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The video opens up with a psalm and fire blazing
of the chalice while JAH Name is called upon. A
scene that is shocking to some, attractive to
others, yet purely consciousness for the ones who
participate.
Mikey Dread explains just what's happening, as
the smoke fills up the spectrum of the camera:
this is the chalice of the Rastaman who Chants
Down Rastaman. Smoking the chalice is a symbolical
representation of the Fire of JAH Rastafari when
He will downstroy Babylon once and for all.
As the Nyabinghy drums play, the chalice goes
around and everyone takes a few sips. Mikey Dread
explains how the Rastaman's church is not a
building but his body, and how instead in the
incense in the Catholic Churches, the Rastaman
will light up the chalice for purification as
well.
After watching the session for a few minutes,
the video continues to show Count Ossie: the first
artist in Jamaica to take the Rastaman's Nyabinghy
rhythm to the studio's in order to record. We see
them as they play during the visit of Haile
Selassie to Jamaica (1966).
Nyabinghy is the Deep Roots rhythm of Reggae,
even though one could argue that technically this
is not really so. Spiritually, however, it
definitely is the roots for many Conscious Reggae
artists. A thing which becomes kind of clear by
watching this video.
The introduction into the Deep Roots of Reggae
is followed by one serious session in the Channel
One Studio's, where vocal group the Mighty
Diamonds give thanks and praises to Jah Rastafari
in sight and sound.
The coronation of His Imperial Majesty Haile
Selassie I is next: an event that would have more
impact than many would realize when it happened in
the 1930's. Bob Marley, the King of Reggae, would
put one of the speeches of the Ethiopian King to
music. In the video, we'll see him perform this
track called "War".
As said in the introduction: the documentary is
incomplete. There's an annoying time-bar in the
video screen as well, but altogether this 20
minutes or so of Deep Roots in sight and sound
reveals more about the true Roots of Reggae than
millions of hours worth of slick Hollywood
"Reggae" could ever do!
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