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![Text Box: Known as the Priestly Order of Rastafari, the Ethiopia Africa Black International Congress, Church of True Divine Salvation for Bobo Rasta, or Bobo Shanti, was founded in the mid-twentieth century by Charles Edwards, known as King Emmanuel, and considered by many to be the Black Christ-in-flesh. Most of its members, called "Bobos" or "Bobo dreads", live in Bull Bay, in a small utopian community called Bobo Hill in 10 Miles Bull Bay. Bobos greet each other using the formal address "My Lord" and are most notable for their wearing of turbans and long flowing robes as well as brooms they carry with them, which signify cleanliness. The brooms and other crafts are also sold in Kingston as a way to provide funds for the community. The Bobos have established a strong relationship with the local community outside of Bobo Hill and often invite people to their services. Membership of the Ethiopia Africa Black International Congress is increasingly growing globally, as their members are seen in Africa, Europe, and throughout the caribbean.
King Emmanuel is called "Dada" by his followers, who see him as part of a holy Trinity, together with Marcus Garvey and Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, in which Selassie is seen as King/God (Jah), Garvey as prophet, and Emmanuel as high priest after the priesthood order of Melchizedec. Almost all sacred songs and tributes to their ancient trinity of prophet, priest, and king ends with the phrase "Holy Emmanuel I Selassie I Jah Rastafari."
Bobos say that "Africa" is the name that the European colonizers gave to Ethiopia, or "Jerusalem". Many see black supremacy ideas as essential to the faith, and in the Bobo (and Rastafarian) conception, the true Ethiopian Israelites are black men and women, who are Royal Ethiopians from creation birth, scattered during the African diaspora.
Not only do Bobos believe in black supremacy, meaning black is original and therefore supreme, they also consider black women as mothers of creation. Women cover their legs, arms, and head in practice of the Queen Omega principles. Nearly all the men within the community are seen as prophets or priests, whose functions are to “reason” and conduct churchical and parliamental services, respectively.
Many reggae artists have emerged from the Bobo Shanti, including The Abyssinians, Sizzla, Capleton, Anthony B, Perfect, Turbulence, and Ras Shiloh. Many claim to be Bobo Shanti, however many of the artists have not made the Bobo declaration, therefore being unable to legitimatley call themseves 'Bobo'.
Pren Emmanuel is all but responsible for the emergence of Rastafarianism. His son Jesus Emmanuelle Edwards has inherited the hrone in the Bobo Dread Church. In this picture, you see a Ghanaian priest (Zebulon Adoufu) with Priest Forrester and Delly.
The Rastafari ever since the movement's rise in the early 1930s have held to the belief that they and all Africans in the diaspora are but exiles in 'Babylon,' destined to be delivered out of captivity by a return to 'Zion,' that is, Africa, the land of our ancestors, or Ethiopia, the sear of Jah, Ras Tafari himself, Emperor Haile Selassie's precoronation name. Repatriation is one of the corner-stones of Rastafari belief. The fact that the majority of Jamaicans, including most of those who migrate, regard Jamaica as their home might make the position of Joe Ruglass and the other tens of thousands of the Rastafari seem very sectarian. The truth is , however, that the doctrine of repatriation is kindred to a lineage of ideas and forms of action four hundred years old. They arose first in response to European slavery and then, following emancipation, in response to the system of social, cultural, and economic oppression on which modern Jamaica was built. Of all the contemporary autonomous groups that together make up what we know as the Rastafari movement, the Bobo exhibit the highest intensity of Revivalism. They are Dreadlocks, but because they differ from the mainstream organizationally and in other respects, I treat them separately in this [section.] Unlike other Dreadlocks, most Bobo live together in a commune, organized in the tradition of Howell, and circumscribed by rituals. Outwardly, their separation from the rest of the Dreadlocks is marked by the wearing of tightly wrapped turbans, sometimes long, flowing black or white robes, and attractively handmade sandais. Even their form of greeting is different from that of other Dreadlocks. The Bobo strike a compromise with the existing society by accentuating respect for certain values flaunted by the Dreadlocks in the Youth Black Faith tradition. All the agressiveness characteristic of the Dreadlocks is alien to the Bobo, who go out of their way to cultivate excellent relations with their surrounding community. During the services that are held at the Bobo Dread Church, the Bible is recited to the rhythm of the drum. These chants -- known as Redemption Songs to the Rastafarian -- have a special place in their faith.
THE COMMUNE: Nine miles to the east of Kingston in Bull Bay live the Bobo in a small utopian community. The community is situated on a hillside, below a small promontory. The sight it presents a mile from the main road justifiably merits the name the Bobo give it, "City on a Hill." Large buildings are painted in red, gold, and green colors and bordered by flags flying. From the commune itself the view out to sea is a beautiful one: a vast, receding expanse of water with slightly changing colors moving away from two hills, on either side of the commune. To reach the commune, one travels between a river bed on the left, and on the right a series of settlements, one or two of them under government sponsorship. Farther up the road, where the gradient suddenly steepens, and immediately below the Bobo, are squatters whose numbers steadily increase day after day. The Bobo themselves are squatters on the vast crown lands.
The compound is entered through an arched gateway under which every Bobo, on leaving and entering utters a prayer, sometimes in his heart, sometimes aloud. Above the arch in bold characters is painted the name Ethiopian International Congress. On the gate itself is written a warning against bringing weapons of violence into the compound. Inside, and to the right, stands the guardhouse where all material things, such as knives and guns and money are deposited. Then in a very steep ascent one passes the house of Queen Rachel, the young and beautiful wife of Prince Emmanuel, and her four-year-old son Jesus. Directly above her on a terrace is the temple, and stretching out from it the large spacious dwelling house of Prince Emmanuel Edwards, or Dada, as he is called by the Bobo. Next up the hill lie the kitchen and generating plant on the right and the storeroom on the left. Where the slope becomes gentle, beside the kitchen, is the meeting yard where all services are conducted except on Sabbaths
and days of fast. On the edge of the meeting yard is the guest hut, a small circular shed with a table and several benches. A towel hangs from one of its posts. In front of it is raised a basin of water above a patch of basil mint. This](image2582.gif)
