THE BANANA ART AND HOW IT BEGAN

During a recent visit to Ethiopia, I had the privilege of spending a few minutes, literally, with Ras Hailu Tefari, formerly known as Bandi Payne. Ras Hailu currently resides in Addis Ababa, where he teaches Banana Art at the Eagle International English School. I caught up with him at the end of one of his classes. In our brief time together, we reminisced about our days together at the St Vincent Grammar School, particularly about our exploits on the cricket field. As we parted, he gave me a few copies of his book, The Banana Art and How It Started, to bring back to St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

In the book, Ras Hailu traces his journey from the ten-year old boy in Frenches, fascinated with a piece of banana trunk that was “too pretty to throw away”, to the accomplished artist who has created over twelve thousand pieces of banana art and taught more than nine hundred students from countries such as St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dominica, the United Kingdom, and Ethiopia. He talks about being inspired by inspired by a collage of mixed materials, including banana leaves, which he saw at the Frangipani Hotel and of practicing the art by making dolly clothes for his sister out of banana leaves. His other early ventures into the world of art included works from goat skins, boley (gourds), and bamboo.

Ras Hailu speaks about his conversion to the Rastafari faith in 1978 as a turning point in the development of Banana Art. He found making art from goat skins to be incompatible with his new vegetarian lifestyle and so began to concentrate solely on banana art. The rest is history: awards in regional art competitions, workshops in Dominica, exhibitions and studies in the United Kingdom, teaching positions in Ethiopia, gifting of his work to foreign heads of government, etc., etc.

Even as he lists his achievements, Ras Hailu is careful to give credit to those who have worked alongside him. Among those mentioned are Kendal “Bird Eye” Charles, Ras Izarius, Julian “Pilling” Pollard, Ulric Porter, and Stanley “Gruggs” Williams.  He closes the section of appreciation with a special tribute to Nzimbu Browne and Konka: “Much appreciation and gratefulness must be extended to Nzimbu Browne and Konka from Biabou district for carrying on the Banana Art baton in my absence. Nzimbu really kept the torch beaming even up to this day, 2020, with cultural expressions.”

Apart from those actually engaged in the production of art, Ras Hailu pays tribute to those who encouraged him to persevere or sponsored his work. Among those are Louisa Clarke Sutherland, the sponsor of the book, Bonnie and Mc. Kie Browne, Cecil “Blazer” Williams, and Parnel Cambell. He also expresses gratitude to the Vincentian public in general.

A copy of Ras Hailu’s book has been donated to the Kingstown Public Library. This will provide an opportunity for future generations to know about Ras Hailu, a true Vincentian treasure.