Christafari was founded in 1989 by Pastor Mark Mohr

BEGINNINGS

CHRISTAFARI BIOGRAPHY (2025):
Christafari is not just a band; at its heart is a family led by founder Pastor Mark Mohr, his wife Avion, and their daughter Ziza. Along with dedicated team members who live and act like family, Christafari has been on a mission to spread the gospel through reggae music since 1989.

In the past 8.5 years, they’ve reached a milestone of over a million souls for Christ, a testament to their decades-long dedication to faith and music. Additionally, in the post-COVID era, they accomplished an incredible feat of performing in all 50 United States within just 11 months.

Their current mission directives include ministering in every country in the Americas—from North America through Central America and down to South America—sharing the message of hope through reggae music. They are also committed to ministering in all 26 states of Brazil, further expanding their impact in Latin America.

The band has performed live in over 90 nations worldwide, including appearances at two Olympic Games and a U.S. presidential inaugural celebration. Their music continues to top the charts and reach audiences worldwide, bringing a message of faith and transformation through the powerful medium of reggae.

Over the last 35 years, this trailblazing group has evolved beyond music into a full-fledged global outreach. They are one part Bob Marley and one part Billy Graham. More than just performers and evangelists, Christafari calls themselves “musicianaries” – musical missionaries – devoted to spreading hope and salvation worldwide through reggae. With an unwavering focus on their mission to “reach the lost at any cost.”
[Origins & History:]
Christafari’s journey began in 1989 when 17-year-old Mark Mohr experienced a radical transformation from a life of rebellion to a newfound faith. Raised in a Christian home but entangled in drugs and Rastafarian beliefs as a teen, Mohr hit rock bottom and then had a life-changing encounter with God. After this, he felt called to form a reggae band that would glorify Christ and help others find the freedom he had received through Jesus. Just weeks after his conversion, Mohr debuted his first gospel reggae song at a Christian youth camp, prompting a friend to remark, “So you’re not a Rastafarian anymore; you’re a Christafarian.” The name stuck, and Christafari was born as the first Gospel reggae band in the United States, pioneering a new genre.

Through the 1990s, Christafari quickly gained momentum with a string of influential albums. Mohr honed his ministry and musical skills in Bible college, and the band’s early releases, like Reggae Worship Vol. 1 (1993), helped lay the foundation for Gospel reggae. In 1999, after recording two albums with Gotee Records under the mentorship of TobyMac, he branched out to launch his own record label, Lion of Zion Entertainment, to " reach the world through world music.” This move toward independence solidified Christafari’s vision and set the stage for even greater global ministry in the years to come.
[Family Leadership and Team:]
As Christafari evolved into the 2000s, it also became a family-led ministry. In 2003, Mohr married Avion Blackman, a Trinidadian singer and bassist whom he had met during a Caribbean mission trip a year earlier. The daughter of soca music pioneer Ras Shorty I, Avion brought a rich Caribbean musical heritage. She joined the band full-time on bass and vocals, perfectly complementing Mark’s leadership and vision. Under the Mohrs’ guidance, Christafari grew into an international ensemble – a team of men and women from various continents and cultures who share a passion for reggae and a heart for following Jesus to the ends of the earth. When she was just six, their daughter Ziza Forever Mohr officially joined the band on stage in the Solomon Islands and has performed with them ever since. This strong family-centric leadership and diverse lineup give Christafari a unique unity of purpose, fueling the band’s longevity and impact in ministry.
[Mission and Ministry:]
Although their name might sound like a simple play on words, in Biblical Greek, “Christafari” denotes a group of people who bear or represent the name of Christ. From the beginning, Christafari’s driving purpose has been to share the Gospel through the universal language of music, fulfilling the Great Commission in every corner of the world. The band lives by the motto “reach the lost at any cost,” embracing whatever it takes to bring the message of Christ to those in need. This ethos led Christafari to become full-time musical missionaries, willingly traveling to remote and underprivileged places and performing free outreach concerts for communities that could never afford to host a band.

Not only do they preach through music, but the band also strives to be the hands and feet of Jesus wherever they go. Their ministry extends beyond the stage. During their tours, they frequently visit orphanages, feed the hungry, clothe the poor, and serve “the least of these.” As Mark Mohr often declares, Christafari’s mission is “to go to the ends of the earth until all have heard,” and the band shows no signs of quitting until that vision is fulfilled.
[World’s Most Traveled Band:]
In over three decades of ministry, Christafari has made an indelible mark on both the Christian and reggae music landscapes. Their relentless globetrotting touring schedule often approaches 100 shows in a single year, bringing their uplifting reggae sound to venues ranging from remote villages and urban slums to major music festivals and prestigious stages like Los Angeles’s Greek Theatre and even the steps of the U.S. Capitol building before a crowd of 500,000. Such extensive travels have given Christafari a truly global platform to live out their calling, earning them the moniker “The world‘s most traveled band.”

Musically, Christafari’s output is equally impressive. The group has released over 35 albums to date, and in 2012, they made history as the first Gospel artist to reach #1 on Billboard’s Reggae Albums chart with Reggae Worship: A Roots Revival. Remarkably, each of the band’s following five studio albums also debuted at #1 on the reggae charts, underscoring their consistent impact. They have produced over 150 music videos (arguably more than any other artist worldwide), and their YouTube channel has over half a million subscribers. 

Major media outlets such as CNN, MTV, BET, TBN, and CBN have featured Christafari’s music and mission, further cementing their status as genre pioneers and bringing a positive message to diverse audiences. Yet, for all the accolades, the band remains grounded in its purpose – as Mohr puts it, “We care a lot more about hearts than charts and see every achievement simply as a means to reach more souls.” With their passion burning brighter than ever after decades on the road, Christafari shows no sign of slowing down. They continue to innovate and inspire, carrying their message of hope to the ends of the earth with unwavering faith and steadfastness.

That’s a great question! While at first, it may sound like a play on words (like Christ-Krishna), the root of the name is found in 3 different languages: Greek, Latin, and Amharic. (swipe to keep reading)…

GREEK
1. First and most important is the Greek language through which God chose to write the New Testament. In this language, the name Cristoforos (Christafaros) means "the Christ-bearer" and Cristoforoi (Christafaroi), which is plural, meaning "a group of people that collectively bear or represent Jesus Christ."

LATIN
2. Representing the same definition with a closer spelling is the Latin word Christafari. This is actually where we get the name Christopher from, which also means “Christ-bearer” or “someone who waves the banner of Jesus.”

AMHARIC
3. Christafari is also found in the Ethiopian language, Amharic. "Christ" being the Greek word meaning Messiah, the anointed one "Jesus Christ". "Tafari" is the Amharic word for “He who inspires awe, the Head Creator, the Lord Almighty and one who needs to be worshipped.” Christafari gets its name from John 1:1-3.

4. Lastly, in modern Greek, Christafari means "Soldiers or warriors for Christ,” essentially "a salvation army."

CONCLUSION
Whether you agree with the sound of the name or not, what’s most important is: are you bearing and representing Jesus Christ in your life? Is He your Lord and Creator? Are you a soldier for Christ and a warrior for his kingdom with a heart for bringing salvation to the world? That’s what really matters!

CHART SUCCESS

Christafari is no stranger to chart success. Since the release of their first “Reggae Worship” album in the early 90s, most of their CDs have held high positions on both the Christian and/or Reggae Billboard charts. In 2012 Christafari made history as the first Gospel artist to hit #1 on the Billboard Reggae Charts with “Reggae Worship: a Roots Revival.” Each of the band’s 5 subsequent studio releases has also topped the Billboard Charts. However, speaking about the band’s chart successes, Mohr states, “We care a lot more about hearts than charts. Our passion is for souls, not sales, and we only do concerts as a way to make converts and fulfill the great commission.”

TOURING & MEDIA

Christafari has performed in 50 states, over 85 nations, at two Olympic Games and even for a President of the United States of America. The band’s first major tour was 1995’s Reggae Sunsplash, which had them traversing 46 cities in 53 days. Since then, they’ve performed at most major reggae and gospel/CCM festivals with the top artists in the genres. The group has had the privilege of performing at many of the country’s most prestigious venues like LA’s Greek Theater, Dodger Stadium, the Presidential Inaugural Ball, and even from the steps of our nation’s Capitol before a crowd of 500,000!

Christafari has been featured on The 700 Club, CNN, MTV, MTV Brazil, ABC, TBN, JUCE TV, BET, TBS, Greg Laurie’s Harvest, and many more. Their music is even featured in the current curriculum taught at Carnegie Hall. Christafari’s YouTube channel sees well over a million views each month. “Aside from touring,” says Mohr, “our greatest platform to reach the world is YouTube, so we’re doing our best to maximize it with the few resources that we have.” Over the last few years, Christafari has released roughly one music video per month through their Rank and File Film Co.

FULL-TIME MISSIONARIES

After the inception of Christafari, the band took several annual mission trips to Jamaica. “The funny thing is that one of my first prayers to the Lord after coming to Christ,” recalls Mohr “was, ‘Please don’t make me a missionary in the jungle in some Third World country.'” He now thanks the Lord for not answering that prayer – for it would quickly become the greatest desire of his heart.

After visiting places like Africa, Central and South America, and some of the most remote islands on earth, it became clear also to the rest of the band that these were the types of places that the Lord wanted them to invest their time and talents in from here on out. Their mission was simple: “To reach the lost at any cost and make disciples of every nation.” But the band quickly became troubled by the reality that Third World nations and developing countries couldn’t afford to fly out even a single member of the band, let alone their entire team.

So they became full-time musical missionaries – willing to travel to the ends of the earth in an effort to preach the Gospel through the universal language of music to those who could never afford them in conventional terms. Each of the members in Christafari has the same mission and vision, a commitment that requires tremendous sacrifice and discomfort. But this is right where they believe the Lord has called them. Seeing lives changed across the globe makes it entirely worth their while, and the results have been astonishing: in the last few years alone, the band has seen over 3/4 of a million decisions for Christ at their free outreach events! They are well on their way towards their goal of seeing one million decisions for Christ.

HUMANITARIAN EFFORTS

Not only does the band travel the world proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ through reggae music, but they’ve also set out to be the hands and feet of Jesus. They try to find and fill a need in each country they visit, such as outreaches in trash cities and slums, serving at orphanages, feeding the hungry, clothing the poor and ministering to those whom Jesus called “the least of these.” “Christafari’s mission is simple: to go to the ends of the earth until all have heard, and until all have heard we’re not quitting.” – Mark Mohr

Please prayerfully consider supporting this mission today at: www.christafari.com/donate

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