But first, when I think back to when I was a young ragamuffin of thirteen leafing through dusty record stores attempting to track down as many Bob Marley LPs as possible, I would never have imagined I would be watching such a well produced biography on the big screen some 17 years later, 31 years after his untimely death. Such a prospect back then would have probably caused me to literally explode with such youthful enthusiasm that I would have left nothing but a red, gold and green mess all around. During that time I had no one to share my interest and enthusiasm with but a few long suffering friends and family members. Consequently I thought I was born too late as I was rather out of touch with my peers regarding my musical taste, if you didn't count Jungle, a version of Drum 'N' Base that was popular in certain circles at the time. In fact Jungle music with it's Dancehall and West Indian influences had a splice of Bob's musical and cultural influence within its DNA. That and the fact that the Jungle and Drum 'N' Bass culture celebrated the smoking of marijuana, something Bob has been overly identified with detracting somewhat from his message of revolution, mental emancipation, love, unity and liberty. So those were the links, spurious as they might be but still links enough to arouse my curiosity when Keep on Moving was released in the UK during the summer of 96.
When I first heard Keep on Moving there was an instant connection to the feel of the music. It was genuinely positive, not in a contrived or happy clappy kind of way, but as I would discover later it communicated positivity overcoming lived adversity which characterised Bob's life, forged his character and enlivened his spirit. The lyrics were imbued with meaning which I found refreshing in a time of predictable music that reflected teenage angst, puppy love or the simple raw energy of Jungle and Drum 'N' Bass. So I bought the single and then soon after my kind mother treated me to Legend. I listened to it back-to-back in order to suck up the strangely familiar vibe as if I was a wilting plant in an arid land that had been experiencing a drought of fresh water. Other albums followed, a general interest in Roots Reggae developed alongside, biographies were read and the odd documentary was recorded onto VHS where I went on to test Scoth's life time guarantee. Sorry Scotch, they did start to fade away!
So the years have rolled on and Bob has never been far and his music never ceases to stop revealing hidden depths and meaning, while refreshing my spirits as I continue to grow on my life's journey. It is true what they say, for every situation in life you can find a Bob Marley song and his music will go on forever reaching out to the people.
The Marley movie was nothing but an inspiring and intimate portrait of a man who truly lived out the heroes journey to emerge as an international poet, prophet and an enlightened musical warrior. From the most humble of beginnings he overcame poverty, societal rejection due to being of mixed-race and avoided having his spirit crushed by the perpetual struggle and influence of crime in the ghetto and the harsh realities of the Jamaican music scene. He even bounced back bigger and better with Kaya and Exodus after a stint of self induced exile in London following a failed assassination attempt back in Jamaica. He did all this with a positive motivation, deep focus, determination and a vision that shines a spotlight on the human potential to overcome adversity and how to transmute tribulation into a path of liberation.
The interviews with people from the different aspects and times of his short life really helped to paint a four dimensional picture of this iconic individual. We were treated to interviews with people who grew up with him in Nine Miles, high up in the hills of the Jamaican countryside, to an old school teacher, various girlfriends and friends alike, family from his mother's and father's sides, band members and others who had made an impression on him or he had touched as their lives had briefly crossed. The movie did not shy away from Marley's controversial behaviour and took a look at his persistent infidelity, use of marijuana and parental absenteeism. Nevertheless, Marley's inherent charm and charisma shone through and those in his life who were effected by his behaviour seem to have made their peace by understanding it within the context of the bigger picture and the journey he was on. They all displayed their enduring affection for him.
What many people don't know about Bob, due to the over emphasis placed on his use of marijuana, was that right from the word go he was, even as a young teenager, an extremely focused, disciplined, dedicated and hard working person, the complete opposite to the stereotypical 'stoner'. He would stay up for nights on end in Coxsone Dodd's recording studio studying all the records from the US bands of the time, rehearse tirelessly with Peter and Bunny Wailer as well as learning a trade as a welder. Music was a way of escaping the physical bondage of the ghetto and Rastafari became a way out of mental slavery, helping him articulate the intuitions he had long held about life within his own heart that he would come to communicate to others and eventually the world through music. He was also humble enough not to let pride blind him to opportunities that required him to work for free while touring abroad, even after he had already become a star in his home country of Jamaica. He was wise enough to understand that less than ideal situations could be used as spring boards for success in the future.
I found it interesting to hear that his house on 56 Hope Road was open and inclusive to all that came seeking yet it was run with the discipline of a military barracks, causing those who regularly frequented his yard to refer to Bob as 'the skipper'. Having been brought up in a rural village, survived the ghetto of Trenchtown and the competitive music industry of Kingston, Bob was nobodies fool and you got the impression that he could be extremely wrathful if the occasion required for Bob embodied a great power. His time at 56 Hope road was also a time of grass roots philanthropy. Even though he had the money to move 'uptown' he provided for all those that came seeking help, and they came in their endless droves. He made sure that they always got enough, not just to get by but to make a start on something themselves where possible. When questioned about why he left the ghetto to move to that part of the neighbourhood he retorted, "Sister, I bring the ghetto up town."
There was of course some rare, unseen and familiar footage including the legendary One Love Peace Concert in 1978. Here we see Bob join the hands of political rivals Michael Manley and Edward Seaga above his head during the performance, in an attempt to stem the flow of blood and political partisan violence on the streets of Kingston. To me when Bob performed on stage he took on the persona of a medicine man; both mesmerised and mesmerising all at once while he initiated the crowd with the aid of reggae beats, poetic lyrics and the sheer magnetism of a person who was doing exactly what he was born to do. What made Bob stand out to me was his authenticity and congruence; his life and his music were one, he was on a mission and to see him perform was to witness a man bringing his heart and mind to the front lines and what's more he wasn't doing it for himself but for everyone else. When Bob Marley and the Wailers performed at Zimbabwe's liberation concert where tear gas was set off to control the overspill crowd that had busted into the concert arena, everyone but Bob left the stage to get away from the fumes. Bob, apparently unaffected, turned to his fellow band mates when they eventually rejoined him on stage and said, "Now we know who are the real revolutionaries!"
On the 11th May, 1981, Bob died of cancer that spread throughout his body from melanoma that was present on one of his toes. Ironically, because he felt he had no time to lose after he survived the assassination attempt, he failed to go for his regular check ups. There were a number of pictures I hadn't seen before and touching insights from his nurse about Bob's patience and manners during this time that rounded off the growing sense of intimacy that the movie had been cultivating throughout. By the end I felt as if I knew him a little better than I did before, due to all the gems that were shared by those on screen and I recommend any fan, old or new, to spend the time watching what will no doubt become the definitive Bob Marley filmography.
As the credits rolled we were treated with videos from around the world of school children singing One Love/People Get Ready and shots of various Marley inspired artwork and paraphernalia from around the globe. Since his death his presence around the world has done nothing but grow exponentially. There are few musicians alive or dead who are so widely known and celebrated throughout the 'First World' through to the 'Second' and 'Third World'. Bob's music and message shall be forever relevant until mankind is free from mental slavery and only then shall we look back and realise that this man was more than a lover and revolutionary who chose a Gibson Les Paul over an AK47, for many he shall be remembered as one of mankind's luminaries.
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