'Africans Unite' for Bob Marley

Accra, Ghana-based wife of late revolutionary musician, Robert Nesta Marley, Nana Rita Marley has sent out a clarion call to cultural activists across Africa to unify in celebratory creative force for the advancement of the continent.

According to local Ethiopian media reports, (Addis Tribune), Mrs. Marley, who arrived Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, last week to oversee large-scale preparations for the upcoming "Africa Unite" commemorative the music legend's 60th Anniversary events planned for the first week of February 2005.

It will be recalled that Mrs. Marley had announced a planned reburial of the remains of the revolutionary musician in Ethiopia as part of the 60th anniversary of late Reggae progenitor, Robert Nesta Marley will be the climax of the continentwide celebrations.

Mrs. Marley said her husband would be reburied in Shashemene, 250 kilometers (155 miles) south of Addis Ababa where several hundred Rastafarians have lived since they were given land by Ethiopia's last emperor, Haile Selassie.

Hundreds of thousands of Jamaicans embraced Haile as their living god and head of the Rastafarian religious movement. Marley was a devout Rastafarian, a faith whose followers preach a oneness with nature, grow their hair into long matted strands called dreadlocks and smoke marijuana as a sacrament.

"Bob's whole life is about Africa, it is not about Jamaica. How can you give up a continent for an island? He has a right for his remains to be where he would love them to be. This was his mission. Ethiopia is his spiritual resting place," she said. "With the 60th anniversary this year, the impact is there and the time is right."

Addressing the press in Addis Ababa at the weekend, Mrs. Marley stated that "Bob's vision for a united progressive Africa will be powerfully enforced through the various events. The world is invited to join us in Ethiopia.

The Ethiopian Government and other partners are working together in a committed effort to ensure that Bob's birthday will be celebrated in fine style".

Continuing, she disclosed that "Africa is Bob's spiritual home and so solidarity amongst other cultural activists across the continent is important to his family. We are aware of the socio-economic challenges and know that many people will be celebrating with us in spirit as they cannot come to Ethiopia in person. So, I encourage cultural groups and civil society leaders to set up local activities and join us symbolically as we honour Bob's spirit", she said.

Meanwhile, Jamaicans have reacted angrily to plans by Bob Marley's widow to exhume the reggae legend's remains and rebury them in Ethiopia, an African country holy to Rastafarians, saying it would rob the Caribbean island of its national heritage.

According to THISDAY checks, the news of the planned reburial of Marley's remains in Africa ignited radio call-in programs and Internet chat rooms in Jamaica and around the globe, with most people coming down strongly against moving the remains of the singer, who died of cancer in 1981 at age 36.

Across the world, reparations for the Bob Marley 60th Anniversary events aptly tagged "Africa Unite" are at advanced stage. A host of Bob Marley fans and media from across the world are expected to gather in Ethiopia next month.

The month-long series of events kick off on February 1 and include photographic and visual art exhibitions, book launches, the birthday concert featuring the Marley family, other performing artists and a three day symposium.

The three-day symposium, reports said will focus on key themes common to Marley's music - the unification of Africa, the abolition of abuse and discrimination against women and call to action to the youth for liberation through education and knowledge of self.

Guest speakers from across the globe will contribute presentations at the symposium and a strong contingent of youth from across Africa and the Diaspora will play a key role in the discourse.

Bob Marley was born on February 6th, 1945 in the village of Nine Miles in St. Anne's Parish, Jamaica. Born of an absent white father, Bob & mother Cedella Booker moved to Kingston, residing in Trenchtown. It was in Trenchtown where Bob saw the realities of the world and this touched him deeply and led him to create music as a healing force. In the early 60's he formed the Wailers with Peter Tosh & Bunny Wailer and they would go on to work with such legendary producers as Sir Coxsonne Dodd of Studio One, Lee "Scratch" Perry and Chris Blackwell of Island Records.

In 1966 His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia visited Ethiopia at which point Bob and his crew embraced Rastafari. Achieving worldwide success in the 1970's, Bob Marley would never sell out his message or his music and stayed true to himself, his religion and his countrymen his entire life. Bob Marley is a worldwide ambassador of reggae music and has taken the message of Rastafari to every continent and far corners of the earth. Many see Bob Marley as a prophet, a mystic man, an enlightened person, a healer and a leader. His impact can be witness on a global scale. Leading the New York Times to call him "the most influential artist of the second half of the 20th century". That's quite an honor indeed, and Jack Heeley, the former head of Amnesty International said that everywhere he goes in the world today "Bob Marley is the symbol of freedom".

Together with the African Union and the U.N. children's agency, Rita Marley has organized celebrations in Ethiopia, including a concert on Marley's birthday, February 6, to be held in Addis Ababa.

The monthlong celebration, dubbed "Africa Unite" after one of Marley's songs, aims to raise funds to help poor families in Ethiopia. The Marley Family, Senegal's Baaba Maal and Youssou N'Dour, Angelique Kidjo of Benin and other African and reggae artists will perform as part of the US$1 million (euro760,000) program.

The month-long commemorative events are hosted by the Bob Marley and Rita Marley Foundations which identify and support NGOs in Jamaica, Ethiopia and the USA.

"The global media lens will be on Ethiopia during these events. We want to negate the impoverished dependent and hopeless images of Africa that are beamed around the world every day. I look forward to seeing sister events organised by cultural leaders across Africa which represent self-determination and honours the strength and tenacity of its people", stated Mrs Marley.

The event is expected to be broadcast live to African audiences and beyond.