Bob Marley Essay

In a time of political, economic, and sociable unrest, a new way of protest was beginning to emerge from Jamaica in the form of reggae melody. It was 1963 when a young man from Jamaica by the name of Robert Nesta Marley, better known as Bob Marley, formed a band cal lead The Wailers, who would undoubtedly have adept of the only reggae bands to rise up from the oppression of the third world country. The country of Jamaica had just gained independence from the U.K. in 1962, just was anything but a handsome republic. Those in power chose to exploit the countrys few main exports, primarily bauxite, a mineral used in the process of manufacturing aluminum. The first cardinal years of Jamaican independence saw considerable economic growth, but these gains were held plunk for from the countrys urban ugly. From his book, Reggae, Rastafari, and the Rhetoric of Social Control, Stephen A. King writes, afterward independence, the Jamaican Labor Partys Five Year Plan did not produce econ omic prosperity but, instead, even greater inequity of life history conditions (47). King quotes Adam Kuper, As the Jamaican Labor Party encouraged foreign countries to invest in and expand Jamaicas manufacturing and bauxite industries, the traditional pursuits of agriculture, forestry, and fishing dropped to a low of 10 percent of Jamaicas gross domestic product in 1968 (47). Marley chose to join the Rastafarian movement, a religious program that was a conspicuous group in Jamaica. The Rastafarian faith swear outed to fuel Marleys purpose in music, which was to empower and inspire those who were world kept down by the nations wealthier class. A small rural village called Nine Miles located in the parish of Sainte Ann is where Bob Marley was born. Marley lived with his grandparents in the confederation of Sainte Anne, people who followed traditions they had learned from their early African ancestors. These customs included storytelling which would be one of Marleys signature qu alities during his songwriting career.When Marley was a teenager, his mother decided to take him away from Sainte Anne, and moved him to Jamaicas capital capital of Jamaica in the vicinity of Trench Town. This would be where Marley would begin to embark on his musical journey. Like most urban Jamaican cities, Trench Town was poor and all of its inhabitants including the teenage Marley lived in p everyplacety. During this time Marley learned how to defend himself against the rough town locals, and instead of chase them Marley decided to pay closer attention to music. As one rootage writes,Despite the poverty, despair and various unsavory activities that sustained some ghetto dwellers, Trench Town was also a culturally rich community where Bob Marleys abundant musical talents were nurtured. A life ample source of inspiration, Bob immortalized Trench Town in his songs No Woman No visit (1974), Trench Town Rock (1975) and Trench Town, the latter released posthumously in 1983 (Ruff, B obs Early Life). Marleys beginnings in the music industry were with a form of music known as ska. Ska came about in Jamaica during the late 1950s and early 60s. Ska was inspired by American R&B music that could be heard through U.S. radio airways on the transistor radio. Ska was a blending of Americas R&B and Jamaicas island beat, a mixture of calypso and mento. Author Stephen A. King writes, Perhaps ska can best be characterized as a product of creolization, borrowing hard from saturnine American music (jazz, gospel, and R&B), while also incorporating indigenous (mento) and African elements into its sound (24). Many citizens of Jamaica could not afford radios to listen to music or keep up on any news reports coming from the island. So the Jamaican sound systems, mobile devices such as vans or musical equipment on wheels, would be used to host dances, and the deejays would also use their sound systems to inform his listeners on political happenings. King states that, As one of the few affordable social activities for the poor, the sound system brought music to places where the voice of the poor could be heard without interference by local authorities (16). Like most of the world during this time, the black population was not allowed any political power, and many began to seek ways to resist. nonpareil of the methods used as a means to passively fight back against the imbalance was the Rastafarian religion. The Rastafarian religion was born early in the twentieth century, but its roots date back as far as the late 1800s when slaves felt compelled to revolt against the plantation owners on the belief that God was calling them to fight for freedom. In 1927, a man named Marcus Garvey brought forth to Jamaicans the foundation garment of the Rastafarian religion, which was to look to Africa for the crowning of a king. This would be a sign for Jamaica that freedom is near. From Africana, the Encyclopedia of the African and the African-American Experience, author R oanne Edwards quotes Garvey Look to Africa for the crowning of a king to know that your redemption is nigh (Edwards 1592). In 1930 Ras Tafari was crowned emperor of Ethiopia andbaptized with the name Haile Selassie. From that moment on the Rastafarians of Jamaica would recognize the king of Ethiopia as the living messiah. The religion of Rastafarianism was meant to empower Jamaicas black population by reflecting heavily on African heritage and believed that the western society was todays kingdom of Babylon, a corrupt city that profited from the oppressed. Part of the Rastafarian faith was to grow dreadlocks, this would become one of Marleys signature features, but Marley was not following any trends, his purpose for wearing his hair in dreadlocks had deeper meaning than mere fashion. As quoted from Rolling Stone, Until Babylon fell, according to one legend the Rastas would not cut their hair. They grew it long in a fearsome appearance called dreadlocks (Gilmore 5). Another element f rom the Rastafarian Movement was the use of cannabis to create a deeper connection with Selassie. Marley used marijuana as a creative outlet in songwriting and Marley, along with many Rasta musicians, followed the ritual of smoking marijuana or ganja for this spiritual experience.Marleys songs came from a deep spiritual determination, to spread the message of the Rastafarian faith and to fight against those who sought to put down the poor and less fortunate of the world. According to author Rex Ruff, Bob Marley reaffirms his adherence to Rastafari on Forever Loving Jah from Uprising the final album released during his lifetime. Uprising features the acoustic Redemption Song which implores the listener emancipate yourselves from intellectual slavery none but ourselves can free our mind, reiterating the self-empowering convictions that Rastafarian tenets have sought to establish (Bob and Rastafarian Beliefs). The poor of Jamaica were subject to deprivation because of the decisions t hat were being made by the political parties put in place after Jamaica had become a free nation. On one hand, there was the Peoples National Party, led by Michael Manley, who fought for constitutional rights, and on the other hand, there was the Jamaican Labor Party, led by Edward Seaga, who desired to put Jamaicas capital interests abroad in the beginning the welfare of the nation. Both the Peoples National Party and the Jamaican Labor Party were primarily run by white members and Marley took neither side, but was said to have small favor towards Michael Manleys Peoples National Party. In 1976 the December elections were drawing near and violent protests were taking over the streets of Kingston. Marley had become such a prominent idol forJamaican citizens and the Peoples National Party thought a concert performed by Marley would help calm the city during the election. Marley agreed to perform with his band The Wailers at the Smile Jamaica concert.Although Marley had expressed poli tical neutrality, some believed that Marley had favor for Michael Manleys side. During rehearsal, just two age before the concert, Marley and some members of his band were shot at. No one involved in the shooting were killed, but both Marley and his manager at the time suffered injuries. Marley went on to perform at the Smile Jamaica concert to keep the peace, but fled the country immediately after the show ended. After the Smile Jamaica concert Marley performed again at the One Love Peace concert where he persuaded Michael Manley and Edward Seaga up on the stage to shake hands. This concert symbolized Marleys true desire for peace and congruity between the political parties of Jamaicas new government. As Gilmore writes, On April 22nd, at the One Love Peace Concert, Marley managed to coax both Michael Manley and Edward Saga onstage with him and held their hands together with his in a gesture of coexistence (Gilmore 9). Marley died of cancer at the young age of 36, but his music i s still alive and reaches hundreds of people every single day. One of the things that made Marleys music so effective was his ability to speak an intense message through a creative melody. From Rolling Stone, He was a superb melody writer, and his songs insinuating pop hooks pull the listener into the realities Marley was describing (Gillmore 12). Although much of the Marley legacy lives on in America as a mere trend, one who chooses to look deeper into his message will feel the power Marley had intended through his poetry that was meant for an oppressed nation.