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Robert Nesta Marley (Bob Marley), (1945-1981): Political Liberation with Music By Paul Mamza
When Robert Nesta Marley popularly known as Bob Marley died twenty four years ago on May 11, 1981 at Miami Hospital of Cancer, the World and particularly the Black race, whom he consistently identified with, though of mixed parentage (a Briton father and an African mother) had prided a talent of a peculiar exhibition. Since Bob first recording attempts in the Sixties he strikes a promising adventure until 1964 as the core member of the Wailing Wailers with Peter McIntosh (later known as Peter Tosh) and Bunny Livingston( later known as Bunny Wailer) when Bob became a celebrity of sort in Jamaican music. The music he played the Reggae music – became synonymous with a political equivalent of struggle for emancipation and liberation of the oppressed minds. The Wailing Wailers had a little break when other two of its members; Junior Braithwaite and Beverly Kelso opted out of the group and the action forced Bob to join his mother in the United States of America. When Bob came back to Jamaica in the late sixties, the legendary reggae producer Lee Perry “Scratch” assisted in uplifting the rump of Bob, Peter Mcintosh ( Peter Tosh) and Bunny Livingston (Bunny Wailer) producing classical reggae music like “Small Axe”, “400Years”, Duppy conqueror and ‘Soul Rebel’. This is the time Reggae became a symbol of liberation struggle with Bob leading the revolutionary war this time co-opting Aston (family man) Barret and his brother Carlton in the team. ‘CATCH A FIRE’ -an album released in 1972 was what launched Bob into the International fame, which was closely followed by ‘BURNING’ with” Get up Stand up “and”‘ I shot the sheriff ‘ taking a show stage. Then the ‘NATTY DREAD’ Album which was released in1975.‘POSITIVE VIBRATION” rel eased in 1976 captured liberation songs like “ Crazy Baldheads” “Johnny was”, “ Who the cap fit” and “War” (culled from the speech of His Majesty, Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia). Emperor Haile Selassie was Bob’s inspirational figure and spiritual model. He was a spiritual head of the Rastafarians spiritual base (Ethiopia). Bob Marley severally offered accolades on Haile Selassie as the “ King of Kings :’ Lord of Lords” “ The conquering Lion of the twelve tribes of Judah” etc, some time equating his music with the Emperor Salassie fundamentalism. In 1977 Bob released “EXODUS”, and KAYA popularized in 1978 produced songs like ‘Exodus, and ‘Waiting in vain’, ‘Jammin’etc. If Bob Marley was not singing against oppression and racial segregation, he always mustered love songs to dispel hatred among the society, particularly to the Third World that is ravaged by War. The ONE LOVE concert he staged in 1976 was meant to forge alliance between the Prime Minister Micheal Manley of Jamaica and the then leader of the opposition Edward Seaga who both attended the concert.. Bob had gone to African countries like Kenya, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia ( the spiritual home of all Rastafarians) sending some messages of hope and love for the deprived and distressed.. ‘SURVIVAL’ and ‘UPRISING’. Albums were released in 1979 which opened high optimism on Bob’s tour rates until he felt sick of Cancer. Bob was hospitalized for about eight months and later died. Bob was given an official funeral on the 23rd May, 1981 by Jamaica which was attended by both Prime Minister and leader of the opposition. Before his death he was awarded the Jamaican Order of Merit in recognition of his outstanding contribution to Jamaican culture. Bob Marley was remembered all over the world as the king of Reggae music and a visionary. Hardly would May11 past any year that Bob’s remembrance will not be celebrated. He was a consummate liberator through playing music of liberating minds. Michael Jackson though of same world fame stand to learn many lessons form Bob’s life., like the identification with black race being his roots and Bob’s profound moderations , Despite the now cleared charges of child molestations, Michael Jackson had to battle with reinventing his mindset and declare aptly his ultimate. That is what makes Bob Marley to click to the memories of human race.The legacies Marley left behind, apart from the heir- apparent of the family-: Ziggy Marley and the I – Three made up of Rita Marley(wife) Judith Mowatt and Marcia Griffiths retaining his band, was his pride as a black man and the legendary posture. Typical of a ‘BUFFALO SOLDIER ‘that he sang in his last edition of album ( CONFRONTATION ) , he was by nature entrenched in Europe but had African instincts . Bob was a symbol of African resounding incarnation with a fledging desire to recapture the very basis of human civilization. If Bob were to come back to life, his new songs will definitely despise the flickering approach of the emergent African leadership especially the Obasanjo’s Nigerian situation. I would have encouraged Bob who had never visited Nigeria in his life time to compose a liberation song – more in refined tunes of Nigeria’s Eedris Abdulkareem’s “NIGERIA JAGAJAGA, EVERYTIN SKATA-SKATA” for world’s attention and intervention . Bob would have sang the Brenda’s version on Nelson Mandela on Thabo Mbeki of South Africa who incidentally is the most influential and patriotic Afric an leader of today. It is not Bob therefore that the black race is missing at present but the updated form of his liberation music
· This piece is dedicated to the 24th anniversary celebration in memory of Honorable Robert Nesta Marley (Bob Marley) Postcript: A star rejoinder!
A confessed regular reader of my column, one Mal. Suleiman Adamu writing from Kano had jokingly replied my earlier article entitled ; Democracy Day: Nothing to celebrate, that actually there is a cause for celebration because Nigerians are celebrating the “Silver” and “:Bronze” medals of corruption Nigeria “received” during the Obasanjo’s tenure
--------- Mamza,a political columnist with the Leadership newspapers writes from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria.
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