BOB MARLEY’S ONE LOVE MAKES THE WORLD GO ROUND

TIMELESS: On-circuit flick revisits the Jamaican icon’s extraordinary life and times as well as the enduring impact of his music on global pop culture…

By Gugu Sibiya

Once in a while emerges a phenomenal creative who captures the world’s  imagination  but blows out like a candle in the wind, no sooner had they arrived, leaving a rich legacy behind to be celebrated by generations to come.

One such was none other than the great Bob Marley, born Nesta Roberta. Not just a shining star. A megastar. A legend that has bequeathed to the world a galaxy of mega-hits – one being the reggae sing-along anthem One Love, which incidentally is the title of the movie currently on circuit since February 16, depicting the life and times of this Jamaican icon while shining a spotlight on some of his poignant moments. Like most geniuses, he came, did his thing and at 36 years, went yonder.

Since his departure, the world has venerably hung on to every word of his rich tapestry of music, which is intrinsically woven to his humble beginnings whence his eventful upbringing saw him sing about his memories in Trenchtown. The colourful, cultural melting pot that’s Trenchtown is the crux of the thought provoking songs that articulate his existential struggles in a manner that resonated with masses. All these experiences would later shape his intolerance of injustice, oppression and poverty.

Armed with his distinctive voice and guitar, Marley set global stages ablaze with his peculiar brand of reggae, ska, R&B and rock. His song writing skills dripped with rebellion, landing on fertile ground in struggle spaces globally. Small wonder, he was soon labelled controversial for speaking up on democratic social reform, promotion of Pan Africanism and legalisation of cannabis.

It wasn’t surprising when Marley, whose rhythmic sound kept fans bobbing to his beat, became the face of Jamaican pop culture globally. He’s credited with putting the island on the world map. It was around his craft’s blossoming success that he embraced Rastafarianism. It was inevitable that he would inject a sense of spirituality in his music.   

Interestingly, Marley’s love for music was inspired by his maternal grandfather Omariah, while he was still at primary school. He started singing with his friend Neville Livingston, known as Bunny Wailer at Nine Miles. When they moved to Trenchtown, Kingston, they became step brothers after Marley’s mom married Bunny’s dad and daughter Claudette Pearl being born from the union.

Soon the duo began the trajectory to big-time when they formed a band with Peter Tosh called the Wailers. Joe Higgs of the already accomplished vocal group Higgs and Wilson, took Marley under his wing.

Grooming their vocal harmonies and teaching the Rasta how to play the guitar – a move that elevated them to the formidable outfit that sizzled on world stages. Reggae and ska would be the staple they fed aficionados from.

Thanks to his political outlook, Marley survived an assassination attempt in 1976. At the end of that year, he went to the Bahamas to heal. He recorded songs at Chris Blackwell’s Compass Point Studio. Amid the worst, he relocated to the UK for two years of self- imposed exile. Exodus and Kaya albums were released there. Exodus hogged the UK Album Charts for 56 weeks. Besides the title track, hit singles such as Waiting in Vain, One Love and Jamming rocked the party circuit. On a high note, he returned to his native Jamaica. 

Back at home in 1978, he’s remembered for diffusing a potentially explosive encounter between warring political parties. At the end of his One Love Peace Concert, Marley invited ruling People’s National Party’s Michael Manley and Edward Seaga of Jamaica Labour Party on stage to shake hands – and peace was restored.

People were happy and Marley was that icon who walked the peace talk no matter the danger.

Over time, Marley and the Wailers dropped 11 albums, four of which were live recordings like Babylon by Bus. Survival, which was a defiant and struggle offering with the title track, Wake Up and Live, Zimbabwe and Africa Unite remaining on high rotation. Confrontation was his last recording, dropped in 1980.

It’s deeply religious with treasures like Redemption Song and Forever Loving Jah. Uprising was released posthumously in 1983 with the hit Buffalo Soldier, new songs from unreleased material and remixes of singles only previously played in Jamaica.

Amid the hectic recording schedule, the Rasta dedicated his life to aligning himself with the struggles of the people, especially Africans. In 1979 he was thrilled to perform at the Amandla Festival in Boston, USA. The song that clung to South Africans’ minds was the single War he penned in 1976, a watershed year for South Africa, being the year of the Soweto student uprisings. The ditty articulated his feelings about apartheid, which he abhorred.  His dream of stepping on the motherland was realised when he sang at Zimbabwe’s Independence Day in 1980.

Like many artists, Marley drew female admirers like pins to a magnet. He was blessed with10 kids, two with his wife Rita, seven with various women. Rita also had a child with a soccer player and her husband accepted and raised her as his own. Rita has always been praised for loving and raising all the children as her own. She lives in Ghana, West Africa.

Marley died from acral lentiginous melanoma, a rare form of skin cancer, which had spread throughout his body over several years, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. He was first diagnosed in July 1977 when he sought treatment for a lesion under the big toe on his right foot. He died on May 11 1981.

Throughout his life, the legendary, unforgettable and inspirational Bob Marley showed that he was not just about music, but family, soccer and social activism. Through his music, he left the world a better place. Catch One Love in a cinema near you.