| Many
people think, that Rasta Music is Reggae.
And of course, to a great extend this is the
case. But to those who want the foundational
music of the Rastaman, they have to check
Ras Michael.
Ras Michael is the specialist when
it comes to Nyabinghy music. Nyabinghy
means: Death To Black And White Downpressors
and it is the name of a specific rhythm
played by a number of hand
drums.
Nyabinghy is the rhythm played at
gatherings of Rastas, called grounations.
Psalms are chanted, there is singing and the
Nyabinghy Drums herald the coming downfall
of Babylon System.
In this clip, taken from a 1970's french
documentary about Reggae and Rastafari in
Jamaica, we'll see Ras Michael in his
typical setting. There is drum and bass, but
the hand drums play the dominant part in the
rhythm. As they sing a song of freedom and
consciousness, we get a good impression on
what exactly drives the Rastaman.
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