Latest from the Rasta Jew Society Word from: Jake

Alpha Blondy is playing tonight at New York's Irving Plaza. Native of Cote d'Ivory, a Parisian, Jamaican by calling - among Rasta-Jews, he is best loved for his hits Masada and Jerusalem, which, by the way, Pey Dalid covers. He also had an album called "Itzhak Rabin" and another, "Elohim". He's as obssessed with us as I am with him.

Willie Nelson has released an album called "Countryman" of reggae-meets-country material. The word has it, at the press conference he said "if a Chassidic Jew can do it, so can the Red-Headed Stranger." Ok, I made that up, but let's start the rumor, ok? Besides, one of the tracks, "Worried Man", is arguably inspired by Woody Allen's "Play It Again Sam."

Lastly on the subject, courtesy of Dave, check out this article about Kibbutz Tze'elim out in the northern Negev. It adopted many Rastafarian customs and became the Israeli center for all sorts of reggae gatherings, concerts, etc. To your right is a flyer from one of their shows, and also, here's a page with a bunch of photos.