Ghanaians celebrate Bob Marley

Reggae Lenged Bob Marley

Myth about Bob Marley remains in music and philosophy. Last friday marked the 26th anniversary of Bob Marley as one of the greatest music legends of all time.

As a tradition, many radio and FM stations, night clubs and theatres have been running programmes to pay tribute to him.

By all standards the late Bob Marley is comparable with other music mortals like Elvis Presley, Sam Cooke, John Lennon of Beatles fame and Jim Hendrix.

However there is an extraordinary force in Marley’s music synonymous with rhythmic eloquence in thought and philosophy which goes to distinguish him from other legends.

To prove this, a decade ago when Island records released a catalogue on a cassette disc format, Marley turned the charts upside down, shook and leapt on to the pinnacle of the charts with meritorious speed.

‘The legend,’ an album of a compilation of his memorable hits out sold everything previously released in his life time.

Globally his unique style and poly rhythmic music stirred not only romantic hearts but also conscientise the human race and even gingered the effort of politicians in their strife to find peace, justice and freedom.

It is indeed an irony of history that Zimbabwe whose President Robert Mugabe acknowledged the musical resourcefulness of Bob Marley and extended an invitation to him with a government guarantee and a role to play at the country’s independence ceremony in April 27 years ago, should now be seen as being diametrically opposed to the very freedom for which the reggae legend was expected to harp on, when he sang among other tracks, Zimbabwe, being connotative of political independence and dignity of man at the ceremony.

The effect which his album ‘Survival’ released in 1979 including ‘Zimbabwe’ ‘so much trouble in the world,’ ‘Stand up get up’ underscores a common thing about him that he defiantly scorn mistreatment, injustice done to people and always showed a disgust with a swelling tide of fury at such things.