Sizzla inaugurated head of Rastafari movement?

According to several well-placed sources, Sizzla Kalonji, birth name Miguel Collins, was recently chosen and crowned head of the Rastafarian movement in Jamaica.

Sizzla Kalonji, or simply Sizzla is one of the most commercially and critically successful contemporary reggae artists and is noted for his concsious lyrics and high number of releases.  As of 2011 he had released over 65 solo albums.  Born in 1976 to devout Rastafari movement parents, Sizzla joined the ranks of the Bobo Ashanti Order of Rastafari in the mid-1990’s.  Trained as a mechanical engineer, Kalonji instead pursued music and became an apprentice with the Caveman Hi-Fi Sound System.

His break came in 1996 when Kalonji was introduced to top Jamaican saxophonist Dean Fraser, the musical director for Philip “Fatis” Burrell’s Xterminator Family. With Fatis he had a run of successful singles and the release of the debut album, Burning Up.  In the years since, Sizzla has remained a constant presence in the reggae charts worldwide. He has 21 albums that have made it onto the Billboard’s Top Reggae Albums music chart.  His Words of Truth, reaching the peak position of #5.

Always, at least publicly, adhering to the tenets of Rastafari, Sizzla said that members of the Nyabinghi approached him with the offer to be the president of the movement and he accepted it.  This however, is not settling well with some members of the movement, particularly among the Nyabinghi and Bobo Ashanti.

Bongo Issac, who is an Elder and member of the Ancient Council says that “no such position as head exists in the Rastafari movement.”  Most orders in the movement have called the inauguration a farce, and view it as a power struggle.

There is also another issue at hand among the movement, the case of the official stamp and seal of the Nyabinghi, which have gone missing since the inauguration.


1 Comments on this post

  1. Sizzla is a true legend and so deserves honour

    Alie / Reply

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