Ragashanti in Ethiopia

November 19, 2015

Wooooiiiieeeee!!! Waa gwaan TamFam?? As usual mek mi big up mi Tambourine Family (TamFam) straight!! An big respect to all Ragashanti Live listeners pon di big bad Tambourine Radio at www.tambourineradio.com

Look ya now!!! Family, guess weh mi deh right dis minute?? Mi say guess weh mi deh a write dis ya STAR article right now?? ETHIOPIA!! Yups ... ETHIOPIA!!

Yeah, man ... . As part of the ongoing, never ending RAGASHANTI WORLD TOUR Ms Cherry Washbelly deh ya a Africa, inna di beautiful country of Ethiopia. Unu know how long mi waan drap ya soh. Fram mi likkle bit Rasta man an Rasta woman always a tell mi bout Africa an Ethiopia. An over di years dem teachings allow mi to develop a strong appreciation fi mi roots, and as such I've always wanted to come to Africa, especially Ghana and Ethiopia. Next year a Ghana, but right now I've fulfilled one of my lifelong dreams and mi deh ya inna Ethiopia. Man haffi give tanks. Fi real.

 

Jamaicans in Ethiopia

 

 

Right ya now mi inna di capital, Addis Ababa, an a interview people an a goh di places dem an a learn nuff sitin bout Ethiopian history and culture. Di ting deep. But if unu neva know - from more dan 40 years ago many Rastas left Jamaica for Ethiopia - seeking a betta life away from racism, di "babylon" system, an did overall feeling of dejection they were feeling from being in what they called the "strange land" of the west. Most of those Rastas went to live in an area that was given to them by the then Ethiopian leader His Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie. That area is called Shashemene (some people spell it Shashamane). Unu try know say tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow mi de deh pon mi aize. Yeah, a straight Shashamene preementz inna di lights. Caa mi haffi meet an chat to di Jamaicans dem an hear wa a gwaan inna dem life. Mi waan know if dem happy? How have tings changed fi dem? If dem miss Jamaica? If di sort-out betta ova ya? Wa dem a pree fi di future, an a bag a oda tings. Unu luddy, mi naa come soh far an nuh ask di tings dem.

 

Desmond Martin

 

Soh anyways, since mi fahwud aan ya mi meet a bredrin name Desmond Martin. Desmond is one of Jamaica's Twelve Tribes of Israel rasta who left Jamaica and came and settled in Shashemene decades ago. In fact, November 23 Desmond will have been here in Ethiopia for 40 years!! Yeah, a 40 mi write. An fram him reach Ethiopia him neva touch back a Jamaica!! But him say him waan reach back a yaad in 2018, wen Jamaica's Twelve Tribes of Israel celebrate their 50th anniversary.

Mi say, Desmond is an incredible source of knowledge. A him know di tings dem, both serious an humorous. Mi a learn soh much fram him it nuh stap ya soh. An di man full a vibes. Of course mi a film most a di interviews wid him fi Tambourine TV, so unu wi see dem in due time.

 

Rasta inna Ethiopia Mixup

 

Awright ... unu know mi naa come so far an nuh drap not even one mixup pon unu. Soh Desmond say yuh did have dis Rasta man who fram him deh a Jamaica him eva a bun out babylon an di 'weak heart' dem. Him say di Ras nuh stap bun all a di 'weak' who nuh know say dem mus be fully committed to repatriation to Africa and Ethiopia. Di Ras say all real Rastafari mus fahwud an live permanently a Ethiopia. Soh di Ras mek sure say him drap eena di place a Shashemene, too.

Desmond say afta about two months, wid di difference in culture an di many difficult realities weh deh ya him notice di Ras staat move a way. Di Ras nuh too loud again. Dwl! Di Ras staat pree mystic. Wen African haad life staat beat out loud mout outa him an homesickness fi Jamaica staat hol him, is like di Ras get a revelation. Desmond say afta about four months of being in Ethiopia him notice di Ras a quietly pack up him clothes an tings dem, but him naa to loud up di ting. Di Ras staat move secretive a way. Desmond say late one night him pree di Ras quietly a goh tru di door wid him tings an a tek time a lock back di door soh dat it nuh mek nuh nize. Desmond say fram da night deh nobaddy nuh see 'Loudy' again. Loudy cut like a tief in di night. A long afta di bredren dem hear say him deh back a Jamaica.

Awright, mi a goh look sitin fi eat ya now an get some res fi touch Shashemene inna di lights.

Sen mi unu drama dem an unu feedback at ragashanti@ragashanti.com An follow mi pon Instagram an Twitter @ragashanti an "Like" mi page pon Facebook at www.facebook.com/ragashanti

See unu nex week Thursday same place ya soh inna THE STAR.

Bless up.

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