Huancayo Rastas, Peru: Good Vibes and Bad Vibes
The world seems so much simpler when we consider the good vibes and bad vibes in our lives. That’s how Alan Espinoza explained Rastafarianism to me. The Rastafari movement started in Peru around 20-25 years ago, arriving in Lima and spreading even to the Central Andes here in Huancayo. There are now around 30 Rastas in Huancayo, including 4 women, many who have come to know about the community through Alan’s store.
In this short video clip, Alan introduces us to his many facets as a Rasta, reggae artist and entrepreneur:
So what does Alan consider good vibes?
Ganja
Ganja (or marijuana) is a double-edged sword. If you are guided and know how to use it, you can get to know yourself better, but it can also take you down a bad path when combined with other drugs or used for the wrong reasons. This doesn’t have anything to do with being a Rasta.
Smoking marijuana puts me in a state of meditation so that I can analyze myself and see my environment as it really is. As Rastas, we believe that the world is contaminated and is under the control of the demon. We live in Babylonia (in confusion) and the demon doesn’t want people to open their minds, so he prohibits marijuana.
Reggae Music
Reggae is popular music from Jamaica. It’s separate from the Rasta culture, but Rastas propagated their beliefs through reggae music. It was a form of communication and this is how it arrived in other countries like Peru. Some Rastas don’t even listen to reggae music because they consider it as coming from the devil.
How about bad vibes?
Not Following Your Heart
Six years ago, I finished high school and entered university under pressure from my parents. I didn’t know what I wanted to do, so I studied administration for two years. The experience made me feel like another servant of the system, so I left. My heart asked me to find my true self. My whole family is more conservative and responsible. As the youngest in my family, they went crazy about me becoming a Rasta and leaving school to start a business based on my talents, something that I had dreamed about since I was a teen. Only my Rasta brothers understood me and my way of life.
The Government (a.k.a The System)
Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of government support in Huancayo. The government has funds for youth, but they don’t use it. It’s a waste because Huancayo has a lot of potential and talent. Worse yet, people that are part of the system discriminate against us. One time, I was hanging out with some friends in front of a Rasta brother’s house when a police officer told us to disperse just because of the way we looked. This is why we need to know our rights. We asked for respect and spoke with authority without putting ourselves at his level. He eventually left. I think people like that lack culture and education.
How have you experienced good vibes and bad vibes in your life lately?
Tags: bad vibes, ganja, good vibes, good vibes and bad vibes, marijuana, rasta marijuana, rastafari peru, rastas peru
Dayle Lynne
I love how you always give me pieces of lives and cultures I’m not really familiar with 🙂
This post was also interesting to read because I just finished reading The Alchemist . . . definitely similarities about following your heart!
Samantha Bangayan
I LOVE that book! Gotta reread it! =)
MommasSachs
Great post and reminder for me today! Focus on the good vibes and the bad vibes stay away.
Samantha Bangayan
So simple eh? =) I love when we can simplify life like that! =)
MuMuGB
What an interesting post! I believe that if we don’t do what we like/want, it will come back to you with a vengeance. That said, following your heart is sometimes easier said than done and requires a lot of work. Not as easy as it sounds, isn’t it?
Samantha Bangayan
Definitely! That’s super motivating. It’s coming back around anyway, so I better get to listening to my heart now. =) That doesn’t take away from the fact that it’s still a challenge! =)
Hajra
I love how you are bringing different cultures here and making me learn so much more.
I have experienced bad and good vibes and some really disturbing ones too.
Samantha Bangayan
True that! There are all kinds of vibes out there. =P
Vinny T
I continually get bad vibes when thinking about smoking pot. Some may find it beneficial, but I’ve seen close family members rapidly degenerate psychologically after smoking weed. I’d rather expand my consciousness with out the aid of outside stimulants. If some enjoy using pot,that’s OK by me, but personally, I’ll avoid that stuff like the plague,
Samantha Bangayan
I’m so sorry to hear that about some of your family members. =( There definitely seems to be that danger! Thanks for being willing to share that, so we get both sides of the story!
Don
Thanks Sam for another enlightening post. I always like to read about real people and what their lives are about. Mixing one culture choice with another is fascinating to me, just like learning about American Indian reggae artists or how big reggae music is on some Indian reservations.
Personally I have no problem with pot and I think it should be legal, after all, it’s a plant that grows naturally and you don’t have to do anything to it to prepare it. I have smoked in my past but do not do so now, who can say if I ever will again?
There are plenty of examples of people that waited in life to smoke and are very productive (Joe Rogan and Kevin Smith to name two). For me alcohol is much more dangerous and is in reality THE gateway drug. Like most things in life if you let it take over and don’t face your issues you are doomed to spin your wheels in futility bemoaning your situation.
I have a younger sister like that. Alcohol and drugs are more important to her than raising her children. I tend to chalk it up to a survival of the fittest viewpoint. It’s rarely that clear and obvious in life though. Thanks again Sam. Can’t wait to get to Peru for a second visit this summer.
Samantha Bangayan
Same here! I wish I had more time to do more snapshots of Huancainos. =) It’s crazy how blend-able cultures are. =)
I didn’t think about how alcohol can be equally if not more dangerous. It’s all about moderation, eh? I’m sorry to hear about your sister’s struggles and I really hope that she’ll be able to pull herself out of that situation.
Hope to meet you soon, Don! =) We might overlap this time. =)
Marie
“We live in Babylonia (in confusion) and the demon doesn’t want people to open their minds, so he prohibits marijuana.” I’m going to have to meditate on this line.
Samantha Bangayan
Haha! Pretty profound, eh? =)
cath
What an interesting post…whenever I think of Rastafarians, I think of Bob Marley, probably the most famous of them all, and his marvelous music!
Interesting post, and the Peruvian influence on the Rastafari movement is very interesting to see!
Samantha Bangayan
Haha! Me too! =) I didn’t know much else about rastas other than Bob Marley before I chatted with Alan. =P Love learning about new ways of living!
Penelope J.
Very interesting. I know nothing about Rastafarians, but its precepts don’t seem to be very different from other Christianity-based cults. The visual is colorful, noisy, and reflects a Latino/Peruvian spirit.
As for the influence of pot, when I was smoking I saw how it affected people in different ways: some had brilliant ideas/conversations, others had spiritual revelations or wanted to commune with nature, but more became layback, spongers, and dreamers without a focus. A few had terrible reactions or went over the edge. I felt spiritual, philosophical, rambling, reclusive, and paranoid, and didn’t like it much except when I listened to music or went to the movies.
Samantha Bangayan
Haha! Your choice of adjectives work so well to visualize Rastas and the Latino spirit. =)
Reading about your personal experiences with smoking is super interesting to me. I had no idea that people could have such varied experiences and be so different when smoking. That’s what Alan tried to emphasize — that smoking happen while being reflective enough to really observe all of these effects. Thanks for sharing this, Pennie! =)