Bob Marley

A fervent exponent of political freedom, peace, and racial harmony, Bob Marley evoked the image of a freedom fighter and spread positive vibrations through the world with his music. His vision focused on one world, one love, and his supporters grasp that mindset through his lyrical representation. Evolving from a rude teen stalking the poverty of his Jamaican Trenchtown, to a world renowned superstar, advocating the brighter things in life, Bob Marley attained many achievements in his brief life.

Rising from adverse Jamaican backgrounds, Bob Marley was born Robert Nesta Marley on February 6, 1945, in the Jamaican mountain village of Nine Mile. He was the child of a white British naval officer, Norman Marley, and a Jamaican woman, Cedellar Booker. Marley was young at the time of his parents’ divorce, moving with his mother to an impoverished suburb near Kingston called Trenchtown. Basing roots in music that were never there before, he composed with multiple elements such as Old Testament verses, radical sentiments, and Caribbean myths; Marley was confined into a different realm. The lyrical depth he employed shines true to his qualities, making sure that he always affiliated an upbeat vibe. Marley’s posthumous compilation album, Legend, (1984) is reggae's all time best-selling album, achieving 10 Platinum’s and a shocking 10 million copies in the U.S. alone. In 1976, Marley, his manager, and his wife were shot by two gunmen. Many believe it was regarding a political debate over an upcoming free performance. His love endured; two days following the incident, he was on stage performing the “One Love” concert. After the frightening event, Marley ran off for tours in the United States and Europe, producing four new albums that increased his worldwide fame.

Later moving back to Jamaica, he would perform at yet another political concert, although this time things had undergone the way he had previously hoped. So well, in fact, that two political rivals, Edward Seaga and Michael Manley shook hands on stage. This was an emphasized highlight of Marley’s career. Marley was also an avid soccer fan and player. While in France, promoting his highly anticipated album, Exodus, he injured his big toe in a friendly game. In later years, the wound never properly healed. Marley refused to have it amputated, stating that his Rastafari faith was all the healing he needed. Thought to be a large cause of his death, many believe otherwise.

Surprisingly, Marley was and is to this day better recognized subsequent to his ill-timed death. In 2001, journalist Dennis Howard told Knight Ridder/Tribune's Achy Obejas: "In Africa, in Latin America, in China — in the world, he's bigger than the Beatles, he's bigger than everybody. In the 21st century, he'll be the biggest global superstar." Twenty years after his death, Obejas noted, "his deceptively easy, hypnotizing rhythms and his message of love has traveled the world many times over." Bob Marley was pronounced dead on May 11, 1981, in Miami, Florida, United States. Sources prove that the death was motivated by liver, lung, and brain cancer.

Bob Marley’s most amazing characteristic was that he spoke to his followers in multiple ways. Other than his music, Marley was quoted often. “People want to listen to a message, word from Jah. This could be passed through me or anybody. I am not a leader. Messenger. The words of the songs, not the person, is what attracts people.” Messenger is the word most people classify Bob Marley as, because he states the true word from “Jah,” a title known to the Rastafarian faith, otherwise known as God. “Emancipate yourself from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our mind.” Marley’s main philosophy revolved around the seven chakras he honored: Muladhara: Tribal Power, Survival; Svadisthana: Creativity, Sexuality; Manipura: Honor Oneself, Self-Esteem, Personal Honor, Power; Anahata: Love is Divine Power, Forgiveness and Compassion, Hope and Trust, Grief and Anger, Resentment and Bitterness; Vishuddha: Surrender Personal Will to Divine, Will Following One’s Dream, Self-Expression; Ajna: Seek Only Truth, Intuition; Sahasrara: Live in the Present moment, Ability to Trust Life, Ability to See Larger Patterns, Faith and Inspiration, Spirituality and Devotion. Marley expressed true profundity of these principles through his moving songs. Accompanying his spirited songs, philosophical quotes, and charismatic image, Bob Marley was a heavy activist in the rural land of Jamaica. Taking on several community projects at a time, Marley supported more than 6,000 people with food, jobs, and housing at once. A powerful political icon in his home country, he invested in schools and infrastructure in Jamaica.

For many, the name Bob Marley colors the face of a noble heart, dedicated to peace and brotherhood. To others, it stirs up the exaggerated caricature of a cannabis-smoking Rasta man. In his short yet fulfilling life, Marley was both.