Rasta, Race and Revolution

Decades after its birth and subsequent tour du monde Rastafari has more recently also appeared in revolutionary Cuba. How the movement has been globalized and subsequentially localized in a socialist and Spanish speaking context are the main foci of this book. In particular it examines how Cubans have adopted and adapted the movement to their own socio-political and cultural context and what, given these circumstances, 'Babylon' is in Cuba. As a predominantly Afro-Cuban youth movement particular attention is paid to Rastafari's development in the context of Cuba's current economic crisis and re- appearance of more overt racism. Based on extensive ethnographic fieldwork in Cuba, the study shows how Rastafari's growth and presence on the island have influenced and contributed to the formation and expression of new cultural identities and discourses with regard to what it means to be young, black and Cuban.

Katrin Hansing is a social anthropologist who has worked on numerous Cuba related issues. Her main areas of interests and expertise include: migration, race/ethnicity and identity. She is currently the director of a German Research Council funded research project on Cuba's social collaboration ties in Africa. She can be contacted at: hansingk@fiu.edu