Jah Republic is the name of the band and it should be overstood
literally.
All the band members are professional musicians and for them
Reggae and Rastafari Movement are the way of their lives. Rastafari is
spreading over the world like a tidal wave, mystically & naturally, and
the day has come for the Movement to be recognized in Russia. Rastafarian
teachings turned out to be spiritually close to the Russian Soul especially
at the moment when the society tends to follow Western (Babylonian) fashion.
And now
our Back-to-the-Roots Ideology has its Reggae voice too.
The band leader, Jahcobo Mantecchi, was born and grew up not far from
Kingston, Jamaica, a blend of Russian, Ukrainian, Jamaican & Italian roots.
His way to Russia was quite winding: he has spent some time in Ethiopia,
Holland and Brazil before he brought back to Russia his native Jamaican
musical tradition which found much positive response down here.
The first album "Philosophy" (1999) gave the solid foundation for the
beginning. The songs like "Philosophy of Legalization", "Philosophy of
Poetry", "Philosophy of Life" told Russian listener about simple but deep
statements of the Movement. Next recording - "To Buy, To Sell, To Share -
All Prohibited!" (2001) made the band really popular in Russia.
First song
tells us that "Money was invented as a deceit". The second song is about a
man who wanted to go to Africa but he can't, and he pray to Jah: "Gimme the
wings!" and Jah did make it so... all the songs teach us that Jah will
provide
His people, that we must be good to each other, that
treasures of the Spirit are more value then any filthy lucre.
This revolutionary insight Jahcobo had inherited from his Ukrainian
grandfather, separatist and Petlurian officer, who left for the sunny
Jamaica to escape political persecution in the Soviet Ukraine.
Jahcobo in his turn brought back to Russia a part of Jamaica. He gathered
a band where all its members are inspired by the ideas of Rastafari and
by
Reggae riddims,
so unusual in Russia but so close to Russians intuitively.
Jahcobo released two books of poetry, he is also cofounder
of "Guild of Unacknowledged Poets".
I like to chase a joyful rhyme
When herb is good, at higher time...