Bob Marley

Robert Nesta Marley (1945) was a Jamaican singer who started his reggae singing career in 1963, marley’s contributions to music increased the visibility of jamaican music worldwide, and made him a global figure in popular peacfull culture  for over a decade.  Over the course of his career Marley became known as a Rastafari icon. 

bob was rejected by his family when he was 17 years old so Coxsone Dood gave him a place to live and lead him to his singing career  .

Dood didn’t allow marley to sing any revotionaly or religious songs so he started with simple pop songs like “Sugar sugar” then evolved to Ska then to Raggae .

Bob lived in a goverment yard in Trenchtown,when Michael Manley was  prime minister since 1972 and says 300 years of slavery and british colonialism ,Michael hired gangsters from the area who put tension and violence into the community were bob lived .

” when i see a youth fighting youth for the politicians i realy feel sick ” bob had said, back then he wrote songs about the war condition like ” johnny was a good man “.

When bob got recognized worldwide he was politicaly engaged to the two political parties in the elections, and bob never wanted to take that path and stayed neutral, Bob had a place that’s called ” 56 hope road ” which was the neutral spot , thats besides the prime ministers house and he has always said about it ” im bringing the ghetto uptown ” .

Bob had a recording studio in the backyard, then he was known for his Rastafari ( a religious and social movement that articulated the feelings of oppressed black people of jamaica) recordings that were spreading rapidly, that the upper middle classes were petrified of it.

In 1976 bob announced about ” smile jamaica concert ” which had a peacfull purpose to unite the community, at that day the prime minister announced an election day which made it look like he was performing for them.

Since bob started getting threats,until the day marely’s studio got under fire attack which left marley and his wife shot and the gunman is not known yet, the too parties said that they are not responsable for the shooting.

Bobs family didn’t want him to perform at the concert because of the threats and bob always said ” when there’s good music you can’t feel no pain man “, so 48 after the shooting day bob showed up in the concert at the National Heros Park after 5 hours delay where 90000 people attented to his concert .

After the shooting Bob didn’t feel comfortable in Jamaica , Bob said ” fuck jamaica, we’re gonna tour the world and spread the good love to the people of the world “, The morning after the concert bob left the island and into self imposed exile.

Meanwhile  Prime minister michaal manely was re-elected and doubled the violence in jamaica which made it impossible to bob to retirn to jamaica.

Bob got to London in 1977 when he poured himself in his music, bob made Exodus ( studio album by bob marley)  which was infused of what bob’s been through.

Bob said ” We do not defend marxisim nor capitalisim, we are strictly Ratsta! we indepented we dont have america for gwan beg anything, nor ruussia to beg anything, we prefer to look on our own self, which is rasta : black people’s rights ”

Songs like ” Ambush in the night ” ” Rat race ” .

A new Peace committe rised at the 1978 and came with the ” one love concert ” ,so they tried to convince bob to get back to jamaica which wasnt a good idea for him, since he grew up with one of the founders of the peace committe bob approved to get back to jamaica, everybody in the country gathered to bring bob home.

The ” One Love peace Concert ” united people from all parties, bob even called the manster on stage so the concert was symbolic that everybody wanted peace.

Later after the one love peace concert the gunman from few years ago was recognized as man from one of the parties (Jim Brown).

Bob marley died in 1981 after he was diagnosed with skin cancer.

Everywhere in the world today bob marley is known as the symbol of freedom and peace, when in berlin wall was  being torn down, any time in any world crisis they play bob marley music.

It’s a message that’s relevant now .

Here’s one last song for a shiny morning coffee on the balcony 🙂