Feel the love with Rasta love this Bob Marley Day
By Megan Fishel, Staff Writer
February 22, 2008 | 3 a.m.
Ohio University will observe the tradition of Black History Month by honoring legend Bob Marley on Feb. 22, 2008, with Bob Marley Day. Here is a look at the incredible legacy that has led to Marley’s celebration.
The father of reggae was born Feb. 6, 1945, in a small village in Jamaica to a white mother and a black father. Marley grew up in the thick of racial prejudices due to his mixed heritage. After his father died when he was 10, he was forced to learn self-defense to deal with all the prejudices thrown upon him.
Luckily for the rest of the world, Marley was able to channel his frustrations and emotions into music. Marley is quoted as saying, “One good thing about music, when it hits – you feel no pain.” The weight of reggae that Marley was destined to place upon the world hit like a ton of bricks in 1975.
Although Bob Marley & The Wailers had plenty of success in Jamaica from 1968 to 1974, they had not breached the international front until 1975 with the hit “No Woman, No Cry.” This hit cleared a path for the album Rastaman Vibration, which topped Billboard charts for four weeks in 1976.
In December of that year, Marley was set to play a free concert at “Smile Jamaica,” given in hopes of easing tensions between two warring political parties. Just two days before the show, Marley was shot in the chest and arm, sustaining serious injuries. Miraculously, Marley played the show as scheduled and recovered from his injuries.
After that incident, Marley left Jamaica for England, where he recorded Exodus, which stayed on the British music charts for 56 consecutive weeks. While in London he was arrested for possession of a small quantity of cannabis.
Marley is heavily associated with the herbal supplement. It was an integral part of his Rastafarian religion, which he spread throughout the world with his music. Rasta is known for the belief that smoking of ganja cleanses the body and mind and heals the soul. Marley said, “When you smoke the herb, it reveals you to yourself.”
In 1977 Marley discovered malignant melanoma in the big toe on his right foot. Rastas believe that amputation makes the whole body impartial, and Rastas must remain whole.
The cancer eventually moved to his brain, lungs, liver and stomach. He played his final concert in 1980 at Stanley Theater in Pittsburgh, Pa.
On his way home to Jamaica for his final days a few months later, an emergency stop was made in Miami, Fla., where he died on the morning of May 11, 1981, at the age of 36.
It goes without saying that Marley was a great spark of talent that went out far too soon. Blazing a trail for reggae to become more mainstream, among other things, is Marley’s greatest credit in life.
In honor of Bob Marley, the OU chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) has planned Bob Marley Day for this Friday, Feb. 22, in Baker University Center Ballroom. The event, which will feature music from the Columbus reggae group The Flex Crew, starts at 7:30 p.m. Also at the event will be a "Taste of Caribbean Culture," which will feature an assortment of authentic Caribbean foods along with Caribbean clothing and jewelry to be sold. Attendance is free.
A poetry night is also planned for 7 p.m., Feb. 26 in the Front Room. This event is also free and open to the public.
Although campus regulations may place a hindrance on the Rasta cleansing of souls, there is nothing stopping everyone on campus from honoring the father of reggae and appreciating his influence on the world. Marley even said so himself, “I like to see you move with the rhythm. I like to see when you’re dancing from within.”
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For more information on programs and events aimed to spread cultural diversity, please visit the Multicultural Programs & Multicultural Center Web site or stop by the second floor of Baker Center.