Roots artiste unveils OVERSTAND app to educate on Rastafari faith
For Rastafarians, July 23 is a hallowed day. It is the birthdate of Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I, the movement’s spiritual head.
Fittingly, roots artiste Autarchii chose this day to launch his (free) OVERSTAND app. It gives a comprehensive look at the faith which originated in West Kingston during the 1930s.
Autarchii, who is based in the United States, told Observer Online that while he wants to educate all ages and nationalities with the platform, his eyes are focused on a particular bloc.
“First, the youth. That’s the heart of the Red A Red Youth Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit, and our charge is making sure the next generation gets the faith straight and not second-hand,” he said. “But it’s for anybody who wants the truth. The reggae lover who knows the ‘riddim’ but not the roots. The bredren and sistren in the diaspora searching for where they belong. Anybody willing to reason and learn.”
“It also shows something we hold to: that we can use the technology of this era to push the movement forward, instead of letting the movement get left behind by it,” Autarchii added.
The singer, who is from Christian Pen in St Catherine, said he conceptualised OVERSTAND some time ago, but was in no rush to make it official until efficiency was guaranteed. When that was assured, he made the decision to launch it on Selassie I’s “earthstrong”.
“Launching on his majesty’s Earth day was deliberate, because everything we do begins and ends with him. OVERSTAND is me taking something I believe in deeply and using the tools we have now to carry it further than a song or a stage ever could,” Autarchii stated.
Haile Selassie I made a four-day state visit to Jamaica in April 1966. He received a raucous welcome from Rastafarians at what was then the Palisadoes Airport in St Andrew.
Crowned emperor in 1930, Haile Selassie I was overthrown by communist forces in Ethiopia in September 1974, and killed in August 1975 at age 83.
Through OVERSTAND, visitors learn about other Rastafarian stalwarts like Leonard Howell, who many credit as starting the movement almost 100 years ago.
A recording artiste for 10 years, Autarchii has released many singles and one album, Land of The Free, which came out in 2017.
He is currently working on his second album.
