Bob Marley and Reggae Music

Could You Be Loved is another song written by Bob Marley after he witnessed the terrible Jamaican school system, people living in poverty which caused the oppression of both the Jamaican and African people. Bob Marley wanted the world to know about the educational injustice taking place in The Jamaican School System. This is one of the many messages Bob Marley tried to spread across in this song. He sang of how many children could not afford to go to school because of certain rules preventing them. In the line," Don't let them fool you or even try to school you" Marley is writing about how the Jamaican school systems have a policy that says shoes must be worn in school. Many families in Jamaica cannot afford shoes, so their children were unable to attend school and receive an education. For the chorus of the song, Could you be loved, he wrote "Could you be loved….and be loved." This had a very strong meaning. Are people

Music is an art form and source of power. Many forms of music reflect culture and society, as well as, containing political content and social message. Music as social change has been highlighted throughout the 20th century. In the 1960s the United States saw political and socially oriented folk music discussing the Vietnam War and other social issues. In Jamaica during the 1970s and 1980s reggae developed out of the Ghetto’s of Trench town and expressed the social unrest of the poor and the need to over-through the oppressors. The 1980’s brought the newest development in social and political music, the emergence of hip-hop and rap. This urban musical art form that was developed in New

Marley never got to go home for his farewell concert and his cancer was aggravated by the exhausting trip from Germany to Jamaica. A national hero to Jamaica, the Jamaican Government presented Bob Marley with the Order of Merit, as well a year before his death he was awarded the Medal of peace by the United Nations. At the National Arena in Kingston more than 30,000 people came to his memorial to mourn the death of a beloved musician. In 1994 he was finally immortalized in the music industry by being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. While it’s been decades since Bob Marley sang his last song, his music and values still live on through the legacies he left behind. His fight for human rights continues through the Bob Marley Foundation, which helps people living in developing

When you hear the name Bob Marley what do you think? I know I thought of the Rasta movement and the colors green, yellow and red. I thought of a symbol being abused to justify the smoking of cannabis. But if I was to tell you that Bob Marley may be one of the most influential political activists of all time.

“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

In this portion of the paper I will be focusing on Bob Marley and give an introduction to who he is, how he learned his music and how he became famous.

to hate blacks, but the worst thing was that she was 18 when he was

Reggae is especially popular through the international fame of Bob Marley. Jamaican music's influence on music styles in other countries includes the practice of toasting, which was brought to New York City and evolved into rapping. British genres such as Lovers rock, jungle music and grime are also influenced by Jamaican

Furthermore, reading this book gave me a further clarity, yet a narrow view of Marley’s life. How could the impact Bob Marley’s, in addition to Reggae’s contribution, to the elusive question [“What does it mean to be human?] be contained in a few hundred pages? It cannot. The elements of being human are similar to nature and the vast complexities of science. Series of overlapping webs, which include: learning through means available, cultural identification, and the infinite quest for beauty, are all too

The message an artist delivers can be a double-edged sword depending on the artist and the frame of mind that went behind of the making of the song. Many artists can convey a peaceful message when facing society. For example, artist Bob Marley constantly promoted equal coexistence that has been referred to time and time again as to how music can encourage a more accepting society. On the other hand, some artists believe that reaching social stability is with aggressive, physical movements that require backlashing at all oppressors. This destructive state of mind can cause more harm than good,

Last year, Ziggy and Damian Marley, along with other stars including Bruno Mars and Sting, performed in a Grammy Tribute performance to commemorate Bob Marley on what would have been his 68th birthday. Fans everywhere joined the celebration, remembering Marley, his music, and the lasting impact he made on many people during the brief time that he was alive. Bob Marley was and still is a symbol of peace and acceptance around the world. His lyrics touched the lives of many and have stood the test of time. But before he was on stage spreading good vibes, he dealt with struggle, hardship, and pain.

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

Bob Marley and the Wailers produced songs of hope and freedom that related to the wars happening between Vietnam. The song "War" by Bob Marley and the Wailers impacted the world. These reggae musicians were the

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.