If Bob Marley was still with us physically, he would be 65 today!
Easy to remember, due to Waitangi Day.
He lived to the age of 36 - same age as Mozart.
He made a huge contribution to pop music, and via this medium to political understanding or "reasoning" as he and his Rastafarian bredren would call it.
His music remains a testimony to the power of music to inspire, uplift, bring encouragement and give warning...
Marley's musical development is parallel with the development of the Reggae genre from its manic spiced-up ska roots, through its slowed-down romantic rock-steady to the swinging, spacey, warm notes of reggae and even into dub.
Yes, he had many people helping him along the way - Bunny, Peter, Rita, the Barrett bros., The Wailers (reconstituted as Bob's band), Chris Blackwell, Lee Scratch Perry, and many, many more.
He appears to have been someone who galvanised others into action - not nicknamed The Tuff Gong for nothing.
And while his culture, lifestyle and even religious articles are often at odds with or alien to mine, his music speaks volumes, and reaches the parts that no words can.
I give thanks for Bob's existence, contribution and example, and look forward to seeing his transformed being at the Resurrection!
One good thing about music - when it hits you feel No Pain!
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tomorrow we do the song "I will offer up my life in spirit and truth" - but reggae style, with intro riff borrowed from Ken Boothe - "Everything I Own".
ReplyDeleteIt's impossible to think of that song outside the Trojan context, but of course it was actually written by David Gates of Bread. The original is nowhere, nowhere, nowhere touching the cover. Even the Boy George version is better than David Gates' own.
Funny isn't it?
Gates of Bread...
ReplyDeleteDavid Gates reminds me of The Carpenters.
Wonderful songs wrecked by bland, wussy production.
I love the Ken Boothe stuff - funny how reggae went thru that phase of covering everything within earshot.
UB40 of course still continue to do that (whatEVER happened to their wonderful songwriting prowess??).