Bob Marley - The Great Son Of Jamaica

Before I proceed, let me reproduced Bob Marley's 3 songs - my favourite songs actually - amongst the many celebrated songs by him:

Redemption Song [Note: Not the full version]

" Old pirates, yes, they rob I
Sold I to the merchant ships
Minutes after they took I
From the bottomless pit.

....
emancipate yourselves from mental slavery
None but ourselves can free our mind
Have no fear for atomic energy
...."

Three Little Birds

" Don't worry about a thing
cause every little thing is gonna be alright
don't worry about a thing
every little thing is gonna be alright.

Rise up this morning
smiled with the rising sun
three little birds
pitch by my door step
singing sweet songs
of melodies pure and true
saying this is my message to you:
don't worry about a thing."

Buffalo Soldier [Note: Not the full version]

" ....
I am just a Buffalo Soldier
In the heart of America
Stolen from Africa, brought to America
Said he was fighting on arrival
Fighting for survival
Said he was a Buffalo Soldier
Win the war for America.

.... "

Bob Marley's songs always have kind of mystic effect on those who listen to them - me included... The lyrics are about freedom, emancipation, peace and humanity...

Born as Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley from a mixed parentage (his father was white & a black mother) on 6 February 1945 @ Nine Mile, Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica. Due to this mixed ancestry, he was always being subjected to humiliation. His response to this was:

" ... Me don't dip on no body's side. Me don't dip on black
man's side nor the white man's side. Me dip on God's side..."

His genre of music was reggae, ska and rock steady with streams of hit songs such as "I shot the Sheriff", "No Woman No Cry" & "Could You Be Loved". Most of the songs were a hit during his heydays with his band "The Wailers" (1964-1974).

I am not going to delve on his Rastafarian belief - some say it's not a religion anyway et al. - but more on his positive influence to the music world, the political climate in Jamaica & the peaceful movement world wide.

Bob Marley died after he succumbed to cancer in Miami on 11 May 1981. He was 36 years and was given a state funeral in Jamaica on 21 May 1981 - again with both the leaders of the Government and the Opposition present [Note: Please see below].

But he died not before performing a "One Love Peace Concert" in April 1978 at the Kingston's National Arena with both leaders from the Government and Opposition present - to ease the tense political situation at that time.

As a mark of respect to her great son, Jamaica declared every 6 February as a National Holiday and Bob Marley was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in January 1994 by none other than the "rebel" Irish singer Bono of U2...

I ended this posting with 2 quotes by Bob Marley:

" Every man gotta right to decide his own destiny" and

" In the abundance of water, the fool is thirsty."

Food for thought eh .....