One Love concept practiced around the World: New Zealand

Wellington to celebrate Waitangi at One Love

Monday, 5 February 2007, 11:58 am
Press Release: One Love 2007 Wellington to celebrate Waitangi at One Love

Waitangi Day will be celebrated in style in Wellington, with the tenth annual One Love concert set for the Hataitai Velodrome tomorrow.

With the weather forecast predicting all-day sun with a gentle southwest breeze, organiser Dave Gibbons said that One Love was set to provide a great day out for Wellingtonians on Waitangi Day.

“What better way than to spend the national day with good music, great weather and thousands of your mates,” he said.

“We started this event ten years ago to provide an alternative to the politics and apathy that coloured the national day. I thought there was a better way to celebrate unity, peace and respect for all – and that was to throw a big party!

“Bring a blanket to sit on, a hamper and refreshments and soak up the sun and good vibes on Waitangi Day,” he said.

People attending One Love can bring their own alcohol as long as it is not contained in glass, continuing the same policy for the past ten years. The no-glass policy will be strictly enforced. A cash bar and food stalls will be provided.

Headline acts include House of Shem, Olmecha Supreme, Home Fire Burning and Adi Dick, with DJ support from Ras Twig, Topknot and Carlito.

There are plans for the performers to lead the crowd in singing a classic Bob Marley song between 3.30 and 4pm.

“It’s a bit of a tradition in New Zealand to have a sing-along to celebrate unity, so we thought we’d give it a crack on a grand scale,” said Mr Gibbons. “Last year 17,000 people came to One Love so this could be a giant Bob Marley karaoke!”

Peace Ambassador at Work

History on half-a-roll

published: Sunday | February 4, 2007
Howard Moo Young, Jamaican Gleaner

History was created at the National Stadium on the night of April 22, 1978, when Robert Nesta Marley, reggae icon and Jamaica's undisputed musical ambassador for peace, brought the two political leaders, Prime Minister Michael Manley and Leader of the Opposition Edward Seaga, on-stage together.

As the nation reeled in turmoil with political violence and much bloodshed, members of the warring factions of both parties formed a peace committee to try and find a common ground for peace. Bob Marley stepped forward to be a part of the process by agreeing with all those involved to stage what is now known as the Bob Marley One Love Peace Concert. This was only two years after an assassination attempt was made on his own life, after which he went into a self-imposed exile for two years.

The peace committee convinced other leading Jamaican artistes of that time, including Peter Tosh, Big Youth, The Inner Circle, Dennis Brown, Junior Tucker, Culture, Ras Michael and the Sons of Negus and others, to be a part of the show.

Hungry for peace, the nation turned out in their thousands to overflow the National Stadium as a show of solidarity behind the prophet of 'peace and love', along with the many other performers on-stage.

History unfolds

Hope soared in the hearts of the nation as the never-to-be-forgotten event in Jamaica's history began to unfold before their eyes, live across the nation on all electronic media.

As the throng of local and international press and photographers scampered around trying to pick the perfect spot below the giant stage, I stood there armed with one camera, one lens one roll of film and no flash.

I was personally involved with this concert, having designed the poster and created all the advertising for the event. I even had the privilege of attending rehearsals late into the morning at that wooden cottage known then as Strawberry Hill.

I will never forget that night at the National Stadium as long as I live, standing there and witnessing firsthand the events that would unfold within minutes.

I had already photographed Peter Tosh, Big Youth, Jacob Miller and the rest of dancers and drummers, when I heard an audible voice giving me certain instructions.

"Howard! Stop shooting now! Save your film, for what is about to take place is not on the programme but will create history. You must capture it!"

I immediately put my Nikon F under my arm with the remaining 17 frames of Kodacolor 400 film intact and I chose to be obedient to those words even as I saw Bob Marley whisper into someone's ears, apparently instructions that he had requested.

I stood my ground waiting in anticipation, keeping my ears to the ground as the reggae bass guitarist pumped out the positive vibrations.

I knew that something unexpected was about to take place as the commotion behind me got louder and louder. By now everyone was on their feet with eyes aloft. I recognised the figure of the Prime Minister, Michael Manley, lifted high above the crowd, being carried forward by a sea of hands towards the front of the stage as Bob Marley signalled his welcome to that giant platform.

Edward Seaga followed

That was just the beginning as, in similar fashion, Edward Seaga, Leader of the Opposition, followed the same route, destined for a place on stage. I now realised that what was taking place was what was told to me by that voice just minutes before.

The rest is history, as what unfolded on that stage in the centre of that football field was awesome, unbelievable and beyond words.

As photographers scampered around trying to find, beg and borrow film as many of them had already emptied their prized commodity in capturing the King of Reggae who had just given an electrifying performance, not expecting a climax of what was to come, I stood my ground like a sentry.

As Bob put his hands around the shoulders of both leaders as in a moment of prayer, a hush came over the crowd.

He then held both their hands and raised them in unison to the pounding sounds and words of the Song of the Century, "one love, one heart, let's get together ..." The entire audience erupted and joined in at that historic moment to record the emotions, the drama and the event that would fill the front pages of every leading newspaper of the times.

Jamaicans united

I believe that every Jamaican at home, in their cars, on their bikes, in every bar, in every square, joined hands together, sang and hoped for peace.

At the age of 36, I believe that God allowed me to capture the most important photographs that I've ever taken in my life so far and He also gave me the opportunity to participate in this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Out of this half-a-roll of film, I was rewarded with a Silver Medal in the 1979 Commonwealth Photography Exhibition in Edmonton, Canada, and two Gold Medals in the 1982 Festival Photography Competition and an entire wall in the Bob Marley Museum.

I now share this exclusive collection of prized photographs with all Jamaica through this medium and a moment that I will always treasure as long as I live.

One Love!

Still Alive

Bob Marley Day across the globe

By Basil Walters Observer staff reporter waltersb@jamaicaobserver.com
Sunday, February 04, 2007

Twenty-six years after his death in 1981, the musical and philosophical legacy of Robert Nesta Marley OM (Bob Marley), is being celebrated worldwide, especially on his birthday, February 6.

From Jamaica to the Americas, to Africa where this year's Africa Unite show will take place in South Africa, Bob Marley's 62nd birthday will be celebrated across the continents. In Jamaica, there will be a week of celebratory activities in his honour revolving around some of the things with which he is identified.

Bob Marley would have celebrated his 57th birthday on February 6.

On the home front, the celebration climaxes with the Smile Jamaica concert set for February 10, at Nine Miles in St Ann. The event, being staged by Ghetto Youths International, features the Marley clan in sons Stephen, Damian, Julian and Kymani along with a host of other acts including Bunny Wailer.

But kicking off the series of activities is the first of two symposia on Monday (February 5), the eve of Bob Marley Day. The three-hour symposium titled Welcome to Jamrock: Reggae Music's Influence on Tourism and the Economy, takes place at the Bob Marley Museum (56 Hope Road) between the hours of 7:00 and 10:00 pm.

The second symposium is the annual Bob Marley Lecture on Thursday, February 8, organised by The Reggae Studies Unit at the University of the West Indies, Mona. This symposium puts the question which has long been a burning issue squarely on the table. The question is, Bob Marley: National Hero or National Icon?
Noted psychologist, Dr Leachim Semaj, will lend his expertise in assisting the process of arriving at the appropriate answer at the UWI, the Undercroft of the Senate Building, at 6:00 pm. A concert at Culture Yard later that evening will give a sneak preview of the Nine Miles show with the Marley brothers.

The morning session of the Bob Marley Day activities on Tuesday, February 6, centres on his famed Tuff Gong International Studio, where at 9:00 am, invited schools will participate in special guided tours with the theme, The Making Of Music, during which students will get a glimpse of what goes into the making of records.

In the afternoon, the focus shifts to the Bob Marley Museum where a Soul Shake Down Party will celebrate the music of the reggae icon's era from 7:00 pm until 2:00 am. At the same time, there will be a Rastafari Nyahbinghi ceremony at the Culture Yard in Trench Town where he spent a lot of his formative years after moving from his native community of Nine Miles in St Ann.

Then on the following day (Wednesday, February 7), at the museum, the 1993 film Sankofa will be shown at 7:00 pm. This is in collaboration with the Jamaica Bicentenary Committee.
In Atlanta, the celebration began on Saturday, February 3, with the Up Town Top Ranking promotion at the Apache Cafe, featuring Erica Newell, formerly of Melody Makers. On that gig also were some US-based reggae acts like Ras Kofi, Kelly Jones, Sista P Selassie and Spla "I" Jah.

In Toronto, Canada, Mayor David Miller will today (Sunday, February 4), for the seventeenth year, officially declare open Bob Marley Day, at the Trane Studio Restaurant, 964 Bathhurst Street.

Story of Reggae

A comprehensive history of REGGAE MUSIC can be found here.

Music CAN make the world a better place

http://news.calabashmusic.com/world/tuneyourworld


Do you believe we can change the world through music?

In the United States our foreign-aid programs do not support our belief that we are a nation known for its good works around the world. The US public believes we spend a great deal more money helping other countries than we actually do. Polls suggest that most Americans think the federal government spends about 10 to 15 percent of its budget on foreign aid. (see this surveyProgram for International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland)

The truth is that we spend less than 1%, the lowest of any industrialized nation.

All of sub-Saharan Africa receives just over $1 billion per year from the US in economic aid. If everyone in the United States gave up one soft drink a month we could double our current aid to Africa. If everyone gave up one movie a year we could double our current aid to Africa and

We have an even better idea:
If every American would buy 10 songs by African Artists -- We would DOUBLE the amount of money the US is currently sending to Africa. This is what we mean by 'Tune Your World'

Where does the money go?
At least 50% (in some cases 100%) of your purchase will go to African Artists, or an African relief NGO and stay in Africa. With this money, musicians will be able to buy new instruments, recording or performing equipment, complete their education, or put a new roof on their house. Together we can create a thriving music economy in places where the music industry has never worked very well. We are starting in Africa and we will be moving to other parts of the world as our work progresses.
conducted by the Asia.

Empress Menen * Queen Omega

EMPRESS WOIZERO MENEN

The Queen of Iration

Words by Ruth Willis (Adapted from an article by Kwasi Osei Bonsu)

Whenever the struggle for Black self-determination is studied, the focus is often on the brave and courageous men who gave their lives for the betterment of their people. However little study is given to the women who also played a vital role in this struggle. The Black woman's role in the struggle for freedom and equality cannot be overstated. Every great man in history has come into the world through the womb of a woman, and historically the Black woman has been a pillar of strength throughout Africa and the Diaspora. Without looking at the contributions made by Black women throughout the ages, the full story of the Black experience and struggle cannot be told. While there are countless Black women worthy of having their stories told, this article focuses on the life and works of the last Queen of Queens of Ethiopia, Empress Woizero Menen.

On November 2, 1930, when His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie I ascended the throne of Ethiopia as King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah, Elect of God, and True Light of this World, he was not alone. Empress Menen was at his right hand, and was crowned Queen of Queens shortly after. This was the first time in history that a King and Queen were crowned at the same time. When Emperor Haile Selassie I ordered that his Queen be crowned at the same time as himself, he broke with centuries-old traditions and set a new precedent for how women were to be viewed in Ethiopia and throughout the African Diaspora. When the 72 invited nations bowed down before the Emperor, they also bowed before Empress Menen. Empress Menen and Emperor Haile Selassie I are both of the King Solomon and Queen of Sheba lineage. Their coronations were seen by The Rastafarian movement as a fulfilment of prophecy, and are exalted as King Alpha and Queen Omega, the beginning without an end. Empress Menen is worshiped as the Mother of Creation and provides a strong role model for Rasta women; a significant point to make as Rasta is seen by many as a sexist movement.

Empress Menen was born on March 25, 1883 in the Wollo province of the Ambassel Region at a place called "Egua". She was the daughter of King Mikael of Wollo, a powerful provincial leader, who later sided with a rival of Emperor Haile Selassie I and caused a civil war in 1961. Empress Menen kept her wedding vows to her husband, and showed loyalty to their union by helping him to defeat rival forces and maintain his position as head of the government. Her education was consistent with the Ethiopian tradition for girls at the time, and she learned home economics and spinning. Despite her own modest education, Empress Menen championed many causes related to education in Ethiopia. She founded a school for girls and was known for donating money to various educational causes. On May 28, 1926, she made a significant financial contribution to an effort to construct schools for poor children and freed slaves. She also opened many technical centres for women, including a nursing school in Asmara, which bears her name.

Her love for education was second only to her love for her creator. She was baptised in the Orthodox Ethiopian Christian Church. Empress Menen spent a great deal of time in prayer, and a great deal of her personal money building and renovating churches. During the Italian invasion, many churches were devastated and she spent a great deal of time, resources and energy seeing that they were rebuilt. On July 30, 1911, she married Emperor Haile Selassie I, then Ras Tafari, in a traditional wedding ceremony. The Emperor has said of Empress Menen that "She is a kind woman; in her nature, she is a total stranger to cruelty and offensiveness. We have lived since our marriage through years of good and ill fortune by sharing together our happiness as well as our sorrows." These sorrows were many, as the Royal family of Ethiopia faced a great deal of trials and tribulations. Empress Menen was the mother of six children, many of who, she would live to see die.

In 1935 when the fascist forces of Italy invaded Ethiopia, Empress Menen played a key role in organising the women of Ethiopia to provide aid for wounded soldiers. She was also instrumental in organising the women of the world to speak out against war and it's horrific realities. In a speech to the World Women's Association in 1936 she stated, "We know that all Italian mothers and barren women may worry about the war, since war is good for nothing. Therefore, all women found in the world should prevent the war before it brings trouble and distress. They should collaborate their voice and request to avoid the war before the bloodshed comes on both sides."

Because of her role in the education of women, work with the poor, commitment to her spiritual beliefs, and her quiet strength in the face of tribulation, Empress Menen has secured a place for herself in Ethiopian and World history as a powerful Black woman. In these times, where it seems to many that the Black woman's worth lies solely in her appearance, it is nice to know that there are Black women who challenge such popular misconceptions. Although Empress Menen was a powerful force in the empowerment of women in Ethiopia and world wide, she did not fit the stereotype of the modern day feminist. She stood for education and women pursuing the highest degree of education possible, yet always put her family first. She showed great strength through humility and never sought out the limelight, but preferred to let her words speak for her. Yet when it mattered, she raised her voice to speak out against injustices facing her people. Empress Menen was truly deserving of the title Queen of Queens, and although she passed away, (or as Rasta believe, withdrew herself from public view) in 1965, she will always be remembered in the hearts of Africans, both at home and abroad. Empress Menen, we salute your greatness, Queen Omega, Mother of Creation.
This article can be found on the University of East London website at http://www.uelsu.net/main/FUEL/fuels/lateshow/irationqueen

Rasta Lionesses

Here is some information I received by e-mail today.


SISTREN

Female Rastafarians were never referred to as ladies. They were better known as lioness, sistrens, sistas, or dawtas (McFarlane, 90, 1988). The Rastafarians regard themselves as successor of the Maroons’ freedom-fighting tradition. The Maroons are a West Indian tribe found in the mountain of Jamaica who refused to live in slavery. They were ruled by a former slave woman called Nanny, Jamaica’s only woman national hero. A Rastafari woman is appropriately characterized as a "lioness," positioning rebel woman against the system.
Though the woman represents a delightful pleasure, she also symbolizes a particular danger to men. "Rastafari believe that a woman is of such wayward nature that only through her male spouse, her ‘king-man’, may she attain the enlightenment of Jah" (Chevannes, 37, 1998). One Biblical story of Adam and Eve’s experience is in the Garden of Eden where she gets him to eat the apple. This story is used as an example of what is in store for men when they allow the woman to take charge. Samson and Delilah’s story is another example of why women should not be trusted. Delilah marries Samson, gets him to tell her the secret of his strength, then she uses the secret against him.
During the female menstrual cycle, men are seen as vulnerable. To avoid all possibilities of contamination during this time, female underwear is strictly segregated from the laundry. Only the woman herself is allowed to wash her undergarment. "Menstruating and pregnant women are also thought to have a malignant effect on certain crops" (Chevannes, 24, 1998). Rasta women are not allowed to work in the field when they are in these conditions. They are expected to work in the homes where they do not come into contact with anything that germinate.
Despite all the negative views that are imposed on them, women are still seen as a source of male delight and comfort, they are therefor pleasuring their counterparts. In sexual intercourse men always believe they satisfy the women. She is not allowed to complain about anything that happens in the bedroom. Rasta women get the greatest respect and adoration from men in their role of mother. To demonstrate the importance of motherhood the title "Mada" is given to women who gain the widenewpage7.htm respect of their communities, and those who become Revival leaders. The strongest domestic relationship is the bond that is found between a mother and her son, where the highest possible insult to any man is to berate his mother.
In the early 1980’s Rastawomen began speaking out about the role that they played in the movement. The sistrens demanded more specific responses from brethren, men in the movement, regarding the revision of gender relations to reflect the imperative for female autonomy. ‘A women’s organization concerned with the analysis of working woman’s lives, Sistren Theatre Collective, was unprecedented in the mid-to late 1980s, to say the least’ (McFarlane, 90, 1998).

still making money off of Bob's back

Former Marley Family Home to Open As Romantic Resort

If you're a Bob Marley fan (and who's not?), make a note on your calendar that this spring the Marley Resort & Spa will open in Nassau, Bahamas. Once the Marley family's summer home, lovingly watched over by Rita Marley herself, the Marley Resort & Spa will echo the family's creative spirit as an intimate world-class sanctuary.

Why It's Dreamy: The resort is designed as an elegant microcosm of African and Caribbean style with sculptured hand-carved doors, mosaic tiles, intricate stonework and sandstone walls. Each of the 16 themed suites is named for a Marley song title, such as Kinky Reggae, Nice Time, and Kaya.

Amenities and services will include tropical rain showers, whirlpool tubs, flat-screen televisions, high-speed internet and in-room Bose entertainment systems. Guests also can have a private access to two, free-form swimming pools or a stretch of beach. The resort includes five-star personal concierge with 24-hour room service; when it's time to leave your room, there's a list of adventurous excursions plus a collection of wedding, honeymoon and vow-renewal packages.

The resort will also include three Royal Suites:
• Royal Rita features a signature Royal Chaise Lounge, mahogany furniture, African prints, hardwood floors, and oceanfront views.
• Legend is designed with the King in mind, offering a separate living room, private balcony, hardwood floors and fully stocked wet bar.
• One Love, the resort's signature honeymoon suite, has an intimate, in-room Jacuzzi tub for two, dual rainfall showers and stellar views.

Simmer Down, the resort's restaurant will offer gourmet Caribbean cuisine with some classic family recipes featuring organic produce and fresh seafood.

Look for a couple's suite and beach-hut treatment areas at Natural Mystic, the resort's spa. Guests will be treated with traditional secrets from Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean, as well as Rita's herbal bath rituals.

Guests will also have access to The Music Gallery, a behind-the-scenes look at Bob's life and the Marley family's music. And the in-house boutique will feature daughter Cedella Marley's Catch-A-Fire clothing, as well as the works of African, Jamaican and Bahamian artisans.

Price: Special introductory rates start at $495 per room, per night double occupancy and based on availability.

For more information:
• visit www.marleyresort.com
• e-mail guestrelations@marleyresort.com
• call 305-420-6154