EXCERPTS
[ His songs have not only become indelible consolation melody for the marginalized, but universal struggle anthems and prayer emissaries to Jah.
Bob Marley’s artistic musical fearlessness and radical ideological commitment to economic and political freedom should become a catalyst for an enduring and a people’s vanguard for democratic change from a begger and dysfunctional state to an egalitarian country where no one goes to bed hungry.
Whatever happens, Bob Marley though since gone beckons on Nigeriains to revolutionarise the country through democratic change.
Marley’s smiling benevolence in heaven is a shining sun, a waving palm leaf.
He is a string of musical hits which will continue to reverberate in oppressed and suppressed corners of a marginalised Nigeria.]
INTRODUCTION
Bob Marley was a revolutionary who sang about human rights and the fight to secure the lives of a vulnerable people in the world. He fought against the level of poverty unleashed on the squalour ghetto communities of planet earth. He was a front line fighter against the exploitation and oppression ravaging the people through his music.
Bob Marley sang about tyranny and anger, about brutality from the powers that be on defenseless people. His was a battle cry for their survival.
Bob Marley’s music was an insurgency, it was a rebellion against the status quo.
It was a wake-up call to the youths of the world to take their destiny into their own hands, to take back their country from the shackles of deadly vicissitudes.
Interestingly, Marley’s songs have not only become indelible consolation melody for the marginalized, but universal struggle anthems and prayer emissaries to Jah.
This utterly emasculated ghetto kid who dreamt about the emancipation of the downtrodden through the sounds and vibes of Reggae music can be compared to freedom fighters like Che Guevara of the Argentine and Latin American Marxist revolutionary, the 1930 – 1974 Rastafarian Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, Abraham Linkoln of the American President slavery abolishionist, Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela of the equal rights for both black and white.
BIRTH
Born to Cedella Booker and Norval Marley on 6 February 1945 in Jamaica, Bob Nesta Marley rose from the ghetto to became a Jamaican revolutionary singer, musician, composer, instrumentalist, and songwriter.
Considered as one of the pioneers of Reggae, his musical career was marked by a distinctive vocal and songwriting style.
MUSIC CAREER
Marley took the world by storm, churning out music albums unmatched by no other in the reggae genre.
His hit songs include a few of the following :
One Love, Jamming, Legend, Rastaman Vibration, War, Exodus, Buffalo Soldier, Stir it Up, Survival, Redemption Song, No woman no cry, Trench Town, Them belly full But we are hungry, I shot the Sheriff.
Marley’s songs did not only become revolutionary tools for change advocacy but unavoidable indelible consolation melody for the marginalized.
Interestingly too, generations after generations have continued to deploy his music as universal struggle anthems and prayer emissaries to Jah.
Bob Marley’s music career spans a period of several decades, winning hundreds of lourells from compositions, recordings, live shows, concerts and gigs up to the moment of his death – a death caused by cancer.
REVOLUTIONARY MARLEY
“How long shall they kill our prophets while we stand aside and look.”
“No bullet can stop us now, we neither beg nor we don’t bow.”
These quotes are from many of the Lyrics of some of Bob Marley’s revolutionary songs.
Nesta Marley’s music was as revolutionary as it was rebellious. It was an insurgency, a war cry, a radical ideological philosophy to change the status quo, a “movement of the people” in his own words.
It was music of emancipation for the downtrodden, the marginalized, the abandoned poor and vulnerable in the ghetto slums.
CONTROVERSIAL MARLEY
It’s a proven fact that he ranked among the most misunderstood musical personality in his time, and even in modern culture.
Although many see Bob Marley as a controversial figure especially for his support of the legalization of Marijuana, he is highly regarded and considered a global symbol in Jamaican music, and an ambassador of Jamaican culture and identity.
Regrettably, and because of his outspoken support for democratic social change and reforms, advocacy for Pan – Africanism, and radical themes in his music, Bob Marley was regularly targeted for assassination, especially the 1976 attempt in his hometown.
A Rastafarian convert, Marley identified with the ideals of the ‘Lion of Africa’ Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia.
Consequently, Marley was baptized into the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.
AWARDS AND GARLANDS FOR MARLEY
(1) When still alive, Bob Marley ranked amongst the best selling music artists of all time, with estimated sales of more than 75 million records world wide.
(2) ‘Legend'(1984), Bob Marley’s greatest hits album and the single reached number 5 on the British Chart in 1984.
(3) In 1994 the Jamaican Tourist Board adopted the track ‘Legend’ as its theme song.
(4) In 1994 Marley was inducted into the ‘Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’.
(5) The BBC in 1999 chose ‘One Love’ as its official anthem on Millennium Eve.
(6) ‘Exodus’ was voted the Album of the year by Time Magazine in 1999.
(7) Bob Marley won a ‘Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award’ in 2001.
(8) In 2001 Bob Marley was made a star of the ‘Hollywood Walk of Fame’.
(9) In 2004 Rolling Stone ranked Bob Marley no.11 on its list of the ‘100 Greatest Artists of All time’.
(10) As recently as 2022, Bob Marley was inducted into the ‘Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame’.
IMPLICATION OF BOB MARLEY’S MUSIC TO NIGERIA’S DYSFUNCTIONALITY
Today in Nigeria more than ever before, Bob Marley’s music takes up a space, a romance in our our minds, our lives and sufferings.
Marley’s ideological music and artistic fearlessness, radical commitment to economic and political freedom should become another catalyst for change and the dividends of democracy in Nigeria.
As the world celebrates his 80th birthday today 6/2/2025, Nigeria should join in this celebration by borrowing his ideals and legacies – a legacy of revolution against the shackles of the status quo.
Let it be a wake up call to the Nigerian youths to take their destiny into their own hands to save Nigeria from the brink.
DEATH
Bob Marley was diagnosed with cancer, a condition that ultimately led to his death.
Bob Marley was so addicted to music that he was widely reported to often sleep for just about 3 hours a night during his last months.
Despite his failing health, Marley kept composing, producing, and singing till his last breath.
Bob Nesta Marley died on 11th May, 1981, leaving behind his wife Rita Marley, Son Ziggy and the rest Marleys to pick up the baton.
At his death, Marley was given a State funeral in Jamaica, and was post humoursly honoured with a designated ‘Order of Merit’ in 1981.
CONCLUSION
It remains to be seen whether Bob Marley’s revolutionary passion, penchant, and radical music disposition for the dislodgement of the shackles of the status quo which Nigerians had leveraged on during these decades will eventually translate to real change in order to save the country from the brink.
Whatever happens, Bob Marley though since gone, beckons on Nigeriains to revolutionarise the country through economic, social, educational, ideological, political and real democratic change.
Marley’s smiling benevolence in heaven is a shining sun, and a waving palm leaf.
He is a string of musical hits which will continue to reverberate in oppressed and suppressed ghettos & corners of the marginalized Nigeria.
So help us God.
Jah love 🙏
6/2/2025
