Antigua Rastafarian Groups

Part 2 of Rastafari in Antigua documentary. As different groups begin to emerge in the brotherhood, some start questioning the authenticity of others, and that's when things go from confusion to confrontation and even violence at times.

The apparent intransigence of some members and the inability to acknowledge and respect diverse views and opinions often lead to a clash of egos, name-calling, and even more fragmentation in the Rastafari movement. Group members who surreptitiously assume authority and make claims of authenticity start using names to identify and brand the emerging Rastafari groups.

The name branding originated from the Jungle Man tribe, the largest and perhaps most extreme Rastafari community in Antigua in the seventies. They appended names like Society Rasta, Bible Dread, Buyark (New York) Rasta, and Bookhead Dread to the different Rastafari groups in Antigua.

The Bible Dread

One of the original groups of Rasta in Antigua and arguably the first was a small set of devoted believers and followers of Selassie called the Bible dreads. The group consisted of Brother Clark, Brother Mark, Ras Kisha(Wilson), Brother Oko, and Ras Okongo. Their unassuming reinterpretation and explanation of biblical scriptures were powerful and persuasive, and people referred to them as the Rastafari version of Jesus and the disciples.

The Book head Dread

The group is called the Book Head Dreads because of their educational background and unbashful affinity for scholastics. Brothers associated with this group embraced the Rastafari culture, but some did not have dreadlocks. Nevertheless, their academic credentials made them an intellectually elite group in the community.

The Book Head Dreads were mostly ex-Grama and St. Joseph Academy school students. The group included teachers like Duke and Bruce Goodwin, Ras Tasha and Frank I, Jawawa, Nakba, John Matreen, and Brother Hosea, who also had experience in teaching and were skilled in music and the performing arts.

The One love Tribe

The group with the most decentralized and abstract interpretation of the Rastafari lifestyle is the One Love Tribe. Led by the charismatic and endearing brother Butch, the One Love Tribe was a self-defining unique group that never conformed to the strict vegetarian diet like others in the community. The One Love tribe saw everything eatable as food and ate well. They had good culinary skills and knew how to cook and make anything taste good.

The group unambiguously defined itself and never embraced the widely accepted norms in the Rastafari community. The One Love tribe is the most unique Rasta group that emerged in Antigua. They were farmers, craftsmen, artists, and musicians who created their own style of music and acoustic band.

The Jungle man Tribe

The Jungle Man Tribe was probably the most extreme and revered of all the Rastafarian groups. They did not wear face paint adorned with beautiful feathers and jewelry, but their almost naked appearance bore similarity to the Carib Indians that inhabited the Island pre-history.

The group structure was a hierarchy of tribal ranks determined by personal friendship, trust, and loyalty. However, like most Rastafarians, they believe in the Bible, judgment day, and the fulfillment of prophecies, but it did not dominate or dictate their way of living. The Rastafari Ideology was the force that held the group together and not necessarily biblical or religious values.

They were unfairly portrayed and stigmatized from the start of the Rastafari movement. Jungle men often were accused of raiding farms at night to harvest vegetables and other crops, but it was out of necessity. One thing you can be sure of. The Jungle Man tribe were not robbers and thieves.

Of all the Rastafarian groups in Antigua, the Jungle Man tribe saw the most police brutality, discrimination, harassment, and injustice. They were raided, beaten, and jailed several times for cultivating ganja, but nothing could stop the Jungle Man tribe. They were a fearless and resilient Rastafari group.

The Wadadli Man

The most established, recognized, and accomplished of all the Rastafarian groups in Antigua and Barbuda is the Wadadli man group. Wadadli is a musically talented and sophisticated group of Rastafarians revered for more than their music.

The emergence of the Wadadli group changed the trajectory and uplifted the Rasta community with the power of their music. The group's rise to prominence eventually removed all obstacles and cleared the way for the general acceptance, recognition, and respect for the Rastafari movement in Antigua.

Untold Story Of Wadadli Experience

The untold story of Wadadli is perhaps the most significant documentation of defining moments and events in the recent and ever-unfolding history of Antigua & Barbuda. It chronicles the emergence, era, and history of the original Wadadli group from Antigua.

Read part 1 of the documentary Rasta In Antigua and learn how it all started.