People have been asking themselves a number of questions when they see artistes on stage performing. The first question is why most of these artistes are always in dreadlocks? Is it necessary for every artiste to have dreads? These and many more questions linger in many people’s minds without answers.
There have been also a perception that people with dreadlocks(rastafarians) are always bad and have always faced the problem of acceptance in society, According to the rastafarians, dreadlocks are good because they have a spiritual attachment. They believe that they are bound to God and always stand for truth and justice as well as peace and love. These, they say have been part of their greetings because they believe that they have a calling to preach peace and love to the world.
Rastafarians believe in true God whom they call Jah, and that Haille Selassie is His greatest follower. They follow all good things done by the late Empiror Selassie of Ethiopia because according to them, he is the king of all kings and he will come again to rule the world.
The Rastafari movement, or Rasta, is a new religious movement that accepts Haile Selassie I, the former Emperor of Ethiopia, as God incarnate, whom they call JAH or Jah Rastafari. He is also seen as part of the Holy Trinity as the messiah promised in the Bible to return. The name Rastafari comes from Ras (literally "Head," an Ethiopian title equivalent to Duke), and Tafari Makonnen, the pre-coronation name of Haile Selassie I.
Although the exact origin of dreadlocks remains unknown and highly debated, some of the earliest examples of this hairstyle are religious in their orientation. The Biblical book of Judges makes note of Samson’s “seven locks of hair”. It is believed that this unique style originated in Kemet, Africa, as a mark of spiritual status amongst tribal priests.
The twisting of the hair has also achieved more modern significance through its association with the Rastafarian movement. People with this political stance fled in the 1930’s when the position of Ethiopian emperor was granted to Ras Tafari, who was later thrown into exile during an invasion. As a result, many of his warriors took an oath not to cut their hair until the emperor’s reinstatement. Later, this movement developed more religious and ideological undertones until it became a hallmark for socialism, nationalism, and black power. Because Rastafarians supported the use of marijuana, due to its effects of well-being, those with dreadlocks today are frequently associated with the cannabis culture.
Rastafarians also believe that by keeping their dreadlocks, there is conciousness in them and that they have to be humble. They make some sacrifices because they are costive to the extent that they meet a lot of critics in society who percieve them as being of no value, Nyongesa Namakangala famously Mtapa who is also an artiste, said that rastas believe man himself is God because God came through man, and that only black people call themselves God because they are real.
“That is why we rastafarians give man high respect because we see any man as real, so peace and love have to prevail between men on earth. That is why the Luo in Kenya worship Odeto as God and the Luya worship Elija Masinde who also had dreadlocks. So Rastafarians are people of religion and believe in the Bible like christians do,” said Mtapa.
However dreadlocks are taken very differently in Africa. They are seen as a symbol of African pride, some take it as spiritual and covenant and also as a rebellion to the system of capitalism which is more oppressive than any other system in the world. So rastafarians resist the system and decide to work on their own and not to work for others, “Africans like to express their path and believe that having alot of hair is a symbol of wisdom and intelligence. African intelligence lies in the amount of hair on the head, so you become wise and more conscious than any other person,” insisted Mtapa.
In the world of performing arts, most artistes are always in dreadlocks as if it is one of their work ethics. Some artistes take it as fashion when they are performing and that it gives them a touch of an artiste.
Indeed some make dreadlocks to help them be attractive, that when on stage the dreadlocks attract crowds. This is in line with the view that an artiste is someone who must be looked at and must entertain the public with the aim of passing the message to the people, However, artistes find it difficult to get jobs as everyone takes a rastafarian for someone who is immoral and his image cannot be perceived well in public. This makes very few of them to find their way in the formal sector.
“Africans are artistes by nature. If you deny them white collar jobs they can create their own. That is why you find rastafarians engaging in performative arts and in so doing, we live a life that we want- a free life and minding what we want to be,” said Mtapa.
The rastafarians like dreadlocks because of the nature of their jobs. They also believe that by having dreadlocks, they can easily be identified wherever they are because they mingle freely with their fans.Estherlyne Wanjiru who is a dancer in Kenya Performing Arts Group said that she likes dreads because she wants to look different. She also said that she likes being natural because she sweats alot when on stage thus does not like chemicalised hair.
“I prefer long hair because they add flavour to my fans and make me look different from others and be easily identified on stage,” said Wanjiku. However, most artistes and moreso women take it as a fashion forgetting that it is broader than fashion as it entails alot of Biblical teachings.“Most people take dreadlocks as being fashion only and they do not know that they have already been called and hence they need to know more about Rasta so that they keep the spirit of a rastafarian who is alive,” Said Steve Biko who is also a dreadlocked artiste.
There have been also a perception that people with dreadlocks(rastafarians) are always bad and have always faced the problem of acceptance in society, According to the rastafarians, dreadlocks are good because they have a spiritual attachment. They believe that they are bound to God and always stand for truth and justice as well as peace and love. These, they say have been part of their greetings because they believe that they have a calling to preach peace and love to the world.
Rastafarians believe in true God whom they call Jah, and that Haille Selassie is His greatest follower. They follow all good things done by the late Empiror Selassie of Ethiopia because according to them, he is the king of all kings and he will come again to rule the world.
The Rastafari movement, or Rasta, is a new religious movement that accepts Haile Selassie I, the former Emperor of Ethiopia, as God incarnate, whom they call JAH or Jah Rastafari. He is also seen as part of the Holy Trinity as the messiah promised in the Bible to return. The name Rastafari comes from Ras (literally "Head," an Ethiopian title equivalent to Duke), and Tafari Makonnen, the pre-coronation name of Haile Selassie I.
Although the exact origin of dreadlocks remains unknown and highly debated, some of the earliest examples of this hairstyle are religious in their orientation. The Biblical book of Judges makes note of Samson’s “seven locks of hair”. It is believed that this unique style originated in Kemet, Africa, as a mark of spiritual status amongst tribal priests.
The twisting of the hair has also achieved more modern significance through its association with the Rastafarian movement. People with this political stance fled in the 1930’s when the position of Ethiopian emperor was granted to Ras Tafari, who was later thrown into exile during an invasion. As a result, many of his warriors took an oath not to cut their hair until the emperor’s reinstatement. Later, this movement developed more religious and ideological undertones until it became a hallmark for socialism, nationalism, and black power. Because Rastafarians supported the use of marijuana, due to its effects of well-being, those with dreadlocks today are frequently associated with the cannabis culture.
Rastafarians also believe that by keeping their dreadlocks, there is conciousness in them and that they have to be humble. They make some sacrifices because they are costive to the extent that they meet a lot of critics in society who percieve them as being of no value, Nyongesa Namakangala famously Mtapa who is also an artiste, said that rastas believe man himself is God because God came through man, and that only black people call themselves God because they are real.
“That is why we rastafarians give man high respect because we see any man as real, so peace and love have to prevail between men on earth. That is why the Luo in Kenya worship Odeto as God and the Luya worship Elija Masinde who also had dreadlocks. So Rastafarians are people of religion and believe in the Bible like christians do,” said Mtapa.
However dreadlocks are taken very differently in Africa. They are seen as a symbol of African pride, some take it as spiritual and covenant and also as a rebellion to the system of capitalism which is more oppressive than any other system in the world. So rastafarians resist the system and decide to work on their own and not to work for others, “Africans like to express their path and believe that having alot of hair is a symbol of wisdom and intelligence. African intelligence lies in the amount of hair on the head, so you become wise and more conscious than any other person,” insisted Mtapa.
In the world of performing arts, most artistes are always in dreadlocks as if it is one of their work ethics. Some artistes take it as fashion when they are performing and that it gives them a touch of an artiste.
Indeed some make dreadlocks to help them be attractive, that when on stage the dreadlocks attract crowds. This is in line with the view that an artiste is someone who must be looked at and must entertain the public with the aim of passing the message to the people, However, artistes find it difficult to get jobs as everyone takes a rastafarian for someone who is immoral and his image cannot be perceived well in public. This makes very few of them to find their way in the formal sector.
“Africans are artistes by nature. If you deny them white collar jobs they can create their own. That is why you find rastafarians engaging in performative arts and in so doing, we live a life that we want- a free life and minding what we want to be,” said Mtapa.
The rastafarians like dreadlocks because of the nature of their jobs. They also believe that by having dreadlocks, they can easily be identified wherever they are because they mingle freely with their fans.Estherlyne Wanjiru who is a dancer in Kenya Performing Arts Group said that she likes dreads because she wants to look different. She also said that she likes being natural because she sweats alot when on stage thus does not like chemicalised hair.
“I prefer long hair because they add flavour to my fans and make me look different from others and be easily identified on stage,” said Wanjiku. However, most artistes and moreso women take it as a fashion forgetting that it is broader than fashion as it entails alot of Biblical teachings.“Most people take dreadlocks as being fashion only and they do not know that they have already been called and hence they need to know more about Rasta so that they keep the spirit of a rastafarian who is alive,” Said Steve Biko who is also a dreadlocked artiste.
Though rastafarians are struggling to be identified and known like other religions, they are still perceived negatively by the communities surrounding them as being associated with evil things. They are also perceived as bad mannered people who can not set an example in the community and are indeed associated with deviants.“It is true that dreadlocks have for a long time been associated with deviants in the society. But this is slowly changing due to a number of reasons: first they have become neater over the years and they are worn by people who show a lot of confidence in whatever they do. Thus they are slowly being accepted, though Kenya is a largely conservative society” said Ida Kathure.
Kathure added that Rastafarians have no secrets,” The general public tends to have a lot of suspicion about you. People always create an aura of mystery around you. Even if you are as obvious as you can,” she said.
As a matter of fact, dreadlocked people are never easily accepted at work. The only thing they do is to slowly warm themselves into other peoples hearts through their work ethics, confidence and professionalism. As male workers with locks, people always tend to underestimate their abilities. Initially, locks were a sign of rebellion, they still are, but what they rebel against differs from one person to another. Others say that they rebel against capitalism and its systems and others rebel bad things in society like corruption, injustice, and exploitation of people and the state of unemployment.
People with dreadlocks admit that they use bhang because it is natural and has no harm on human beings.“Bhang is very cool because man is natural just like bhang. Bhang has been there even before the God I worship brought man on earth, the God who is also a perfect creator,” said Biko.Biko also said that the system of government does not ban Bhang but only controls it because every one uses it in one way or another and it was even found in King Solomon’s grave who was considered the wisest man on earth that also had dreadlocks.
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