Sizzla Invites Culture Minister Babsy Grange To Bobo Hill: “You Are The Mother For The Culture”

Reggae/Dancehall superstar Sizzla Kalonji has invited Minister of Culture and Entertainment Olivia “Babsy” Grange to pay an official visit to Bobo Hill, the home of the Bobo Ashanti Rastafarians.

The Good Ways artist’s request came during his performance at the ‘Reggae Month Salute to Dancehall’ show on Friday night in Kingston, just over a month after Police Commissioner Major General Antony Anderson, led a team of senior police officers on a visit to Bobo Hill, on the eve of Sabbath and the Black Christ Mass celebration.  

Bobo high priests had described the Commissioner’s visit as “glorifying”, and, for Sizzla, it was now time for the Minister, who is a former manager for Bounty Killer, Shabba Ranks and Patra, to visit to engage the Bobos at their Bull Bay, St. Andrew base.

“Honourable Minister, on this day, in this month, I am inviting you to Bobo Hill,” Sizzla told the former Specs/Shang executive, who was in the audience.

“All who seh di Minister of Culture must visit Bobo Hill, hands in di air an seh ‘more fire!”.  Yes, Honourable Minister Grange, can you please make a visit to Bobo Hill?  You are the mother for the culture, so you go and meet the mothers and fathers for the culture,” the Black Woman and Child artiste added.

Since his rise to stardom, Sizzla has used his personal funds to aid in the development of Bobo Hill, including building the holy tabernacle and administrative offices there.   

In August 2021, in batting for Bobo Hill, Sizzla had rebuked Reggae artists, who declared themselves Rastafarians, but were not carrying out the works of Rastafari or helping Rasta communities such as the Bobo Ashantis and the Nyahbinghis.

Sizzla expressed discontent that many artists had never visited any Rastafarian tabernacle in their lives, had no clue about Rastafarian religious rites, and failed to observe Emperor Haile Selassie’s birthday in the prescribed manner.

“Nuffa wi weh a Rasta artiste, weh mek millions a dollas offa Rastafari name and culture- wi a start wid wiself; wi not going to di tabernacle.  Wi don’t know di reverence; wi don’t know di Ethiopia anthem; wi don’t know di Psalms; wi don’t know how to hold di banner.  You don’t know nothing dung a Binghi grung; yuh don’t know how to do nothing up a Bobo Hill, but you a sing bout pretty girls,” Sizzla had rebuked.

The August Town native had said that among the litany of the Rastafari artistes’ transgressions was that none of them had been praying and were failing to keep the Sabbath. 

Sizzla had also reprimanded them for not contributing to the upkeep of or fixing the roads to the holy temples and other spiritual places; failing to attend the Selassie birthday services for their names to be “registered in the Rastafarian Holy Book of Life.”

Sizzla also said none of the artists, including himself, was innocent of the transgressions and pointed out that the likes Capleton, Buju Banton and Bugle, were among the wayward Rastas who were guilty of not paying reverence to Haile Selassie, as they were absent from the tabernacles on His Majesty’s birthday.

“Not even one a oonu big artiste – a mi alone a guh up deh to and fro.  Mi tiad, but mi naw stop do di work.  None a oonu mi nuh si wid oonu Benz and Bimma a climb guh Bobo Hill inna tabernacle guh siddung and clap one, two” Sizzla had said.

The August Town native said the dreadlocked artistes also failed to visit the Rastafarian sacred grounds like Bobo Hill to pray to Jah, a stark contrast to adherents of Jamaica’s other religions which show devotion to their respective faiths.

“How wi can si di whole heap a Muslim an di Christian dem a pray on a Sunday or whatever time respectfully, an wi caan have no video wid 1000 artiste praying? Anthony B a weh yuh deh? Weh yuh a deal wid determine? Capleton? How wi nuh deh a Bobo Hill in di tabernacle praying?” he asked.

“We Jamaican artistes must stop being hypocrites to ourselves and the nation.   A nation who have been supporting you through all the good and the bad things.   Di Rastaman em alone upa Bobo Hill; all dem can see is Sizzla? A who oonu a ramp wid?” the August Town native said. 

The 2014 Grammy nominee also contended that many artists, were keeping all the money they made from the Rastafari culture to themselves with no concern for their brethren and the upkeep of Rastafari facilities such as fixing the roads to the holy temple, fortifying fences, or beautifying the “Rastaman tabernacle.”  

This he said, was in stark contrast to the Christian churches which are painted and looking “pretty”, and the “beautiful” Islamic mosques.

He also berated them for being quick to go to clubs and stage shows but reluctant to join Rastafarian brethren in religious rites adding that while they were making “whole heap a money outta dub plate and Reggae,” had not even been helping the run-down Haile Selassie High School in Kingston, which was another sign of their hypocrisy.