The legend Bob Marley: His Life and His Legacy
Everyone can accept the fact that when Reggae is spoken of, the legend Bob Marley is one of the first to be spoken. He is known by many to be the King of Reggae. Bob Marley would have been sworld’sy-five years old today, February 6th, 2020. February, apart from being the birth month of a legend, it’s also Black history month. What better way to honor his memory than showcasing his work and his legacy?
The man we all know as Bob Marley was actually born as Robert Nesta Marley to a Jamaican woman and a British soldier at Nile Mile Jamaica. He was a Jamaican singer and songwriter. His musical career was marked by blending elements of reggae, ska, and rocksteady, to form his own distinct style.
Bob Marley was well known for his Rastafari way of life and his dreaded hair was emulated by many (both black and white people) all over the world. His music was melodious, danceable and full of rich truths that would make you want to listen to it again and again.
His songs contained a spirituality that is enviable and he possessed the poetic ability to say a great many things with a few words. Bob Marley knew how to touch the hearts and the souls of people and he did it with a smile on his face. A handsome man, it is little wonder that dreads became so fashionable.
Bob Marley formed the band Bob Marley and the Wailers in 1963. The group released its debut album in 1965 and he never stopped singing until his death in 1981. In 1984, his album Legend was released and it was a great hit. Bob Marley is recorded as one of the world -best selling artiste.
Image Source: Twitter
Bob Marley’s Family and Death
Bob Marley was born to a native Jamaican woman and a British soldier Norval Sinclair Marley and Cedella Booker. He got married to Alpharita Anderson and they had nine children together Sharon Marley, Cedella Marley, David Marley, Stephen Marley, Rohan Marley, Karen Marley, Julian Marley, Ky-Mani Marley, Damian Marley. He died at the age of 36 and the cause of his death was skin cancer.
Bob Marley’s Hit Songs
Most of Bob Marley’s songs were hits that shook the world. The ones he did when he was with the band and then ones he did when the band broke up and he went solo. His singing was always targeted at the soul and addressed to Black people and the whole world. In his song Them belle full/(but we hungry), which was part of the “Natty Dread” album, BM explored the topic of poverty and money laundering by the government. He also talked about the rising cost of living and how it could spark violence in the people in the following powerful lines.
“Them belly full, but we hungry;
A hungry mob is an angry mob
A rain a-fall, but the duty tough;
A pot a-cook, but you no ‘enough
A hungry mob is an angry mob.
Snippet from azlyrics.com
Image Source: Twitter
The subtle way in which he introduces the idea of their suffering is brilliant because he was very diplomatic about it. Yet he made it clear. The chorus invites everyone to dance away their sorrows. Typical for Black people huh? We know how to party even in the face of hardship.
His songs on love were the best! In those days when men used to sing about women in a delicate manner. Those good old days when women were called “darling” “baby” and other sweet names in sharp contrast to the new practice of calling women by their body parts.
Here’s a snippet of the song. Sing along!
Cause I remember when we used to sit
In a government yard in Trenchtown
Ob- observing the hypocrites,
Yeah!
Mingle with the good people we meet.
Yeah!
No, woman, no cry
No, woman, no cry
A little darlin’, don’t shed any tears
No, woman, no cry. Eh!
Then we would cook cornmeal porridge
I say, of which I’ll share with you
Yeah!
My feet is my only carriage
And so I’ve got to push on through
But while I’m gone,
Everything’s gonna be alright!
Everything’s gonna be alright yeah!
Everything’s gonna be alright!
Snippet from azlyrics.com
Image Source: Twitter
BM also advocated for pan-Africanism and one of his songs that showcases that is “Revolution”. Here is a snippet of it. It contains the spirituality of reggae and a very important warning. This song, like many others sung by the great Bob Marley, celebrated the black Identity and the Jamaican culture.
“Revelation reveals the truth – revelation
(revolution, revolution, revolution, – oooooo- doo-doo-doo-doo)
(revolution, – oooooo- doo-doo-doo-doo)
Never make a politician (aaa-aaah) grant you a favor
(doo-doo-doo-doo)
They will always want (aaa-aaah), to control you forever, eh!
(Forever, forever)
So if a fire make it burn (make it burn, make it burn)
And if a blood make ya run (make ya run, make ya run)
Rasta de ‘pon top (aaa-aaah) can’t you see?
(doo-doo-doo-doo)
So you can’t predict the flow. Eh-eh
(doo-doo-doo-doo)
Oh! Let is (is), in it’s is black
(I’m)
In I’m is red (it’s), in I’m in dread
Let righteousness cover the earth
Like the water (aaa-aaah) cover the sea,
Yeah! Yeah!
Snippet from azlyrics.com
Image Source: Twitter
As a Black man and a pan-Africanist, Bob Marley spoke of some of the sufferings of Black people in his song with The Wailers: Rebel Music (3 0’clock Road Block)”. He talked about the movement restrictions they suffered. Their inability to freely practice their culture and achieve their dreams.
Why can’t we roam (oh-oh-oh-oh) this open country?
Oh, why can’t we be what we wanna be?
(oh-oh-oh-oh)
We want to be free ( we wanna be free)
3 0’clock roadblock – curfew,
And I’ve got to throw away
Yes, I’ve got to throw away
A yes -a, but I’ve got to throw away
My little herb stalk!
(I rebel music)
(I rebel music)
(oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
(Open country)
(oh-oh-oh-oh)
Snippet from azlyrics.com
Image Source: Twitter
Conclusion: The Legend Bob Marley’s Legacy To The World
People like BM are not born every day and when we do get to receive them into this dreary dark world, we recognize them as gifts from God to us. Bob Marley’s songs are ever-inspiring wells of wisdom that would never grow old. The things he told us decades ago are still happening in our world today.
Wisely enough, he asked us to “Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery. Talk about knowing just what we need! He also said “as long as the color of the skin/is more important than the brightness of the eyes/ there will be war.
On this day, the world says Happy Birthday to Bob Marley (The big Bob) and a big thank you for being an inspiration to all of us. Do listen to all his songs today! I do not know which of them was Bob Marley’s best beat, but one of my favorites is a song “Redemption song”. My mother used to play it most mornings when I was little. These words will never go sour in my mind.
“Won’t you help me sing, this song of freedom
It’s all I ever had, redemption song”
In another Bob Marley’s song, he said: “Emancipate yourself from mental slavery / None but ourselves can free our minds”. One day the whole world will be so peaceful, free of strife, wars, class struggle and discrimination that we will all be singing that song of freedom and redemption. Content and happy because we will know what we have. In the famous words of Bob Marley, “Money? I don’t have that kind of richness, my richness is life, forever”. One Love!
What's Your Reaction?
