Christafari
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Christafari is a Christian reggae band formed in 1990 that is centered around the personality of ordained religious minister Mark "Tansoback" Mohr (born October 23, 1971), an American born-again Christian who professes that he was once a Rastafarian until the age of 17. The essential goal of Christafari is to convert Rastafarians to Christianity. He claims that he embraced the Rasta faith mostly because it sactioned the use of cannabis, though he also admits to smoking "anything he could get his hands on", including crack, strictly prohibited along with all drugs other than cannabis in Rastafari culture. While living as a supposed Rastafarian he became well-versed in reggae music and learned some Jamaican patois, the language of a lot of reggae music. In 1989 the seventeen year old Mohr decided to turn away from his Rastafarian beliefs, stopped using marijuana and committed his life to Christianity at a Church summer camp.
[edit] Music
Christafari's music is characterized by both an obsession with Rastafari and a distinctly evangelical message. Its focus is broad, ranging from praise and thanksgiving to criticism of Christians, Rastafari and other non-Christians, to lamenting the troubles of the modern world. Christafari also address Rastafarian doctrine directly. One example is the song "Why You A-go Look?" on the album Word, Sound, and Power, a song which attempts to directly challenge the Rasta veneration of Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia as Almighty God incarnate and as a figure of worship and adoration more worthy than Jesus.
[edit] Criticisms
Christafari have been criticised by both Christians and Rastafarians.
[edit] Rastafari
Many Rastafarians are offended because Christafari takes (or steal, according to some) the symbols of the Rastafarian culture in order to attack the divinity of their God, Selassie I, and instead use that culture to promote in a missionary way what many Rastas see as the "white" Jesus that Rastafarians were rejecting in the first place. With his dreadlocks Mohr and other Christafarians have been called "wolves in sheep's clothing". Christafari's claim to be counter cult implies that Rastafari is a cult, their call to a wayward generation implies that the Rastas are wayward or a lost generation while their claim to evangelize the word of God to Rastas implies that Rastas don't have the word of God. They dislike the accusations that by using cannabis Rastas indulge in occult practice. Mohr's claim to have been a Rastafarian while smoking cocaine is considered not true as rastafarian culture strongly rejects cocaine use
[edit] Christian
Some Christians are offended because Mohr wears dreadlocks and sings in a style typically associated with Rastafari, recreational drug use and sex. They have also criticised Mohr over the name of the group and the use of the word "Jah" in songs to refer to the Judeo-Christian God. The word "Jah" is used once in the King James Version of the Bible: Psalm 68:4 Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him. The band has previously defended the use of the word with the argument that "Jah" is a shortening for "Yahweh" (also spelled "Jahweh") as used in the Bible. However, as of the release of Gravity, they have discontinued this practice, partly because of the constant need to explain it. The name "Christafari", according to claims on the band's website, is not a portmanteau of "Christian" and "Rastafari", but is instead supposedly derived from Greek words translating as "Those who have seen Christ". Yet the influence of Christafari has been much greater in the Christian community, with Christians becoming more Rastafarian like, than in the Rastafarian community, which ignore Christafari.
In October 2004, Reggae Artist Messian Dread published an e-book with the title: "CHRISTAFARIANISM: Don't Be A Rasta, Be Like A Rasta". In the book, Christafari was criticized for portraying Rastafari as anti-Christian. Christafari in its turn criticized Messian Dread for smoking marijuana and "blending Rastafari and Christianity".
[edit] Members
Christafari has played with over 60 musicians over its 14 year career. Thus it is difficult to construct a complete list of current and former members.
- Mark Mohr - founder, vocals
- Erik "Earth Man" Sundin - left after Valley of Decision to form his own Christian Reggae band "Temple Yard".
- Vanessa Mohr - Mark's wife
- Marky "Rage" Sandiford
- Ken "Mr. Mention" Yarnes
- Bill "Painta-man" Kasper
- Johnny "Spragga Boom" Guerrero
[edit] Discography
[edit] Major Releases
- Soulfire (1995)
- Valley of Decision (1996)
- Word, Sound, and Power (1999)
- Gravity (2003)
[edit] Other Releases
- Reggae Worship: First Fruits (1999) - a compilation of earlier recordings.
- Dub, Sound, and Power (2000) - a collection of Dub versions of songs, mostly from Word, Sound, and Power.
- Palabra, Sonido, Y Poder (2000) - versions of their songs overdubbed in Spanish.
