Robert Nesta Marley OM (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981) was a Jamaican singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, he fused elements of reggae, ska and rocksteady and was renowned for his distinctive vocal and songwriting style.[Marley increased the visibility of Jamaican music worldwide and became a global figure in popular culture. He became known as a Rastafarian icon, and he infused his music with a sense of spirituality. Marley is also considered a global symbol of Jamaican music and culture and identity and was controversial in his outspoken support for democratic social reforms. Marley also supported the legalisation of cannabis and advocated for Pan-Africanism.
00:00Bob Marley is the most famous figure in the history of reggae music and is the so-called first third world music superstar.
00:09Marley was not the first star of the indigenous music reggae, but he is largely responsible for it becoming internationally known.
00:18Marley was born in Nine Mile, St. Ann Parish, Jamaica, and lived in the rough Trenchtown part of Kingston.
00:25At the age of 18, he formed the band that would forever be associated with his name, The Wailers.
00:32The Wailers consisted of Marley as vocalist and guitarist, Bunny Livingston as singer and percussionist, and Peter Tosh as singer and guitarist.
00:43Livingston and Tosh would leave The Wailers in 1973 to pursue solo careers and would become reggae stars themselves.
00:52The band featured numerous other supporting musicians who came and went during the subsequent years.
00:59Guitarist Junior Mervin was a notable member during the final incarnation of the band.
01:05During the 1960s, The Wailers recorded a number of hit singles in Jamaica, including Simmerdown, Love and Affection, and an early version of One Love, the song that would become an international anthem in the 1970s.
01:20When these songs were released, the term reggae had been coined, and this jaunty dance music was referred to as ska, and was later dubbed Rocksteady.
01:32During the 1970s, The Wailers began to record albums on Upsetter Records with Lee Scratch Perry as producer.
01:42It was under Perry's direction that the band began to distinguish itself from its reggae competitors.
01:49In 1971, the band released its first classic album, Soul Revolution.
01:55Another classic album followed in 1973 with Catch a Fire, which contained the well-known Marley song, Stir It Up.
02:03By this time, The Wailers had been signed to Island Records.
02:06The following year, 1974, saw the release of Burnin', another solid effort containing the classic songs, Get Up, Stand Up, and I Shot the Sheriff, a song that would soon become a chart hit in a version by Eric Clapton.
02:23By this time, Bunny Livingston and Peter Tosh had left the band to pursue solo careers, and Bob Marley was left in full control.
02:31Marley was beginning to attract international acclaim, aided greatly by Eric Clapton's success with I Shot the Sheriff.
02:39Marley would try to build on this foundation by adding rock, record production, and studio polish to his successive albums.
02:47But he never lost the gritty, soulful essence of his music.
02:52The Wailers' next four albums, Natty Dread, Live, Rastaman Vibration, and Exodus, would see Marley at the height of his creative powers.
03:05It was during this run of albums that Marley would achieve international stardom.
03:10Exodus, from 1977, is generally regarded as Marley's finest original album.
03:16With catchy songs, fine arrangements, and pop production values.
03:21Marley had practically made reggae a crossover genre with this album, by rendering reggae palatable to pop music fans.
03:31Exodus contained a bevy of classic songs, such as the song Exodus, Jammin', Three Little Birds, Waiting in Vein', and an updated version of One Love.
03:43Marley titled the album, Exodus, in recognition of his flight to Sanctuary in England, following an attempt on his life in Jamaica.
03:53Another fine live album, Babylon by Bus, followed in 1978, and then his final studio release, Uprising, appeared in 1981.
04:03Redemption Song, from the latter album, is especially haunting as it is the last song on the last album that Marley recorded.
Be the first to comment