Rasta Culture And Message

The message that Bob wanted to spread is one of simplicity, love and harmony. Rastas have a “back to basics” approach; they reject anything artificial or unnatural. Cutting ones hair, tattoos, piercings or altering one’s body in any way are against Rasta beliefs. They have dreadlocks because it is low-maintainance and the most natural way to wear their hair. They keep their clothing as basic as possible and never buy expensive, designer garments and they go barefoot whenever possible. They take pleasures in the natural world rather than in material things and monetary gain. Rastas avoid salt, alcohol, meat, processed foods and medications. For healing purposes they use primarily “ganja”, the sacred herb that grew on King Solomon’s tomb. It is seen as a natural, beneficial sacrament.

Rastas, by such simple enigmatic equations, have freed themselves from earthly care. Countryman lives like a wild animal on a beautiful stretch of deserted paradise miles from anywhere, and nobody can touch him. He has rejected rejection. He came upon this spot out here about fifteen years ago - he was walking along the beach one day smoking a spliff, and he found a piece of plywood lying around, so he stuck it up against a palm tree and called it home…``Peace and love,'' he says when you meet him; that's the Rasta greeting, it has been for thirty years. The Rastas are imaginary beings. They are exiles, not just from a distant and misunderstood past, but from the grim and banal realities of the present day as well. They live in the imagination. And the imagination is immortal. (Thomas)

Marley did reap a great deal of profit from his music, but his message was so focused around Jah and unity that he stayed grounded to his beliefs. He maintained an amzingly simple lifestyle for such a superstar.