🎶 Reggae Cultural Movement – Article Review

Title: In the beginning, there was reggae
Author: Andre Henry
Publication: Religion News Service (August 26, 2021)
Reviewed by: Reggae Cultural Movement

1️⃣ Introduction — Reggae as Revelation

In “In the beginning, there was reggae” (RNS, 2021), writer Andre Henry delivers a deeply introspective reflection on reggae as a spiritual force — one that reshaped his understanding of God, justice, and liberation far beyond the confines of American evangelical Christianity.

Henry’s essay does more than explore reggae music; it positions reggae as a sacred language, a living prophetic tradition that speaks directly to the struggles of the oppressed. What begins as a night at Dub Club LA transforms into a spiritual encounter — one that exposes the limitations of Western religious frameworks and reveals reggae as a more honest, liberatory expression of the divine.

His writing is both personal and political, weaving memory, theology, and music into a powerful narrative about decolonization and Black spiritual identity.

2️⃣ Summary — Dub as Creation, Reggae as Prophecy

Henry describes being at a Sister Nancy show in Los Angeles, where a DJ’s spoken dub intro reframes the biblical Genesis story through reggae’s sonic lens:

“In the beginning was the beat … then there was the bass.”

This moment becomes a metaphor for reggae’s cosmology:
God as sound-system operator, creation as rhythm, and truth as vibration.

Henry traces reggae’s deep spiritual lineage:

its connection to Rastafari
Leonard Howell’s early teachings
Haile Selassie’s coronation
reggae’s long-standing role as a vessel for Black liberation, African identity, and anti-colonial resistance

He emphasizes that reggae is not merely “religious” — it is prophetic, carrying the same fire as ancient Hebrew prophets warning nations of injustice.

Henry reflects on:

growing up in the reggae tradition through his father
internal conflicts within white evangelical spaces
the trauma of racial gaslighting
feeling spiritually suffocated by churches that separated salvation from social liberation

Reggae, in contrast, affirmed the truth he always sensed:

that liberation is sacred
that God is on the side of the oppressed
that resistance is a spiritual act

Bob Marley’s “Get Up, Stand Up” becomes a central example — a lyrical sermon confronting the escapism preached in many churches:

“We sick and tired of your ism schism game, die and go to heaven in Jesus’ name.”

Henry then highlights modern reggae voices — Lila Iké, Chronixx — whose lyrics continue calling out injustice, colonial violence, and spiritual hypocrisy.

The article culminates with Henry’s own spiritual awakening on the dancefloor, where reggae becomes his temple, dub his scripture, and the collective chants of “Jah Jah” his affirmation of divine resistance.

3️⃣ Reflection — Reggae as a Living Theology of Liberation

At Reggae Cultural Movement, Henry’s piece resonates deeply.
His essay affirms something we consistently emphasize:

Reggae is not entertainment — it is spiritual technology.

A cultural archive of:

Black memory
prophetic warning
communal healing
divine justice
ancestral wisdom

Henry’s rejection of dualistic Christianity is shared by many across the diaspora who seek a spirituality rooted in:

liberation, not oppression
community, not control
justice, not silence

His encounter at Dub Club reflects a universal truth that reggae artists have voiced for decades:

Reggae is a church for the people — especially those failed by traditional religion.

It is where the sacred meets the streets.
Where scripture lives in basslines.
Where the cry for justice becomes melody.
Where the oppressed find affirmation that Jah stands with them.

Andre Henry’s article is not merely a story — it’s testimony.
A reminder that reggae’s spiritual message is powerful enough to restore faith, reclaim identity, and guide individuals through their own decolonizing journey.

✳️ Closing Tagline

💚💛❤️ Reggae is prophecy. Reggae is liberation. Reggae is spirit.
— Reggae Cultural Movement