Nothing irie about Rita Marley
Bob Marley's wife 'might have the name, but she doesn't have his philosophy', write Kwanele Sosibo and Percy Zvomuya
Although Africa has rid itself of its colonial masters, the songs War, Zimbabwe, Revolution and many others remain relevant. The old-style race-based system may be gone, but the unequal relations it created are still with us, morphing into even more virulent forms. The song Revolution says “it takes a revolution to make a solution” and declares “never make a politician grant you a favour, they will always want to control you forever”, showing Marley’s distrust for governments and bureaucracies. His message of continental unity remains ever more relevant at a time when nation states, carved out at the Berlin Conference, are frayed at the edges, fragile and about to tear apart because of fights about who controls resources. The secessional fires in Biafra have not been doused, Ambazonians want to break away from Cameroon and oil-rich Cabinda has tired of Angola. However steadfast Marley was in his vision of a vigilant, egalitarian Africa, his legacy today is being tainted by custodians like his widow, Rita Marley, who has mastered celebrity philanthropy to the extent of stomping on the grave of her dead husband to further her self-enrichment. Wherever Rita goes these days, she finds the opportunity to flog her three-year-old book No Woman No Cry: My Life with Bob Marley, in which, to the delight of the European media, she claims that her late husband raped her. To jolt the sluggish publicity machine for the initial Africa Unite concert in Ethiopia in 2005, Rita made the shock announcement that she would exhume Bob’s remains and re-bury them in Ethiopia, much to the dismay of his mother. After sufficient dust was kicked up, her foundation denied the whole brouhaha. Early last year, she joined forces with Island Records honcho Chris Blackwell to block Bob’s musical director and bass player Aston “Familyman” Barrett’s £60million lawsuit for unpaid royalties. Bob paid his band 50% of all his recording royalties, but Rita discontinued this practice after Bob died. Although Familyman just about built Bob’s in-house studio in Kingston and, together with his deceased brother Carlton, co-wrote and co-produced several of his songs, Rita and Blackwell swore in a British high court that “the Barrett Brothers were never Wailers, they were session men”, despite contracts to the contrary. Familyman has been reduced to a troubadour playing in hole-in-the-wall clubs with an incarnation of the Wailers band, which includes several members from Bob’s days. He quipped pithily: “She might have the [Marley] name, but she doesn’t have his philosophy.” According to Forbes magazine, Bob Marley’s estate brought in more than $7million last year. This was the first time since his death that the figure spiralled, which would give cause for Rita’s rigorous fund-raising in South Africa. This would probably also explain the monstrosity that is the 16-suite Marley Resort and Spa in Nassau, Bahamas, where the affluent can sweat their troubles away and have an irie sleep in suites named after Bob’s songs: Three Little Birds, Natural Mystic, Sun is Shining, Kinky Reggae and others. While it would be unfair to downplay her acts of generosity, however exaggerated -- putting children through school and helping develop infrastructure in communities such as Konkonuru in her adopted country, Ghana -- it is interesting to note that several people who have dealt with Rita on a business level abruptly severed their relationships with her because of her unreliability. We are talking from Jamaica to Africa here. Mega Star Limited, a local production company-cum-band that was approached by Rita to perform and provide music equipment for the Africa Unite concert in Ghana last year, is still bitter about its unpaid fee. As is a Jamaican PR company she asked to publicise and market a Marley family performance at an annual Jamaican festival a few years ago. Also, the public relations and publicity teams that represented Rita when she first announced the Africa Unite programme in South Africa last year have cut ties with her. PR company Dlamini Weil Communications will not explain why. Rita’s Africa Unite programme to celebrate her husband’s 62nd birthday has not been going ahead as planned. Concerts have been postponed until May, the month of Bob’s death. All is not lost for Mrs Marley, though, as Patrice Motsepe is understood to be interested in becoming a partner in the show. In the meantime, she will keep launching her book at every turn and business in the Bahamas will probably boom. Bob’s revolutionary zeal, refusing to be silenced, will chant, in an increasingly haunting timbre: “Soon we’ll find out who is the real revolutionaries, ’cause I don’t want my people to be tricked by mercenaries.” |  | |
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
erhaps no region, outside of his home area, occupied Bob Marley’s mind and lyrics more than Southern Africa when he was at his peak in the late 1970s. No doubt it had to do with the decolonisation processes that were going on in Angola, Mozambique and Zimbabwe at the time.
Rita Marley was in town to open a photographic exhibition of her famous husband, reggae rebel Bob Marley. And she sat down to dine with the mayor at Constitution Hill.
February 15, 2007
By Lucille Davie
IT was a warm evening to celebrate the cool Bob Marley when Johannesburg's executive mayor Amos Masondo and Rita Marley got down on Constitution Hill.
Together they paid tribute to the Jamaican reggae master on Valentine's night by opening an exhibition of Marley photographs and dining in his honour.
Paying homage to Bob Marley: Rita Marley and Johannesburg executive mayor Amos Masondo
(Photo: Enoch Lehung, City of Johannesburg)
On Wednesday, 14 February, in a black-draped marquee with Marley's music playing in the background, a crowd of about 80 people, some dressed in stylish kaftans, Rastafarian dreadlocks and knitted tea-cosy hats, celebrated the life of Bob Marley. The singer died of cancer in 1981, at the age of 36.
A parade of top officials was among the guests, including the Speaker, Nkele Ntingane; the City manager, Mavela Dlamini; the councillor for public safety, Thomas Phakhathi; the councillor for transportation, Rehana Moosajee, Cape Town's mayor, Helen Zille; Ekurhuleni's mayor, Duma Nkosi; the chief justice of the Constitutional Court, Puis Langa; the chairperson of the Commission on Gender Equality, Joyce Seroke; and members of the Marley family.
"We gather here this evening to celebrate the life of one of the most recognised faces of world popular culture, Bob Marley," Masondo said. "This year, together with his family, we are privileged to celebrate his birthday."
Marley was born on 6 February 1945 - he would have been 62 this year had he lived.
Rita Marley launched her book, No Woman, No Cry: My Life with Bob Marley earlier in the week. And before the dinner, several rooms of striking photographs of Marley, plus a video, were unveiled in the Old Fort. The exhibition, entitled Freedom Fighters, will run until mid-April, when the photographs will be auctioned.
The Marley family is in South Africa to promote the Bob and Rita Marley Africa Unite project, through a series of benefit concerts, symposiums and fundraisers. Africa Unite 2007 is an initiative to encourage peace, education and youth empowerment in Africa through reinforcing Bob Marley's songs of freedom.
Not only does the visit coincide with Marley's birthday, but it also comes during and Black History Month. The family has also visited Durban.
Rita Marley, looking glamorous in a twinkling, gold, ankle-length dress, with matching gold earrings and a tall head-dress, exchanged gifts with Masondo. He gave her a framed photograph of the Nelson Mandela Bridge and several books on the city, while she presented him with a rare photograph of her husband - "no one else has this photograph" - and a copy of her book.
"I can't find the words to express my feelings," she said. Then, showing she still had a lot of groove in her, she added: "I wish I had a band up here - I could sing."
Her daughter, Cedella Marley, exhibited her fashion range, labelled Catch A Fire. So, between the main course of roast rack of lamb or chicken breast, and the dessert of Jamaican pudding with golden sauce and coconut cornells, diners greeted the minis, shiny boots, hot pants, berets, tall heels and gypsy skirts with wild enthusiasm.
Director of events for the City of Johannesburg, Bongi Mokaba, chats to Rita Marley
(Photo: Enoch Lehung, City of Johannesburg)
"Bob Marley despised racism, colonialism and oppression and this remains an important element of his legacy; and no doubt he would be pleased to see it remembered in a free South Africa," Masondo said.
Rita Marley echoed the sentiment. "We had a dream about coming to Africa and how we could stop apartheid," she said.
Each table was decorated with a carved wooden head; sitting atop each head was an arrangement of flowers chosen to resemble dreadlocks.
"Bob Marley has made a significant contribution to building a free, non-sexist, non-racial and democratic South Africa," continued Masondo.
"To the Marley family, we say: welcome home, to Africa, to South Africa, to the province of Gauteng; welcome to the city of Johannesburg."
Saturday’s birthday celebration for Bob Marley proved his legend still lives on, 26 years after his death in 1981. For his would-be 62nd birthday, five acts interpreted his music as their own at Castaways.
Marley is one of music’s most well-known figures. He brought Jamaican culture to the rest of the world with hits like “No Woman, No Cry” and “Three Little Birds.” He passed away years before 12 million copies of the greatest-hits compilation “Legend” were sold. His passing left a burden on mainstream reggae music, which essentially stopped evolving once he died.
Organized by Castaways to benefit a farmer in western Africa, the concert had memorable moments. The show began with Mile 21, a seven-piece ska group from the Boston area. As the only young act of the night, it achieved audience approval through a horn-heavy version of Marley’s “One Cup of Coffee.” Frontman Mike Francis, clad in a striped, collared shirt and baseball cap, asked the audience, “We’re all in this for Bob, right?”
The band’s highlight came at the end of its set, with a transcendent version of “Exodus.” Lead guitarist Mike Goulart used heavy reverb effects during his solo and effectively climaxed before a chant of “Get Up, Stand Up.” The group reverted back to “Exodus,” leaving with a volatile crash-and-burn ending.
The next act, Don Bazley, was not as engaging. He began his acoustic set on a stool, accompanied by Jim Catalano on electric guitar. His lazy takes on “Guiltiness” and “Stop That Train” were probably not what Marley would have enjoyed, with nasally vocals and half-strummed guitar chords.
After a politically relevant “Talkin’ Blues,” Bazley jokingly said, “We don’t need to get political at a Bob Marley show,” and then went on to plug Barack Obama.
Joel Blizzard and Jhakeem Haltom, members of Ithaca’s “Thousands of One,” led the next performance and were joined by a full band.
The group tightly strode through haunting versions of “Slave Driver,” “Concrete Jungle” and “War.” Haltom sung with fury, reaching out to the barroom audience as if pleading for help.
An incessantly long 45-minute wait followed. The Haunt’s open-mic host Richie Stearns eventually appeared on stage with a five-piece bluegrass band, including cellist Hank Roberts. Musical variation outside of reggae was refreshing, but the group played a scant two songs. The set did end well with an uplifting banjo take on “Three Little Birds.”
Stearns was later joined by the “Ithaca Reggae All-Stars,” a collection of nearly 15 artists, for the most high-energy part of the evening. Musicians from nearly every band played, including famed former John Brown’s Body vocalist Kevin Kinsella.
The group played for more than an hour, including a sublime version of Marley’s “Burnin’ and Lootin’.” The atmosphere was casual, with artists jumping on stage and grabbing the microphone as they pleased.
People cheered. Drinks flowed. College students attempted to fuse Marley’s reggae with hip-hop booty dancing. One love, for sure.
Capleton expands on his 'Tour'
In 1993 Capleton's Tour exploded on the Jamaican music scene, the lament of a deejay newly into Rastafari looking at the mayhem all around (come back a Jamaica everyting insecure, booga man a plan all fi march an' tour), as well as the violence meted out to entertainers ('come back come hear sey Panhead skull bore').
And he observed the infighting among deejays ('and de deejay dem naa teach people no more/a bare clashin' an fightin' dem no unite no more'), noting that 'if slackness a de sickness den culture a de cure'.
Thirteen years later, Capleton is expanding on tour, if not the song, then the places that he is coming back from. Shortly he is headed to Hawaii, then after that he does Europe and Canada. But there are new places on the Prophet's concert map this year, among them Brazil, New Zealand and Chile.
It will be the second groundbreaking year for Capleton, as 'las' year we go Slovenia, Finland fe de firs' time. An we do some of the bigges' festival in Europe, like Rotterdam in Italy and the Dour Festival in Belgium.'
The response has been striking. "When you see how outside people embrace de music with love. People who don't know the language still sing de patois an' still sing de English," Capleton said. He said that he has been to France, Spain and Germany and people have been singing his songs 'word for word' while he has been performing.
"More time it mek our people look like dem no know wha dem have inna dem han", Capleton said. Bob woulda sey our music is news.
He was speaking to THE STAR backstage at the Get Up Stand Up concert, held on Bob Marley's 62nd birthday at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre, Hope Road, St. Andrew, shortly after coming off stage where he had performed It Was Written with Stephen and Damian Marley. He would definitely work with them again. "De firs' time me do some work wid dem a Grammy," he said, smiling.
"It was written, but true nuff people no read. The truth is there for one to find. Yu have to believe in yourself. Always glorify another man work," he said.
And that glorification applies to deejaying as well, Capleton reminding THE STAR that 'a me sey music is a mission', is me sey 'alms house'.
But many years after he did those songs lamenting the feuding deejays, as he did in Tour, Capleton still finds himself having to caution the clashers. Why It have To Be Like Dis' on the Taxi rhythm addresses some old clashers and some new ones. Capleton said the song goes out to deejays such as Bounty Killer, Beenie Man, Ninja Man, Vybz Kartel, Aidonia and Mavado.
"Clashing always be a part of de ting, but now man mek it become a personal ting. Man fi leave dem family life a dem yard," he said.
And as he sees it, those songs won't be going on tour.
"The clash ting dem a gwaan wid inna Jamaica, is a minimal place that can carry on a galactic scale. Dem can only go New York an' Miami likkle bit. Some a my people woulda sey it cyaan pass airport," Capleton said, laughing.
'National hero or cultural icon?'
published: Tuesday | February 13, 2007
Krista Henry
Bob Marley's international appeal is obvious and lasting. - Rudolph Brown/Chief Photographer
'Bob Marley has helped define the global image of Jamaica.'
- Dr. Leahcim Semaj
The King of reggae music, a global icon - yet not a National Hero. The Reggae Studies Unit at The University of the West Indies, last Thursday at the Undercroft, UWI Mona campus, discussed the position of Bob Marley in Jamaica and the global society.
The 10th Annual Bob Marley Lecture took on the huge task of querying 'Bob Marley: National Hero or Cultural Icon?' After the opening remarks from DJ Afifa and coordinaror of the Reggae Studies Unit Carolyn Cooper, Clyde McKenzie, chairman of the Entertainment Advisory Board, with a few humorous comments introduced the guest speaker for the night Dr. Leahcim Semaj. A consulting psychologist, Semaj gave an energetic, straightforward and enlightening lecture on the status of reggae's icon Mr Marley.
Semaj started off by making valid points about the music industry itself, its profitability on numerous levels, claiming "music is a profound entity, a multibillion-dollar industry. One hit song can feed someone for the rest of their lives". Music affects the world; the way in which people dress, act and speak. Marley used his music to affect the world, bringing forth his objectives of peace and freedom. Having personally experienced the power of Marley at his concerts, Semaj attested to the ability of the icon to connect to every single person - across borderlines, class lines, political camps and geographical boundaries.
Pausing to play clips of Marley's music, Semaj let the gathering crowd feel the words of each song. By comparing Marley to other musical legends such as Elvis, Madonna, the Beatles and more, Semaj compared the impact of Marley's message which made his music of a higher quality. Mentioning his numerous accolades, Marley seemed higher than the role of National Hero.
Although coming from Jamaica and sharing the culture of the island, Semaj declared "Marley's image is one of freedom across the world". Leaving the speechless crowd with the message that Marley is more than a National Hero but a cultural icon, whose immortality lives on, Semaj opened the floor for questions. After a brief pause, eager students and watchers posed their questions, while Semaj deftly answered.
Many were left with one resounding question - Bob Marley has obviously done a lot for Jamaica, a cultural icon no doubt, why has he not been named a National Hero?
A return to reggae's roots
By: Jesse Peterson
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Gone Are the Days
Universal Music Enterprises/UMG
Three out of five stars
Joseph Israel's debut album, Gone Are the Days, serves as another testament that reggae is not dead, but on an uphill climb in popularity and locality.
Although Israel has been immersed in reggae since he was a child, this relative newcomer orchestrates a compelling, heart-felt album that exemplifies the best traits of reggae-the traits that made this style such an important movement in music history.
Of course, this doesn't mean Gone Are the Days is without flaws.
Given Israel's stage name, the obvious discussion of Jewish culture, religion and politics gets the green light for much of the content of Gone Are the Days. This can get a little trying for the casual listener, because Israel seems to sing incessantly about such topics, but thankfully, as the album progresses, topics, as well as the music, open up and give the listener more to contemplate and enjoy. Plus, at times, his marriage of Rastafarianism to Judaism sparks some interesting lyrical content, including "for Jah so loved the world…"
Musically, the album stands out as stellar. Groovy bass lines and solid drumbeats keep things coherent and allow the guitar, organ and piano to run free and keep things fresh. At times, these instruments and their inflections become almost jazzy; it's beautiful when it does.
Backing female vocals add an extra depth of vitality, life and tenderness to Gone Are the Days. Israel himself does mightily well; however, much of the imperfections in the album come when his singing becomes lackluster (highly visible on the title track).
Much of the reason Gone Are the Days works is the collaboration Israel makes with some iconic reggae musicians who lend their talents to back him. What the listener gets is a delicate homage to the legends of the past, plus some nicely crafted tracks--making for a good debut album, especially from someone born in Oklahoma and residing in, of all places, Arkansas.
Sunday, February 11, 2007
The Fiji Times
ERIC Clapton has gone back to roots. The man who fired I Shot the Sheriff to international acclaim has revisited reggae.
Clapton helped reggae prophet Bob Marley break into the US mainstream music by covering I shot the sheriff, written and released by Marley on the Burnin' album in 1973.
The English guitar god whose first full blues album was From the Cradle, was happy to oblige Marley's sons Ziggy and Stephen when they sought his help.
He happily went into the studio at the request of Marley's sons to lay down a new guitar piece.
Overdubbing an acoustic demo is a method used successfully by Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr in the late 1990s to transform John Lennon's demos of Free As A Bird and Real Love into complete Beatles songs.
Slogans is a bright and mighty anthem reminiscent of classic Marley. It is a song of freedom and righteousness that transcends generations.
It is believed Marley recorded the bright and mighty anthem in a Miami bedroom in 1979.
Released last year, Slogans comes with a video that is full of classic Marley footage, explosive live concert visuals and images from the 1960s and 1970s.
Slogans in the first new Marley song in a decade and features on the Africa Unite album, a compilation of all the singles the prophet released.
The video provides a backdrop to Marley's timeless and powerful lyrics that speak to the world today as they did in 1979.
Slogans is one of eight songs found on a tape of Bob working in his room with a drum machine.
Bobmarley.com reports they're really sketches of songs that the family is completing.
Redemption Song
Ernie Smith traces 'Redemption Song'
published: Friday | February 9, 2007
Jamaican Gleaner
Mel Cooke
Ernie Smith delivered the Marley standard.
After the Marley brothers - Stephen, Ky-Mani, Julian and Damian -had closed their performance at the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission's (JCDC) 'Get Up, Stand Up' concert, held at the Ranny Williams Centre on Tuesday, Ernie Smith traced Redemption Song.
In his deep voice Smith delivered the Marley standard to the accompaniment of the Gumption Band, the music continuing as he moved from song to speech to take the large audience at the free event to celebrate Marley's 62nd birthday from Hope Road, St. Andrew, to St. Ann.
'Redemption Songs'
"I went to a funeral in a little town called Sterling about four miles from where Bob Marley was born. In a hymn book I saw some songs - Wash me till I'm white as snow, I'm a wretch and full of original sin. The title of that hymn book was Redemption Songs," Smith said.
"Finally, I understood what Bob Marley was saying. Help me sing these songs of freedom, because I do not even have a religion for myself," Smith said, adding that many are praising the God of the patriarchs Isaac and Moses "and don't even realise that we are children of the same faith, children of the same God."
"So the title of that hymn book was 'Redemption Songs'. Help me sing these songs of freedom, songs that Bob Marley wrote," Smith said, going back into song, holding a long 'had' before he ended the song to applause, going on to deliver his own Play De Music and Duppy or Gunman, among others.
Apart from the Marley brothers, who shared verses of Could You Be Loved, after Stephen had opened with Soul Rebel and Capleton had roared on stage to blaze a merry fire with his part of It Was Written, Smith was one of the very few to go into the Tuff Gong's catalogue on Tuesday night. Etana's strong, clear voice soared into Selassie Is the Chapel before identifying a Wrong Address and Nanko dedicated Forever Since to Marley.
However, after rocking the house with a mixture of deejaying and singing as she declared herself "born free, that's all I'm gonna say", Queen Ifrica emphasised Bob Marley's Rastafarian roots. "We naa talk freak Rasta, but real Rasta whe bun Babylon," Ifrica said.
'Get Up, Stand Up' had the large audience standing for some time, the concert shifting gear to Anthony B's Raid The Barn at just after 9:00 p.m. and going through to Lutan Fyah observing "nuff a dem cyaa believe, Rastafari still deh bout" as the concert headed to a close just past 1:00 a.m., many a performer in between.
Bob Marley Earthday Celebrations
| Anthony B lights up Bob Marley birthday show |
Friday, February 09, 2007 Jamaican Observer |
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| Damion 'Junior Gong' Marley performs on stage with his brother Stephen Marley. |
Kingston, Jamaica - The Get Up, Stand Up celebration of the birth of reggae icon Robert Nesta Marley held on Tuesday at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre was blessed by an amazing and energised performance from Anthony B. A peaceful evening of homage to one of the world's greatest saw crowd-pleasing performances from Junior X and the powerfully eloquent Etana.
The international artiste took the audience on a musical journey with his hits Raid The Barn and Life Over Death, which had the enormous crowd raising banners, lighters and singing word-for-word in unison. The singer immediately created a sweet vibe spanning the crowded venue. His most powerful number, the sombre Mr Heartless, from his Seven Seals album, gained resounding cheers and clapping.
The revolutionary artiste known for his controversial topics was the only artiste of the evening to have an extended set (apart from Stephen Marley, who was joined by brothers Julian, Kymani and Damian). With the audience chanting for his return, he concluded with the light-hearted Mr Controversy off his new Tads' International album, Suffering Man.
Hailing the greats of our black history like Marcus Garvey, Nelson Mandela and Malcolm X, the singer-deejay made a plea with the audience to join the fight against crime plaguing the society. Anthony B's ability to connect with the audience demonstrated both his experience and ease of an international reggae superstar.
Although Suffering Man was released in August 2006, he is already working on his next album, Life Over Death, slated to drop in June of this year. With collaborations with Lauren Hill, Wyclef Jean and Akon, Life Over Death is an eclectic blend of musical styles. Although this album reflects both his versatility and his evolution through reggae music, he remains true to Rasta.
With Anthony B being one of reggae's talented and influential artistes of our time, this album is destined to elevate the Bobo to the next level of success.
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| Anthony B took the audience on a musical journey. |
Stephen Marley pleased the crowd with his rendition of Soul Rebel, but heated up when he delivered his hit combination with younger brother Damian, Traffic Jam. This single is off his upcoming solo album, Mind Control, to be released on March 20. The temperature rose even higher when Capleton joined the stage to do It Was Written alongside Stephen and Damian. The Marley segment concluded with the anthem-like Welcome To Jamrock.
Overall, the female artistes held their own with solid performances from Queen Ifrica and sexy songstress Cherine, who delivered a sultry performance that was heightened when Chuck Fenda joined her on stage to do the number one hit on Richie B's HOT 102 chart, Coming Over.
Rasta in Sri Lanka
http://www.dailynews.lk/2007/02/10/fea11.asp
Upul and the Gang spotlight of Bob Marley concert
Upul and the Gang was the highlight of the “Bob Marley Tribute Concert” which was held last Tuesday at the Mambo Surf Club’s beach deck in Hikkaduwa.
Thousands of foreigners and local Bob Marley fans beheld the concert. Among them were several hundred fans
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who could be true followers or half-believers of Rastafari faith of Ethiopian origin.
They all sang, danced and made merry to the tunes of reggae music played by Upul and the Gang in a predominantly reggae dominating “Rastafari” atmosphere.
The beach area looked very much like a mini Jamaica with everybody there displaying their love for the world’s pre-eminent ambassador of Reggae and undisputed King of Reggae, Bob Marley.
Reggae music heralded the air with its hypnotic upbeat rocking the cheering audience.
Upul de Silva enthralled the audience with songs such as No Woman No Cry, Natural Mystique, One Love, and more.
Further, Upul did several cover hits of Alfa Blondie of the Ivory Coast adding variety to the concert. Upul went onto sing Alfa Blondie’s Jerusalem, Cafe Cacao and Coco De Rasta.
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The two bands played in successive sessions were Exodus and Upul and the Gang. Exodus, led by Sarath Fernando, played some rock songs, including Pink Floyd’s Another Brick in the Wall.
Upul emerged as the spotlight of the concert that lasted for many hours starting from sundown to sunset. The stage was carefully arranged with mammoth posters of Bob Marley and colours of Rastafari, green, yellow, red and black.
The organisers, Mambo Surf Club, lit fireworks, which were shot from time to time during the concert illuminating the skies with bright designs of light - all in honour of Bob Marley.
It had to be mentioned that the drummer of Upul and the Gang Hashan Priyantha did an excellent job on percussion.
He had recently joined the band and seemed to have come a long way in a very short time with his talent. “I was being guided by Upul,” he said.