The Jamaican/Rastafarian community in Shashamane, Ethiopia celebrates Rastafari Month on April 10 with the Bunny Wailer and Flippins Tribute. It will be held at Lily and Vernon Leach Lounge in that city.

This event honours the reggae legend, who died in March 2021 and Donald “Flippins” Leach, a Jamaican stalwart of Ethiopia’s Rasta movement who passed away in 2012.

Sydney Salmon, chairman of the Jamaican Rastafarian Development Community (JRDC), is among the artistes on Bunny Wailer and Flippins Tribute. Other acts include Orthodox Issachar, Teddy Dan, Iron Gad, Pat Joseph and the Melody Sisters.

Salmon, who is from East Kingston, has lived in Ethiopia since 2001. His songs include Oh Lord, Trees and Give To You, all produced by Michael Eaton.

Andromeda: Sign of The Times, his third album, was released last November.

He told Observer Online that there are also “big plans” to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I’s state visit to Jamaica.

“I was only two years-old when His Imperial Majesty visited Jamaica. Whilst growing up, I learned of who he was and what took place during His visit and the significance of it by my Rastafarian elders,” said Salmon, a member of the Twelve Tribes of Israel.

He disclosed that there are approximately 600 Jamaicans and their families living in Ethiopia. They are registered with the JRDC.

Selassie I visited Jamaica from April 21-24. He also made trips to Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and Haiti.

In 1948, the Ethiopian monarch granted 500 acres of land to people in the African Diaspora who wanted to settle in his country. The gesture was gratitude for support shown to Ethiopians during their conflict with the Fascist forces of Italian dictator, Benito Mussolini.

Haile Selassie I died in August 1975 at age 83, one year after being overthrown by a military coup.

Many of the Jamaicans in Shashamane are members of the Twelve Tribes of Israel which was founded by Vernon “Gad” Carrington in Trench Town in 1968.

Salmon migrated to the United States in his early 20s. A banker by profession, he lived in New York for 15 years before moving to East Africa.