Biography

Nine Mile, situated high in the mountains on the beautiful island of Jamaica, is a small friendly village tucked away in the parish of St. Ann. This quaint hamlet is known as the birthplace of Bob Marley. And it is in this very same place that he was later laid to rest. Born on Feburary 6, 1945– May 11 , 1981, Robert Nesta Marley better knonw as Bob Marley was a Jamaican singer, guitarist, song writer and RastaFarian prophet. He is the most widely known writer and performer of reggae music, famous for popularizing the genre outside of Jamaica.

Music

Much of his music dealt with the struggles of the impoverished and gave a voice to the oppressed around the world while spreading messages of hope and unity. His songs expressed his experiences of struggles of everyday life in Jamaica in a way that all could relate to, making his music universally loved.

Religion

Bob Marley was a member of theRastafari movement, which worships Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia, the former Emperor of Ethiopia to be Jah ( God) incarnate, the returned messiah prophecied in the Bible. Rastafari culture was a key element in the development of reggae, and Marley's adoption of the characteristic Rastafarian dreadlocks and use of marijuana as a sacred sacrament in the late sixties were an integral part of his persona as a famous musician. He would enter every show proclaiming the divinity of Jah Rastafari.

Many of Marley's songs contained Biblical references, sometimes using wordplay to fuse activism and religion, as in "revolution" and "revelation": " Revelation, reveals the truth ... it takes a revolution to make a solution" and he is considered a rasta preacher.

Concert

Speakeasy Concert 1973
The four-night, sold-out stand at London's hip Speakeasy club offers a humble but powerful Bob Marley on stage. This string of concerts offers a glimpse at his first British tour for Island in the Spring of 1973. It followed the release of Cath A Fire, the Wailers' Island debut.

KSAN Broadcast 1973
Bob Marley and the Wailers' live radio broadcast at KSAN in Sausalito, CA vividly captured the moment when reggae was poised to enter the mainstream of popular music. The mix of songs from Carch A Fire and Burnin' represent the only live recordings from the Wailers' first American tour.

London Lyceum Concert 1975
The July 1975 London Lyceum shows, recorded for the album Live! Bob Marley and the Wailers, reflect Marley's fiery delivery and powerful presence. These extraordinary concerts are described with songs lists from the Live album as well as eyewitness accounts from Dennis Morris and Mick Cater of the performances.

Smile Jamaica Concert 1976
No more than 48 hours after a brutalhttp://www.bobmarley.com/life/live/ shooting attempt on his life, Bob Marley took the stage at National Heroes Park on December 5, 1976 for the Smile Jamaica Concert. This section describes the foreboding signs and events leading up to the assassination attempt, Marley's decision to perform, and the harrowing drive from Strawberry Hill to the venue.

Exodus Tour 1972
The Exodus tour of 1977 reveals the fervor of Marley's live performance and his open defiance of those who would silence him. I-Three Judy Mowatt describes the concerts as "powerful and spiritual...There was a power that pulled you there."

One Love Peace Concert 1978
The April 1978 concert in Kingston marked Marley's triumphant return from exile and the stunning on-stage handshake between Prime Minister Michael Manley and opposition leader Edward Seaga. Their political rivalry had spawned ruthless teams of ghetto gunmen and an outbreak of murder on the island.

Reggae Sunsplash II 1979 Bob Marley promised the organizers of Reggae Sunsplash that he would headline the show at Montego Bay. His first show in Jamaica since the One Love Peace Concert. Marley energized the crowd with songs from the forthcoming Survival. LP.

Zimbabwe Independence Celebration 1980
Bob Marley and the Wailers' first performance in Zimbabwe was marred by tear gas and chaos, yet Marley returned to the stage to perform "Zimbabwe" and prevailed the next day, as over 100,000 people gathered for the second show on April 19, 1980.

Making Music

"You can't show aggression all the while. To make music is a life that I have to live. Sometimes you have to fight with music. So it's not just someone who studies and chats, it's a whole development. Right now is a more militant time on earth, because it's Jah Jah time.

But me always militant, you know. Me too militant. That's why me did things like Kaya, to cool off the pace.

People don't understand that we live in this earth too. We don't sing these songs and live in the sky. I don't have an army behind me. If I did, I wouldn't care, I'd just get more militant. Because I'd know, well, I have 50,000 armed youth, and when I talk, I talk from strength. But you have to know who you're dealing.

Maybe if I'd tried to make a heavier tune than "Kaya" they would have tried to assassinate me because I would have come too hard. I have to know how to run my life, because that's what I have, and nobody can tell me to put it on the line, you dig?

Because no one understands these things. These things are heavier than anyone can understand. People that aren't involved don't know it, it's my work, and I know it outside in. I know when I am in danger and what to do to get out. I know when everything is cool, and I know when I tremble, do you understand? Because music is something that everyone follows, so it's a force, a terrible force.