’ve been reading a book called Rastafari: Roots and Ideology. 

 

                                                                       Photo Credit: Amazon.com

In general, I’m interested in religious history (at 5a this morning, I watched a documentary on Netflix about the origins of America’s religious landscape through my smartphone before getting ready for church). Although I’m a Christian, I respect and love to learn about all religions. And maybe I’m biased given my Jamaican heritage, but when I came across Rastafari in the bookstore, I knew I had to buy it.

Photo Credit: Religionfacts.com

The book starts off exactly where it should: during the era of slavery in Jamaica, as the author aims to tie in some of the traditions of these Africans to the Rastafarian religion we recognize today. As he progresses through time, Chevannes discusses the changes, divisions, and spiritual leaders who shaped the faith. His first and second-hand accounts of the Rastas are both interesting and eye-opening, as I never knew so many details about Rastafarianism (such as the difference between The Bobos and The Dreadlocks, two factions within the religion).  I have, however, always respected the Rastas based on what I did know about their religion, particularly their strong anti-colonial, pro-African positions. They were rebels in a country where their captors tried to make them to assimilate to the British beliefs and standards of beauty. You have to respect a people who decide to love themselves and their heritage even when the historical psychological trauma of slavery and colonization has successfully forced many to do otherwise (we can still see the impact of this psychic trauma today, throughout the Caribbean and in the Americas).

This work is essentially the result of field research that the author, Barry Chevannes, conducted in Jamaica in the 1970s for his doctoral dissertation at Columbia University.  The Kingston-born scholar taught Sociology at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica until his death in 2010 at the age of 70.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia.orgWhile the nearly 300 pages of research do not read like a novel (and I wouldn’t expect it to, since it’s academic research), the author’s attention to detail makes this book arguably one of the best sources of information on Rastafarianism. Are you interested in religious history like me? I bought this book at Barnes & Noble and it was the only copy on the shelf.  Have you seen this book at your local bookstores? Libraries?  Check it out and let me know where you find it. 

 

Your friend,

Nic