ATENTION - Burn Reggae.
Autor: Jeffrey Gaspar | Publicado: 2013-04-22T18:03:00-07:00

<!--[if gte mso 9]>
 
  Normal
  0
  21
  
  
  false
  false
  false
  
   
   
   
   
   
  
  MicrosoftInternetExplorer4
 
<![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 9]>
 
 
<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>

 /* Style Definitions */
 table.MsoNormalTable
 {mso-style-name:"Tabela normal";
 mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
 mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
 mso-style-noshow:yes;
 mso-style-parent:"";
 mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
 mso-para-margin:0cm;
 mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
 mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
 font-size:10.0pt;
 font-family:"Times New Roman";
 mso-ansi-language:#0400;
 mso-fareast-language:#0400;
 mso-bidi-language:#0400;}

<![endif]-->



  

&nbsp;&nbsp; ATTENTION:
THE FRENCH CENTER FOR ETHIOPIAN STUDIES
ALLIANCE ETHIOPIA – FRANCAIS
INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT - ETHIOPIA
GOETHE INSTITUTE - ETHIOPIA


Dr. Giuillia Bonacci
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA
RE: CLARIFYING - EXODUS! Celebrating The History, Culture, and Music of the
Rastafarians in Ethiopia


March 22, 2012








“Throughout history it has been the inaction of those who could have acted, the
indifference of those who should have known better, the silence of the voice of
justice when it mattered most, that has made it possible for evil to triumph.”
H.I.M. Qadamawi Haile Selassie I. June 30, 1936 @ League of Nations.



Dear Directors, 

We write this letter in an effort to clarify and therefore remedy a major
misunderstanding on how your organization depicts Ras Tafari history, culture
and music in Ethiopia. We pray our self expression regarding your good
intentions towards cultural understanding and cooperation will resolve our
concerns and desires, leading to greater overstanding and mutual respect. 
In 2011 Dr. Giuilia Bonacci, historian, researcher at the Research Institute
for Developement and at the French Center for Ethiopian Studies in Addis Ababa,
sought support from selected members of the Ras Tafari community in Ethiopia
for the launch of her book on migration at Alliance Ethio Francais. The
occasion culminated into a “Rasta Festival” where members of the Ras Tafari
community were hired or paid expenses to assure attendance and/or participation
in the book launch/festival. The event was highly publicized and many Ras Tafari attended to sell their arts and crafts and other goods. Some
displayed cultural and historical information; while others sang, dance and
drummed for spectators. Several outstanding members of the Pan African, Ras
Tafari and Ethiopian communities were invited to the festival but did not
attend due to various reasons, however, representatives or well wishes were
sent, including the permission granted to screen Africa Unite, a film about
Berhane Selassie (Bob Marley’s baptismal name) 60th Birthday celebration hosted
in Addis Ababa in 2005. (That event was made possible through the support and
recognition of the Ethiopian government and warmth and welcome of Ethiopian
people.) Dr. Bonacci’s 2011 book launch/festival was deemed a success by some
stakeholders and extensive and repetitive media coverage was provided for the
festival and Dr. Giullia.


The event returned this year as an annual event sponsored by your good
organization. Several Ras Tafari individuals were hired once again to promote
and implement the event which Dr. Bonacci the architect and main coordinator
states, “The need is there because bridges have to be created between the
Ethiopians and Rastafarians. It is our hope that it will become an annual
landmark of entertainment and education.” The festival also maintained its
stipulation this year that Qadamawi Haile Selassie I not be mentioned or
presented as part of the official program according to sponsors’ policy. The
event featured predominently reggae music and various cultural activities and
reggae films. While the event provides needed income for up to twenty owned and
operated formal and informal Ras Tafari micro businesses and gives foreigners
and locals alike a three day cultural experience, Dr. Bonacci’s good intentions
have been assessed as harmful to Ras Tafari in Ethiopia and beyond in its
present context. We trusted her intentions of a book launch for the first years
and now, EXODUS: The History, Culture and Music of Rastafarians in Ethiopia is
organized for us and with disregard to our input and/or consent and oversight. 
The very name of the event is misleading and the structure and presentation
deflect the serious issues and concerns of both the Ethiopian and Ras Tafari
Peoples, required to ensure our peaceful and productive future in this country.


We descendants of Africa, Elders, Leaders, Representatives, Administrators and
adherents of the faith of Ras Tafari residing and working in Ethiopia, returned
home based on our uncompromised faith and reverence in the divine Qadamawi
Haile Selassie I and our love and loyalty for Ethiopia. The omission of The
Majesty's name, works and teachings are of the highest insult and
disappointment. That participants have siad they called on His name and
presented materials/books in defiance to this policy is unacceptable as Majesty
has taught us respect for organizations and nations. The Holy Bible says, we
should not light a candle then hide it under a basket. We have a duty and right
to voice our observations and serious concerns in an effort to provide clarity
and ensure the festival is put in its proper context and not perpetuate myths
and misunderstanding.
We are a spiritual people, and our Exodus represents a reverent biblical
movement and present day prophesy of the return of the great great grand
children of survivors of the worst crime against humanity, the Trans Atlantic
Slave Trade. Our ancestors suffered and we continue to experience various
manifestations of discrimination and human rights violations at the hands of
colonial and neo-colonial powers, which have yet to be recognized much less
reconciled. Hence, our repatriation is not merely a reggae song with a nice
beat, nor Bonacci's academic study to assist the French address african
migration issues. The lyrics of EXODUS say, “…we’re leaving Babylon, we’re
going to our Father’s land…” indicating out intention to leave a place where
discrimination and oppression have been meted out generously with no hope on
the horizon. Our only salvation and place of safety is Ethiopia/Africa. This is
not a simple migration but a vision of a spiritual movement/repatriation, of a
people home in mass numbers, likened to the 1st Exodus of the Hebrews out of
Egypt into the Promised Land. We handful are simply here to help prepare for
the repatriation which includes Ethiopia's development.


We object to and are surprised by Dr. Bonacci’s misrepresentation, as an
educated scholar, to declare and promote reggae music as Ras Tafari music.
Nyahbingi is the music of Ras Tafari, as mentioned in the promotional flier.
The sacred songs and ceremonies are derived from ancient African tradition and
post slavery spiritual expressions which use a special battery of drums played
by selected priests, prophets and drummers for praise unto the Most High or for
destruction of the enemies of Qadamawi Haile Selassie I and Ethiopia/Africa and
Her children. On the other hand, Reggae music is a popular genre which ranges
from spiritual to degrading lyrics, further accompanied by explicit sexual
dances. Ras Tafari reject these expressions as the representative music of our
divine faith. We recognize that Ras Tafari musicians have used reggae to spread
the culture, however we object to cultural institutions and academicians whose
word and actions today become part of the history books tomorrow that usually
do not represent our voices.Further, we do not appreciate the promotion of Ras
Tafari synoymous with reggae and thereby reducing and our painful struggle and
journey to a mere minstrel show or festival. 
Neither the approximately 20 minutes per day of Nyahbinghi chants, nor the 3
presentations on Pan Africanism nor the reggae films; represent nor address our
history, culture or music, much less our concerns and priorities as Ras Tafari
in Ethiopia. Reggae music has had spiritual, social and cultural impact world
wide. However, it is one thing to be inspired by a song and another to
stereotype an entire People based on popular cultural musical expression. It is
insensitive and misleading. We object to the disregard of the Ras Tafari
community, who made this event possible by their participation, promotion and
mere presence, yet are not mentioned along with other valuable sponsors on
promotional materials. Is our input of no value hence not worth mentioning or
worst can only be mentioned for marketing purposes as in the title? Or are we
expected to express silent gratitude for being a benefactor of the organizer’s
good intentions - which include 300 birr for transportation, a hot meal each
day, and a chance to appear on TV? Is this truly a goodwill gesture based on
appreciation and understanding of our culture or is this an attempt to use
culture to re-define and re-focus a serious spiritual Movement with a strong
Pan African vision filled with African pride and fighting for repatriation and
reparations from colonial powers for Africa's development?&nbsp;


We object to Dr. Bonacci’s desire to “create a bridge between Ethiopian and Ras
Tafari” through this event. Qadamawi Haile Selassie I said, “We are all blood
brothers…”. This evidenced by His invitation for us to return home and gifting
the landgrant in Shashamane exclusively to Black people of the West for their
show of solidarity to end Italian occupation and aggression against Ethiopia
decades ago. We have lived, loved, worked and even laid ones to permanent rest
in this land for over 50 years. We have intermarried and now have a generation
of children who share Ras Tafari and Ethiopia parents. The Ethiopian government
has treated us with due respect and though Ethiopians may not fully understand
us and our reason for being here, they express love, courtesy and respect for
us the Black people returning to our Motherland, our inheritance, the land of
our Fathers. We also object to what appears to be an attempt to undermine Ras
Tafari: The Majesty &amp; The Movement Exhibition being planned since 2010 and
advertised at Bonacci’s book launch in 2011. People are now confused and think
our major exhibit being planned and supported by Ethiopian Ministry of Culture
and Tourism, Addis Ababa University Institute of Ethiopian Studies and the
National Museum of Ethiopia Gallery - scheduled to open on May 25th, 2014, is
your festival. Our exhibit is a multi media academic and inspiring presentation
and motivated by the closing of “Discovering Ras Tafari Exhibit” which ran for
4 years at the Smithsonian Institute until 2011. It was organized with the full
participation of Ras Tafari through representatives from the major mansions,
the Nyahbinghi Order, Ethiopia Black International Congress aka Boboshanti and
the Twelve Tribes of Israel according to years of standing protocol for
organizing public events with external organizations. No written notification
was given to mansions in this case, ensuring our inclusion in the formulation
of the event. Instead individuals were solicited and hired to implement which
is unacceptable and divisive and have subsequently created internal
investigations into this matter. Would your institution organize an event to
showcase the history, music and culture of the Jewish or Christian or Islamic
faith in Jerusalem, Mecca or the Vatican and invite them only to set up stalls
or perform their songs and dances? We deserve the human right to tell our own
story as we see fit, and any other faith would surely defend this right.


“Ethiopia has stretched forth her hands…” and we the survivors have returned
home because of Biblical prophesy, fleeing the contemporary ignoble conditions
of oppression in the West which were unleashed on Africa for centuries in
various forms. The grace of Qadamawi Haile Selassie I and His teachings have
ensured our return home. We work side by side with Ethiopians, the most
tolerant people on the face of the earth, as we work collectively to reconcile
our repatriation and our true identity in this historic sovereign land. We
recognize the challenges we face as we progressively integrate in Africa, but
the bridges and bonds which holds us - the remnant of the stolen children of
Africa wrongfully dispersed - could and have never been broken. 
We are ever grateful for the love of Ethiopians in all things great and small
from the smiles on the street, to the calls of Jah, to even the critical
analysis and caution, but mostly for the equal rights provided for us to live
here and partake in the development of Ethiopia/Africa freely. There are no
gaps to be filled or bridges to be built. We are one. Ethiopia has lifted the
dignity of Ras Tafari who have been imprisoned, maligned by friends and family,
and even murdered for defending Ethiopia’s dignity and destiny for over 8
decades. We are Ethiopians possessing all the genetic and spiritual authority
to represent and present ourselves. We are one with Ethiopians and will
continue working on our landmark events in our country which meet our goals and
our aspirations.

&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp; We invite your institution and respective country, as His
Majesty did, and as the gracious country of Ethiopia presently does, to
continue supporting cultural events which are mutually beneficial and positive
for all stakeholders. Addis Ababa is the diplomatic capital of Africa and as we
work towards African unity and the realization of world peace, we appreciate
and anticipate your continued support. In closing and in resolution, we waited
to send this letter till after the event as your organization had done so much
to plan the event when it ame to our attention. However, at this date we kindly
request recognition and/or response to this letter as a sign of respect and we
recommend strongly this annual event be titled as a reggae cultural omitting
the name Rastafarians, if it is to go forward. This will allow the continuation
of your event which is fun, enlightening and economically advantageous to Ras
Tafari people and others making an honest living in Ethiopia by sale of locally
produced items. Finally, the overstanding and appreciation of Ethiopians is our
priority and we want to be viewed as the spiritual people we are - not as the
stereotypical beer drinking, ganja smoking/smuggling, red gold and green and
lock wearing people from around the world who love to dance to reggae music and
once a year you might can take a picture with us. We do not want to create the
Rent A Dread image which feeds the Jamaican tourist market. We want to see the
development of Shashamane, the historic world known settlement of Ras Tafari
and welcome you to visit there and experience the culture, history and music of
Ras Tafari. We the descendants and foundation people of this Movement who have
been taught by the Elders and founders of the Movement, some of whom are now
Ancestors, owe it to them and our future generations to set the record
straight. We still earnestly seek African liberation from colonial mentality
and spiritual salvation from the Most High as we work towards world peace and
harmony. We look forward to your close attention to our heartfelt concerns and
anticipate your full courtesy and cooperation in the spirit of human dignity
and respect. We are available to meet with you to discuss this further if
needed. May the Most High guide and protect us in all our endeavours.
One Perfect Love.





ATENTION TO ONE ATENTION TO ALL

Jah is love let us all love&nbsp;