‘I hear you,’ Prince Ermias Selassie tells Sizzla at awards reception
Sizzla sings, delivers repatriation message
Published:Wednesday | October 19, 2022 | 12:10 AMYasmine Peru/Senior Gleaner Writer
On National Heroes Day, Rastafarian reggae artiste Sizzla, dressed in a smart, well-fitting three-piece suit, came with a repatriation and reparation message to present to Prince Ermias Sahle Selassie, the grandson of Emperor Haile Selassie I.
Reeling out his plentiful and impressive titles, the Black Woman and Child singer introduced himself as: “Ras Miguel Orlando Collins, otherwise known as Sizzla Kalonji, an international icon of our cultural reggae music. I’m the indigenous president of the Nyabinghi Theocracy Reign government of the Rastafari nation; I’m the regional plenipotentiary and treasurer of the Haile Selassie High Jah Rastafari Judah Coptic Church. I’m also an ambassador of the Ethiopia Africa Black International Congress True Divine Church of Salvation; I’m also an ambassador to Jamaica in black culture, black heritage, black history and also the pioneer for the repatriation movement.”
In an 18-minute and 26-second address at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston, Sizzla graciously welcomed Prince Ermias and his wife to Jamaica, reaffirmed Rastafari’s love for and dedication to their leader and “Earth’s rightful ruler” Haile Selassie I, and outlined the structure and proposed governance for repatriation. However, the event at The Jamaica Pegasus on Monday evening wasn’t a high-level meeting of Rastafari elders; it was actually the National Honours and Awards Reception hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport. The “bashment” style cultural celebration saw the partygoers, including Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Minister Olivia Grange dancing the night away and even a sound clash between Jack Scorpio and Ricky Trooper thrown in. As the special guest of the Government, Prince Ermias and his wife, Princess Saba Kebede, were present, along with recipients such as Sheryl Lee Ralph, Lord Creator, Ephraim Martin, as well as a host of music industry stalwarts.
Sizzla, who has emerged as one of the leading voices in Rasta business, was shadowed by members of his Judgement Yard fraternity and even on stage, one of his loyal soldiers tirelessly waved the red, green and gold flag over his head for the duration of his short performance and sermonette.
RASTAFARI FAMILY
To Prince Ermias, Sizzla declared his love for “our African brothers and sisters”, adding that “your presence here is of great significance as we, the Rastafari family, would like to encourage you, the grandson [of Haile Selassie] to follow through with the repatriation agenda for black people under the rulership of ourselves as black people”.
Explaining that the Nyabinghi Theocracy government is an Incient government from the Incient of days until this time, he named four mansions of Rastafari – the UNIA, the Ethiopian African Black Congress, the Haile Selassie Jah Rastafari Royal Ethiopian Judah Coptic Church and the 12 Tribes of Israel – which should be included in this list of governing bodies.
“These mansions should be the churchical order of the Nyabinghi and nothing else ... and stand as responsible mansions of the Rastafari government with the administrators ready to return to the motherland Ethiopia.”
Directly addressing Prince Ermias, Sizzla said, “We are asking you to let the topic of repatriation and reparation be a part of your due assignment and be upon your desk...”
Prince Ermias, in response, thanked Minister Grange for hosting him, presented her with gifts and noted that “Today was a very special day. Sizzla, we hear you. Let’s get the party started.”
And start it did, as all the entertainers present were called on stage by Minister Grange to sing One Love, but that morphed into a mini-stage show featuring Sizzla, Colonel Josey Wales, Carlene Davis, Tony Rebel, Marcia Griffiths, Nadine Sutherland, OMI, DiMario McDowell, Informative History Man and King Kong.