Reggae: Past, Present and Future

This sad news, now a month old, came today via a newsletter from the Reggae Festival Guide. (thanks to Kim the archivist for the photo)

A friend of Reggae Festival Guides - Wesley Moore Sr.– known to his friends and family as "Prophet" passed away Saturday, April 7, 2007. His body was to be sent back to Jamaica where he requested to be buried in Irwin above the hills of Montego Bay next to his parents. His wife Holly and daughter Zenzi will accompanied him there.

Sacramento, CA. is celebrated the passing of Prophet by holding a Nyabinghi celebration at Prophet's home on April 21st and 22nd.

Prophet was born on April 22, 1952 in Jamaica. He has seven beautiful children with his wife Holly and two from a previous marriage. He was surrounded by his children as he drew his last breath, with baby daughter Micaela laying on his shoulder and another sibling reading Psalms.

Prophet had struggled with a long bout of lung cancer but he never complained and was sharing words of wisdom and even cracking jokes up to the last minute. On one of the days before his passing, Holly tried to get him to eat something and he told her, "Holly, you don't get everything you want."

The day before that, he told his bredren, "Man is like a green pear tree –today it bears fruit and tomorrow whithers away."

Prophet, known and loved among the reggae and Rasta community was known as an Elder, a chef and a friend to all. He will be sorely missed.

I met Prophet the first time I went to Reggae -- for years he was in charge of the Rasta kitchen backstage -- I found him busy frying batches of fish for early arriving performers, with a pot of callaloo going on the back of the stove. I haven't seen him for a long time and had wondered what became of him.

Anyone out there have memories they'd like to share?