AR333: Reggae Aesthetic & African Diasporan Resistance

Lecturer: Mr. Jalani Niaah
Pre-Requisite: AR25F or GT23M
Semester: 1 and 2 (year long)
Credits: 6
Level: 3

COURSE RATIONALE

Applying Kwame Dawes' notion of a "Reggae Aesthetic" to Caribbean experience within the past 30 years, this course seeks to configure a way of viewing and representing the African Diaspora as a 'rhythmic' expression of beauty. Through an examination of multi-textual representation (film, food, music, art and dance traditions) Reggae as an ethos & a Rastafari inspired aesthetic of Caribbean discourses is engaged. Students are guided by a weekly seminar through an array of texts and cultural products in order to assess the contribution and critique the works of the creative imagination within this frame.

COURSE AIMS AND LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Students will be able to:

• identify and interpret Modern Caribbean Aesthetics
• explain its development
• critique its expressions
• assess the contribution of Reggae / Rastafari in developing an ethos and aesthetic in the Caribbean people's identity and articulation
• understand, and possibly expand, Caribbean-centred methodologies for cultural inquiry

• Discourses on Beauty within the African Diaspora
• The Genesis of Caribbean Aesthetics
• From Anansi to Carnivalesque to Rastafari
• Critiques of Westminster systems
• New Signs & Symbols: Post Independence Discourses
• Black in Beauty, Black and Gifted
• Positioning the struggle, playing with power
• Business of Hardship, Money talks
• Reggae as syncretism: an applied aesthetic
• Discourses of Reggae
• The Reggae Aesthetics in Theory

Semester II: Weekly Review of Selected Texts

• Proverbs & Sayings
• Stories & folk tales
• Songs / Music
• Creative Arts / Painting & Photography
• Events & Festivals
• Film

EVALUATION:

Students are expected to develop a research paper (6,000 words) based on two weeks of practicum/fieldwork worth 70% of final grade, demonstrating deep seated research in specific cultural forms to which a "reggae aesthetics" analysis could be applied.

There are also two mid-Semester tests to be administered one in October & one in March (each valuing 15%). There is no final examination.

Research Paper 70%
Mid-Semester Tests (Oct & Mar) 30%

PRESCRIBED READING :

Dawes, Kwame, (2002) Bob Marley Lyrical Genius , Sanctuary Publishing Ltd. Sanctuary House , United Kingdom

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED:

Bewaji, John Ayotunde (2003) " Beauty and Culture: Perspectives in Black Aesthetics, an introduction to African and African Diaspora Philosophy of Art ", Kenbim Press ltd., Ibadan

Chamberlin, J. Edward. (1993) Come Back to Me My Language: Poetry and the West Indies . 1st ed. Kingston : Ian Randle Publishers

Chude-Sokei, Louis. (1997) " 'Dr. Satan's Echo Chamber:' Reggae, Technology and the Diaspora Process ." Reggae Studies Unit, Bob Marley Lecture Series publication. Kingston

Cooper, Carolyn (2004) " Sound Clash Jamaican Dancehall Culture at Large" Palgrave Macmillan, New York

Dawes, Kwame (1999). Natural Mysticism.