By Mark Thompson
Staff reporter
It was a night filled with bright flashes of lightning and the deep roll of thunder in the early 1960s that welcomed dub poet, author, philosopher and reggae artiste, Yasus Afari into the world.
In a one-room mud house in the rural parish of St. Elizabeth, he gasped his first breath and was given the name John Sinclair. However, there was some confusion surrounding the date of his birth, since the house was devoid of any communications or timekeeping device.
Now, decades later, there is no element of confusion about the substance and conviction of this self-actualised man who has emerged as one of the Rastafarian movement’s most eloquent, articulate and erudite members. Much like the natural forces that dominated the moment of his arrival on earth, he is at once bold and brilliant.
A strident proponent of the power of Rastafarianism to bring together peoples from many backgrounds, his commitment to using the principles of the movement to cross barriers is unwavering.
Last week, Yasus sat down with Pure Class for a heady discourse on his personal beliefs and efforts to release positive Rastafarian vibrations through overseas tours, his latest book Overstanding Rastafari — Jamaica’s Gift to the World and CD Revolution Chapter 1. He also gave insight into his future activities geared towards contributing to the harmonization of the family of humanity.
