Sunday Oct 27th was a day that will be remembered amongst the Rastafari Community in Jamaica and worldwide as the Ancient Patriarch Bongo Youngfull was laid to rest.
The well-known Rastafari Elder hailing the Montego Bay area trod with the Ancestors on Sept 18th leaving children and grandchildren.
Rasta Ites team expresses heartfelt condolences to Bongo Youngfull family and beloved ones.
His deep knowledge of the Holy Bible and his prophetical spirit taught many ones and ones growing up in the Livity of Rastafari.
His devotion and commitment to the King of Kings of Ethiopia was inspirational for the entire community, especially in Pitfour Granvville where he functioned as Incient Priest of the Tabernacle.
He was a man of visions, with an upful Livity and a shining and contagious smile on his face.
Bongo Youngfull was born in 1947 and received the Revelation of Rastafari at the age of nine being exposed to other Rastafari bredren in his community.
The conduct and spiritual attitude of these Rastafari inspired Bongo Youngfull towards Haile Selassie, the Bible and Ethiopia.
As a youth, he spent hours listening to prophecies and reasoning admiring the unity and humility experienced during the Rastafari meetings.
Growing up he started to join the Rastafari bredren Incient Bongo Isaac, Incient Bredda Sunny, Breda Gerald, Breda Benjie, Breda Logic in the congregation yard at Granville.
Rastafari chanting and Ises became his daily bread from the moment that he built his own harps (Nyah Binghi drums) with tin pans or paint pans and, as the Incient himself recalled : “late at night when I was alone, I chanted deeper”.
Bongo Youngfull was amongst the ones gathering at Parade, now renamed Sam Sharpe Square where Priest Brown used to have chants and service.
Quoting his testimonies: ” Now every time I called on the name of Haile Selassie I, it sweet I deeper, so I sight up that man have built up natural war within himself and refuse to sight up the glory of love, so Jah cut and clear the way for I, from I was a youth”.
After Parade the service moved to the Community of John’s Hall where the following was very strong.
It was at that time that Incient Bongo Isaac built a coconut thatch booth in his own yard at Granville Pitfour as in those days there was no stable Tabernacle yet.
Incient Bongo Isaac had a school, Bongo Youngfull was his brightest student and the knowledge lifted him up to higher levels of overstanding.
A very thirsty of spiritual and biblical teaching Bongo Youngfull decided to leave his home and move into Bongo Isaac’s gates where he resided for eighteen years.
He was a witness of the transition from “combsmen” (Rastafari bredren that combed their hair) and the new generation of “dreadlocks”, he was present during the Coral Gardens atrocities and was amongst the thousands at Palisadoes Airport on that April 21th 1966 when His Imperial Majesty landed in Jamaica.
Words cannot express the feelings that his transition left in the hearts of many that grew up listening to Bongo Youngfull Bible’s teaching and visions.
He will be remembered as a shining light of Rastafari in this world, a true devoted Ingel of this divine Livity and he will be deeply missed by many.
Bongo Youngfull was honoured with a beautiful ceremony where the warmth and upfulness of the Nyah Binghi chants and service provided by the Rastafari Community was of comfort to his family and friends.
Many travelled from different parts of Jamaica in order to pay homage to the Incient and Ras Ivi Tafari lead the heartfelt chants that accompanied the Patriarch send up.
The thundering memorial speech of Incient Bongo Isaac was a touching moment for the entire congregation.
A beautiful and moving atmosphere to honour the everlasting life of a bright Rastafari warrior that always trod earth with his sword of righteousness.
May the I Rise In Power, Incient Bongo Youngfull and may the I keep inspiring ones and ones through the Iwah and for Iwah.
Haile Selassie the First
Ras Julio
(Bongo Youngfull life facts source: “Testimonies of Incient Priest Bongo Youngfull” by Ras Flako Tafari, Wisemind Publications)
