A Brief Look at Bob Marley and the Wailers

Jamaica Kincaid, born on May 25, 1949, had a difficult relationship with her parents and stepfather. She was born in St. John’s Antigua where she was raised by her mother, Annie Drew. Her stepfather is David Drew. Born Elaine Potter Richardson, she upheld little contact with her biological dad, Frederick Potter, but Kincaid had three half-brothers to concern

“A person can learn a lot from a dog, even a loopy one like ours...he taught me about friendship and selflessness and, above all else, unwavering loyalty,” says John Grogan, author of Marley & Me. Although dogs are just animals, they can bring out the best characteristics in people. Recently, an exploration of one of the most well-known pieces of canine non-fiction and an exploration of my own life has taught me just how true this is. In John Grogan’s Marley & Me and in my life, patience, flexibility, and love are frequently illustrated.

Bob Marley is a name most people know but his accomplishments and dedication to music is often overlooked. Bob was more than just a reggae artist, he was an inspiration to the country of Jamaica. He was a role model to the poverty stricken island and gave hope to many people. Bob was born on February 6, 1945 in his grandfather's house. He was the son of a poor farm girl and a British naval Captain. Soon after his birth Bob's father, Norval Marley, left his mother. He remained responsible and provided financial support and occasionally came back to see them. In the 50's a depression hit Jamaica and Bob followed his mother to West Kingston also known as Trenchtown. It was in Trenchtown were Bob's love for music began.

The first communication concept relates to empathy and empathic communication, both Bob and Ziggy Marley display this throughout their music. Empathy defined by Julia T. Wood, “is the ability to feel with another person, to feel what she or he feels in a situation. Our feelings tend to be guided by our own emotional tendencies and experiences” (78). In the fullest sense, this implies putting yourself into the other person’s shoes, to experience their life, so that you really understand and feel; pain, anger, frustration, joy, spiritual uplift and happiness. Bob Marley is empathetic in nature, he is “someone who appears to speak for the people. It is his music, his life story, his worldview and the way he carries himself -- he seems like an extension of the people and their leader. He seems like a sort of Cultural Senator, a man who represents his people” (Toure 2017). Bob Marley expresses empathy throughout his song “Get Up Stand Up,” by giving us examples of what life was like in the 1960’s in Jamaica. Paying close attention to the words and the connotations associated with those words, we can get an idea to what was going on during that era. From the beginning, reggae was political, as the work of Bob clearly attests. When he chants, “Get up \ Stand up \ Stand up for your rights!” you can feel how important this issue is to him. By translating this one lyric, you can imagine the details of his experiences and the emotions associated with them. The lyrics of this song relates to the struggles and inequality of the society and the harsh realities of a post-independent Jamaica. Nearly the entire song has a political slant to it in some shape or form. The political unrest which was taking place at the time was extremely intense, this song urged people to raise and stand up and fight for their rights and to be proactive.

In the late 1950’s Marley’s family moved from St. Ann’s to Kingston, Jamaica. Before he moved Marley befriended Neville O'Riley Livingston or as he was called by his friends “Bunny.” Both had a passion for music and thanks to Bunny, Marley was inspired to learn how play his first instrument, the guitar. After moving to Kingston Marley, listened vastly to artist such as The Drifters, Ray Charles and Elvis Presley. In the 1950’s Bob Marley was living in one of the poorest towns which were referred to as “Trench Towns.” Marley chose to spend most of his time there studying and playing music along with Bunny Livingston under the mentorship of Joe Higgs. While in Kingston Bob Marley recorded his first single “Judge Not” recorded by Reggae producer Leslie Kong. During this time Bob Marley met, Peter Tosh who he eventually alongside Bunny formed a band and kick started Marley’s career as a singer and musician. In the late 1960’s Marley marries a women by the name of Rita Anderson, whom was also a

Bob Marley was born in 1945 in Rhoden Hall of Jamaica, after his parent separation he moved to West Kingston with his mother. West Kingston is where the story begins for his love of music, which would have implications all around the world.

“From the shantytowns of Kingston, Jamaica, to the cobblestones streets of Great Britain, reggae music was a powerful and liberating voice for the poor and oppressed. In the last thirty years, reggae stars Bob Marley, Burning Spear, and Alpha Blondy have sung “redemption” songs- messages of human rights and universal love in a “Babylonian” world of civil unrest, political instability, and economic collapse”(Bays, King, and Foster, 2002, p. XI). Bob Marley was the most famous reggae artist to bring popularity upon the music; selling over 20 million records worldwide. His songs such as “One Love” and “Redemption Song” were inspired by the effects of oppression upon blacks in Jamaica. Marley's persona for unity and peace among people throughout the world was an inspiration for Jamaicans. Most blacks in Jamaica during the 1960s suffered from economic hardships and racial discrimination. This in turn marked the beginning of a religious movement called Rastafarinism where reggae music was an element that distinguished Rastafarians from the rest of society. According to Chang and Chen, British colonial authorities and the local establishment viewed Rastafarians; forthright espousal of black unity and pride, and their unconventional appearance and customs, as threats to the existing social order. (Chang, Chen, 1998. p.26) Reggae music allowed blacks to have pride of their culture and not limited themselves to the demeaning social orders in

On February 6, 1945 in Saint Ann, Jamaica, Bob Marley was born. His father was a white Englishman and his mother was a black Jamaican. When Marley was ten years old his father died, and at that point his mother moved him to Kingston’s Trechtown neighborhood. As a teenager in Kingston he became friends with Bunny Wailer and this is when Marley learned to play music. When Marley was 14 years old he decided to drop out of school so he could learn the welding trade, and at the same time he spent his spare time jamming with Bunny and Ska musician Joe Higgs.

It was very simple to play but the words were quite tough to put in to

Bob Marley was born February 6, 1945 in St Ann Parish, Jamaica. Throughout his early years Marley had lived in some of the poorest and impoverished areas in Jamaica. Even in poverty Marley found an escape and had a passion for music. In Jamaica Bob Marley was a supporter of the People’s National Party. His major influence on the people was an extreme threat to the power of the PNP’s rival parties. December 3, 1976 there was an assassination attempt on Marley. This assassination attempt allegedly was for political reasons. A few years later Marley was diagnosed with cancer that had spread and he died in Miami, Florida, on May 11, 1981. The song “Get Up Stand Up” was the last song Bob Marley performed live on stage. It was performed in September of 1980 less than a year before he died in May of 1981

When Afrika Bambaataa built Universal Zulu Nation, DJ’s, B-Boys, B-Girls, graffiti artists, and MC’s all had a place to express themselves with guns and violence set aside. It was an expressive outlet used for intellectual study and to get to know one’s self. The Theme of Universal Zulu Nation was, “Peace, Love, Unity, and Having Fun” (Price 13). By

The paper discusses how Marley’s music changed society by mainstreaming the ideas of black resistance, social justice, racial equality, and anti-colonialism to the baby-boom generation and generations endlessly onward. The paper will outline the historical background of reggae as well as the social cause to which it became attached by the work of Marley. The paper submits that reggae, ultimately, became the chief means of expressing the angst and dislocation felt by many within the African Diaspora. Finally, the paper will offer a critical analysis of one of Marley’s works, “I Shot the Sheriff”, and will explain why this signature work is a classic instance of reggae speaking out against injustice and the prevailing power structure.

In Jamaica at the time Bob was viewed as a mystic and prophet, and was

The Evolution of Reggae Music Reggae has sustained the test of time and remains one of the world's last genuine folk music. The evolution of Reggae music can be traced back to the early 1900's with 'Mento', which is a simple music art form of Jamaican folk music with strong African roots. Reggae music is protest songs against racism, corruption and injustice. It has close links with a religion based around the Bible that is re-interpreted from a black's perspective, 'Rastafarianism'.

Reggae music was a big part of Jamaican culture. Many artists practiced the style of reggae and some of the artists like Bob Marley influenced and showed people internationally all about this music. It originated around the time that Jamaica was being attacked by European countries like Spain and native people being taken into slavery. Bob Marley was born after the time of slave trading but whites still effected the native people and this is how he got his inspiration for his music.