Week 8 Rasta video

There are several crucial differences between the boboshanti community shown here and the rastafarian culture and community described in the book- though they clearly share the same basic values and principles. The first thing I noticed is the fact that it is a seperate community- much of the Rastafarian way of life is about defying the "babylonian" culture that surrounds you- here there is no oppressive force to struggle against. This calls into question whether Rastafari is dependent on this- once the struggle is won, once repatriation is successful and there is nothing to fight against, would you still call it Rastafari?

You can see this reflected in smaller ways in the video as well- I particularly noticed the turbans which covered the boboshanti's symbolic dreads. These turbans are inspired by african headwear, and thus are consistent with the return to African roots, but they defeat the symbolic purpose of the dreads- traditionally a bold statement of courage and defiance. How can one shake one's dreads to destroy babylon if they are wrapped up? Wouldn't the cloth interrupt the link between the Rastas and Jah?

Another thing which seemed odd was the ritualistic prayer every 6 hours- this is abnormally realistic for Rastafari, it seems almost church-inspired (as do the bible quotes, of course- it is still not clear to me how much of Rastafari is Afro-Christian and how much is purely African). Rastafari seems to me to have a more freeform spirituality- not that it is taken any less seriously, but that it is more run by feeling than by schedule. Again, it simply seems this way, I may be jumping to conclusions.