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Oh yes, friend and foe agree: "Gospel Reggae"
definitely "plugs a gap in the Christian
Industry". But is it truly "God",
Who is running this industry? We will find that
out in this article.
But not before we send out a special thanks to
well-known Christian Reggae Artist Stitchie and to
our several very anonymous sources, without whom
this article could never have been written.
And not before we mention that the information
given in this article is researched and (can be)
verified.
Having said that, let's take a closer look into
the bizarre world of the Gospel Reggae Industry in
2006. Are you ready?
EASY BUSINESS
It's an easy business: your customers will buy your products
as part of their religious excercise. And the
whole infrastructure is allready there, too. You
just have to sing about "Jesus" in order
to get your place in the Christian Bookstores all
over the world.
Christians stay disinformed about the true
nature of let's say the Movement of Rastafari,
too. They keep thinking how they shouldn't buy any
other Reggae then "Christian". With phrases like, "edify and build up the local and universal body of Christ providing a biblically sound musical
alternative", an impression is given
that there is something really bad going on
"out there".
The whole "Gospel Reggae Industry" is
based on this meditation. The meditation that it's
wrong for a Christian to produce or buy Reggae
Music when it doesn't have some kind of
"Christian" vibe. Both artists and
listeners strongly believe in this deception.
As one "Gospel Reggae" artist once
said: "They
would boycott us if we would stop using the Name
of Jesus".
And so, audience and producers keep each other
and themselves right where the are: in an industry
that has the very Christian faith as it's
product.
This all started in the mid 1990's, when
Christafari proclaimed to be the "founder"
of "Christian Reggae". Not
Christian in the sense of the true meaning of the
word, though. This is easily seen when the mere
fact is taken into consideration, that Christafari
even claimed how
"Reggae
started in the Christian church and evolved into
Rastafarianism."
And so they made a differentiation between
Christian Reggae and Reggae played by
Christians.
"Christian Reggae" or "Gospel
Reggae" is a genre rather then a
referance to the Good Lord and His message. It's a
genre, but not a Reggae genre either. It's a genre
in a bigger complex, that is the Industry we know
as CCM or Contemporary Christian Music.
"Gospel Reggae" isn't a Reggae Genre,
it's a "Gospel Genre"!
We have focused a lot on Christafari. We
analyzed their message and philosophy, fruits and
roots. We had to, as Christafari is the founder of
that "genre" in the CCM industry. An
industry which is currently dividing Reggae
Culture by stealing artists from the regular
Reggae Industry into what is then called a
"Christian Industry".
But now in january 2006, we have to face the
reality that it's no longer only Christafari
trying to "plug gaps", or to put it more
economically: create monopolies. Christafari
indeed started this thing called "Gospel
Reggae", but well over a decade later there
is a second generation which goes even further in
the commercialization of Christianity.
And so this article will also be a sort of
"goodbye" to the "founder of
Gospel Reggae". It would be good to
remind ourselves to Jesus' words, that when the
fruits are not good, the tree can't be good
either.
We will mention a couple of documented things,
but wish to say as well that we don't have
anything personal again Christafari or any CCM
artist or supporter. When we mention things, it is
without anger but only to show the truth.
However, since things are spoken in public,
they should be adressed in public. And that is why
this article is written. It's about a very serious
subject.
Later on, we will even see a "Gospel Dancehall" Artist
showing his dollar bills on the video screens
telling the people how "Gospel
Dancehall" can make you rich.
Fortunately, there are many Christians who know
the CCM Industry to be everything but true
Christian. There are plenty of Christian websites
exposing the unchristian nature of this
industry.
Just recently, Christian
Reggae artist Audrey Gordon signaled over the
Internet that she strongly felt that Jah did
not want this commercialization in what is known
throughout the world as the Christian Church.
Jah Mark Ragsdale from Star Recordings who is
known to release a number of Christian Reggae
artists is also known to be unwilling to
contribute to the Christian Industry.
But the "Gospel Reggae Industry"
doesn't only make a mockery out of the very
Christian faith, it equally disinforms the
Christians about Rastafari. And it has to do so,
too. For the very existance of the "Gospel
Reggae Industry" is based on lies and
deception about Rastafari too.
Browse the Christian websites exposing the
Christian Music Industry, and be shocked how they
claim all kinds of things about Rastafari.
A website av1611.org,
for example.
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