http://www.monitor.co.ug/sunday/insights/ins01153.php

Insights | January 15 - 21, 2006

Rastas ‘n’ white girls; what makes them fly together?

NIGEL M. NASSAR

Kampala

Have you noticed the new breed of love in town lately? It’s the Rasta-white girls’ ‘all-over-you’ craze. The Rastafarians have a big thing for white girls, or is it that it’s the white girls with a thing for Rastas?

Almost a style, one best describes it as ‘in your face’, because it is really in our faces, especially if you hangout at places like DV8 and the National Theatre. And since these folks are of a no-nonsense blend, they are not bothered who sees them get ‘touchy-feely’. To them, it’s merely a question of two adults doing their thing.

More often, you see a couple so cosy and apparently ‘not alone’ - they seem intoxicated. Often, they are either high on booze or an amalgam of sorts, in their jargon known as ganja or weed -not the literal weed. Their weed is slicker than your average and it would be a disservice to talk about Rasta without hinting on it. It pongs, it knocks and it is thorough.

Marijuana is the basic ingredient besides others like tobacco, tealeaves and khat depending on what works for a specific couple-after all what the teeth bites, the tongue must taste.

So under the influence of something, they kiss and cuddle regardless of who is within eyeshot. And if you carefully observe, you would almost think it is a love with no chance of faltering. But what is it with Rastas and white girls? First on the block was artiste Jose Chameleone and Dorotia. And just when we were beginning to regard dating white girls as a big do, a number of such relationships seem to have sprouted and demystified the whole affair.

Sunday Monitor talked to a number of Rastas who are dating white girls. Much as the couples appear to be seriously in love, their affairs seem to lack the phrase ‘lifetime commitment’ .

Are they just having fun?

In fact, most of the couples are more comfortable talking about the present than the future. “We are just doing our thing brother,” says Ras Dandaloo (their names go Ras-something). While some of their names have meanings, others could leave you a little quizzical. Take Dandaloo, who is an upcoming artiste with Jeckaki Sound Studios. Indeed, his name intrigued me.

“That sounds more like ‘Dan the loo,”’ I suggest to him. “Well,” Dandaloo says, “it’s nowhere near ‘loo’ like you think.” He said it means someone who is funny (in the rastafarian slang), which is one of the reasons, Natalia, a German social worker helping street kids here, is fond of him. She equally uses the name.

“Don’t worry about our future plans because we are cool for now,” the Dandaloos said about their future. Natalia has been around for four months on a social assignment which ends soon. So, could this explain the noncommittal nature of their relationship? While Dandaloo upholds his much love for Natalia saying white is honesty, faithfulness and love; Natalia looks at their being together from a “fun for the moment” angle. Dandaloo hates African girls because “they are players”, an assertion that proves that he would wish to spend the rest of his lifetime with the fun-oriented Natalia.

“Dandaloo gives me fine company. I enjoy having fun with Rastas because they are outgoing,” Natalia says in a non committal tone . This takes us to the ‘jungle fever’ complex, which rules out a totally mutual romance between black and white races. In his movie, Jungle Fever, Spike Lee examines sexual attraction between members of two distinct races.

A successful and married black man (Wesley Snipes) contemplates having an affair with a white girl (Annabella Sciorra) from their place of work, but one teeny-weeny quite rightly worries him - that the racial difference would make an already taboo relationship even worse. And indeed, their liaison causes an explosion on both home fronts and ultimately leads to recriminations and racial animosity as each of their kin want them to follow their respective races for prosperous relationships thereafter.

And it is not surprising that shortly after, they break-up to concentrate on a love bound by blood, hence nullifying the literal clichés of brotherhood and oneness. In fact this is why most of the reasons these couples give are devoid of the lifetime spark.
And although this movie in another instance somehow holds that race is not an issue where two people are in love, it can’t totally be ruled out.

Several other answers came up during interviews and most of which were neither here nor there. We find Ms Nina Pfister a voluntary worker from Switzerland enjoying the company of Rastafarians during a reggae night at DV8. She says the fondness between Rasta and white girls arises from what the white girls see of blacks in Europe - the dreadlocks.

“Most blacks in Europe look Rasta. So when we come here, the only familiar people we see and get in touch with are the Rastas. So to have fun while here, we easily link up with them,” Nina says. However, she adds that she is not currently in love with any Rasta although she enjoys their company. Much as she accepts that she would fall in love with a Rasta for their simplicity and down-to-earth demeanour, Nina is not sure whether shewould take it to marriage levels.

Racial bias

Asked whether her view has a racial bias, Nina only says, “Not really. It’s just that I have to go back home. I can do it for fun because they are outgoing.
In Switzerland (Berne Capital), we have Rastafarian clubs like Craffiti, Gaskessel and Reithalle that hold Rasta parties and play Raggae music. This makes us appreciate them even the more,” Nina says. But the Rastafarians too have their reasons for dating white girls.

Sidney Mukasa, Cineplex Cinema marketing and operations manager aka Ras Soul, says, “Rasta has always been Rasta. We haven’t been brainwashed like most blacks when they go to the whites’ land. So we remain just what we are and keep practising our values of brotherhood, something thewhite girls appreciate. So when here, they readily identify with the features they saw back home. I think that’s why white girls like us although I don’t have one myself.”

According to Ras Rama, a member of the Uganda Rastafarian Uprising Movement, white ladies are a curious lot. They like finding out a lot about the rastafarian culture.

“We live a quiet and secluded life, which makes us more like spiritual beings who visit islands to meditate and muse about the human race. White girls find us somewhat intriguing, an aspect that draws them closer . They approach you as a friend but through constant interactions, you end up in love,” Rama says.
But the sexual prowess bit also comes in. Ras Mponye Lee says white ladies like them because they are better endowed sexually.

“We don’t like them but they like us because of our crown from Jah [read God]. My white girl likes me because I am strong spiritually and physically, especially when it comes to bed matters. Rasta is a true spiritual and physical being,” said Mponye, who has dated two white girls.

Ras Thaddeus of Leon Island Crew also dates a white lady and is comfortable with her.
“White girls are honest and give love as if they were meant to be with you forever. They never mind whether you have money or not provided you are there for them. For instance, a black girl can’t share with you a bottle of beer, or even walk on foot when you are broke but a white girl would not mind that.

Hard to marry

The only problem with white girls is that they make you so into them yet they have to return to their home countries. So it’s hard to get them married to you,” Thaddeus says. This makes it appear more like a fling because most of these affairs are mostly based on fun. And since rastafarians are friendly, brotherly and non-racist, they welcome this with wide arms. “And for a race that’s always worried of being segregated, white girls find us convenient because we believe in one love and one race,” adds Thaddeus.
“So when their stay here comes to an end, we let them go.”

Why can’t these affairs go up to that desired level? Doesn’t it take us back to convincing either parents to accept the new race in the equation? In fact, this proves Hollywood star Jared Padalecki’s phrase that “…the one thing man needs is someone to love. If you don’t give them that, give them something to hope for. If you don’t give them that, give them something to do.” So there you go.