Commodifying Rasta

Rastafari is a new religious movement, less than one hundred years old, and yet these days it may be found all around the world. Research indicates that it shows up in some fascinating places, such as Japan and the Slovak Republic, and reggae, the most famous form of Rastafari creativity, serves as the primary mechanism for the transmission of the faith’s message. 

Like most other religions Rastafari has been, and continues to be, commodified. The movement’s insiders and outsiders have merchandized Jah, in other words, and although we might question how, or even if, such “branding” advances Rastafari’s spirituality, we cannot deny that such “products” shape the way we perceive Rasta today. 

A new generation of scholars in Rastafari Studies will need to discuss such matters in time and yet, for now, here are some examples that I have found…