A day at Rainbow Garden of Abuja rastafarians
This encounter with Rastafarians reveals the many mysteries behind these people with a unique way of life, food, drinks, herbs and dressing amongst others.
Green, gold and red are the colours that make these people unique and easy to identify. These are the colours on their caps, wristbands, bags and badges. The Rainbow Garden is a cashew plantation adorned with these colours, the bench can be described as handmade, the office of the captains has a collection of books, there are some metal cups hanging, which are used for herbs, the rooms are spacious with big windows and the welcome is not by handshake but by fist bumps. The Chosen Captains sit at a table adorned with both the Nigerian and Jamaican flags.
Rasta-brother-Henry Simone is a Rastafarian and a carpenter at Mpape Junction and explained that green stands for vegetation, gold for solid minerals beneath the earth and the red stands for the blood of mostly Black Africans shed by white imperialists during slavery, conquest and the partition of the black race.
Rastaman said he first heard the music of the legendary reggae musician Bob Marley years back and suddenly realized the message in the lyrics. He said it was about history, where people came from and where they are going to.
Rasta Simone, on his part, said he embraced Rastafarianism in 2007 when he was 28 years old and started working hard to earn a living and world recognistion.
He said in the Patois language of Jamaica “Me give jah -God- thanks and a lot of praiz because me, myself and I get the message and inspiration through Bob Marley like ‘One Love’, ‘Two Little Birds’ among others. The muzic entice me and and thaz why I have been growing and maintaining my dreadlock for seven years now and thaz cool man, ya overstand. Me wan all the people to know that rasta don’t like trouble, we like peace to live and let live in cool.”
On how he grows and maintains his dreadlock, he said he takes a long shower every day to clean and feed his hair as it is living also.
Rasta Henry Simone said his parents felt bad when he started growing dreadlocks and feared that something was wrong with his mental state.
He is now a family man with a child. Whenever he goes to the village, people easily recognize and call him Rastaman, as he is from Abu tribe near Ninzom in Sanga Local Government of Kaduna State.
He said many people didn’t know that African ancestors had dreadlock and nothing is wrong with it. Many people have dreadlocks and they are not Rastafarians like musicians and footballers. And Rastafarianism is not about the dread but about people who love peace.
This Rastaman said when they see somebody with dread or a symbol of Rastafarians like the wrist band among others, they see trust and admonition of a conscious man with cool perception to life and they approach each other and say ‘Rastafari’ and the other brother -Rastamanwill answer ‘Me-salasi-I before the Imperial Majesty Haile Salissie I’ and you answer ‘Rastafariiii.’
Every Rastaman regards Bob Marley as a great legend who transferred to the other world and he is still living because of his musical message. “All over the world, me want people to follow the Zion train,” he said.
He said Rastafarians consider late Emperor Haile Sallesie of Ethiopia as -JahGod sent as they call him their messiah and the only “Conquering Lion of the tribe of Judah.”
On why raggamuffins don’t say, understand, but overstand, he said it makes more meaning for one to overstand than to understand.
However, this Rastaman said Judah is one of the twelve houses in the tribe of Israel. He said there are no Reggae followers in some of the world, but he is not sure of Rastafarians in the present state of Israel, but the Israel Rastas refer to is the one in the scriptures, not the country.
He said they hold meeting at Mpape Junction in their garden called “Rainbow Garden” in Abuja when the need arises. They are planning to start a television show and invite Nigerians to receive the message.
Rastaman said he will never cut his dreadlock and that he wants to go to the grave with them as there is a special rite performed. “If my wife or daughter wants to be Rasta they are free, but I won’t force them to join the black race.”
Meanwhile, deep in the garden, the Chosen Captain of the Rainbow Garden said his name is Ralph Vincent Judah but before he joined the Rastafarians, he answered Mr. Vincent Paul Shekari. The Ikulu man from Kaduna State said he was introduced to the Rastafari in 2003 by two people: a man called Mr. Original Rascobi who is black man born in Britain and another who was a Levite from Ethiopia.
“The two men said we should be Rasta conscious as it means people that like themselves, their religious value, where they come from as destined by God and those that know who they are. I was chosen as the Head of the mansion of Rasta under the house of Jacob. Rasta has houses called Neya-bingi, Bobo, Dread, Ethiopian World Federation, EWF and the twelve tribes of Israel,” he said.
On the fifteenth of March 2006 he was handed the three flags carrying the conquering Lions of the Tribe of Judah with a red, gold and green cap as the almighty has chosen him to be the captain while the disciples follow him to oversee the activities of the house of Israel here in Nigeria.
His staff of office included books and teachings and he was told to do the job with sincerity as a figure of truth as the representative of the imperial majesty of the house of Jacob.
Rasta Captain Vincent Judah said it takes reading and practice to understand and speak patois.
Meanwhile, he said they have been trying to associate with the Jamaican Embassy in Abuja, but the embassy has never respondent.
“I don’t think those in the embassy are Rastas, they may just be Diplomats or Jamaicans,” he said.