Yasus Afari speaks at the launch of his book and CD, 'Overstanding Rastafari: Jamaica's Gift to the World' and 'Revolution Chapter 1', at the Undercroft, University of the West Indies, last Thursday. - Nathaniel Stewart/Freelance Photographer

Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer

Yasus Afari presented prose and recorded poetry in 'Overstanding Rastafari: Jamaica's Gift to the World and Revolution Chapter 1 respectively to a large audience at the Undercroft, UWI, Mona, last Thursday evening.

With Professor Carolyn Cooper of the Institute of Caribbean Studies/Reggae Studies Unit of the university hosting, the launch took on an academic and cultural tone. Guest speaker Dr. Clinton Hutton of the UWI delved deep into the book, while the Ascot High School Drummers, DYCR and Black Goddesses were among those who were on the musical and lyrical side of the evening.

Before them, though, Professor Barry Chevannes placed Overstanding Rastafari in the context of previous works on the movement by its members and noted that "this is a work by a Rastafarian scholar who is interpreting for the non-Rastafarian audience his perspective. Not idiosyncratically his own, but the view of the movement on where Jamaica and the world are positioned at this time."

Dr. Alfred Sangster of the University of Technology noted Afari's progress from his days at the then College of Arts, Science and Technology and, from even before that, noting "Yasus Afari has come a long way from the small mud hut" in which he was born.

Hutton, who officially launched both book and album, concentrated largely on the former, saying "Yasus walks us through the genesis and origins of Rastafari, its values, ethics and belief systems."

Quide to Rastafari

"This book can be treated as a guide to Rastafari for the uninitiated the curious, the student," as well as "a reference text to be consulted on various issues related to Rastafari."

He noted that Afari is not afraid to address sensitive issues, including that you don't have to be black to be Rasta, you don't have to be dread to be Rasta, does Rastafari need Christianity or the Bible to justify its existence? Is His Imperial Majesty elect of God or elect of himself and what ought to be the position of women in Rastafari?

And after presentations by the Mystic Revelation of Rastafari, Ascot Drummers, DYCR, Black Goddesses, Royal African Soldiers and Mutabaruka, Flo O'Connor saying that she thinks of Yasus Afari as being one of the few who remember those who were there with them before he became a brand name," the author and recording artiste addressed the large audience at length.

"Me is the original red dut bway from St. Elizabeth. Small people and small tings mus' get big," he said.

"Is sociology lead I to the concept of Rastafari," he said, delving into the family unit. "We sey God have him wife. God have a whole heap a pickney an' him no have no woman?" he demanded rhetorically.

After going through sections of Overstanding Rastafari, Yasus Afari said "a five year wut a research. And is 20-odd year I embrace Rastafari. I have been pregnant with this book for decades. It took five years of labour to give birth to this book."