His name is Rasta Bamie Tarawally, an artisan who showcases and sells his beads and handcrafted arts along Siaka Stevens Street in Freetown
With his white beard, long dreadlocks tucked under a bamboo cap, he is easily spotted among his display of hanging beads, anklets, small paintings, caps, and carvings, some of which are decorated with the green, black, yellow, and red colors.
Bami Tarawlly has spent decades shaping Sierra Leone’s cultural identity through art and the Rastafari movement. Raised in Sierra Leone by a Muslim father and Christian mother, he was drawn as a teenager to Rastafari, which he sees as a path to freedom, truth, and reconnection with the African identity. Despite early resistance from his family, they came to respect his convictions and lifestyle.
Blocked from mainstream jobs due to stereotypes from the public about Rastafarians, Bamie Tarawally embraced self-reliance through his artisanal work, inspired by he teachings of Marcus Garvey and a supportive Rastafarian community of Sierra Leone.
Today, aside from his craftsman work, he stands as one of the highly respected elders who is contributing to the Rastafarian movement in Sierra Leone, sharing rastafarian histories, stories, and spirituality with young, aspiring Rastafarians and challenging stereotypes.
The Rastafari movement, originally from Jamaica but now thriving in Freetown, resonates deeply with Sierra Leone’s pan-African roots and history of resistance.
Bamie Tarawally describes how the movement has grown stronger locally, with its own temples and schools, offering not just spiritual grounding but also social activism. He continues to encourage love, honesty, and pride within his community, shaping minds and hearts one creation at a time.
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