One Man, One Message, One Love
The best artists wield their music as a mighty tool and use its influence to evoke social change, to pose psychological questions or simply to promote happiness. The late, great Robert Nesta Marley forever changed the world by spreading his prophetic musical message of peace and love among all human beings. The iconic life of Bob Marley is best appreciated through examining his humble beginnings, studying his beliefs in Rastafarianism, and by tracing his political activism over the course of his career.
Robert Nesta Marley was born on February 6, 1945 in the Jamaican parish of St. Ann to parents Cedella Malcom and Captain Norvall Sinclair Marley. From a young age, Robert displayed an elevated understanding of …show more content…
With sidekicks Peter Tosh and Bunny Livingston, Bob Marley began to truly take off with the release of his first chart topper “Trench Town Rock”. “The song was about the deadly 1967 Kingston riot that was a harbinger of the troubled Jamaican political climate that would affect Bob’s entire life,” Moskowitz writes in his biography on Marley, “Bob sought to move the Jamaican underclass out of its depravity through music.” Marley’s music empowered the Jamaican underclass to proactively seek change in their political system and fight back against their oppressors. A huge political milestone came in 1969 when Michael Manley of the People’s National Party (PNP) was elected after a momentous endorsement from Bob Marley. Manley completely changed Jamaica’s oppressive political culture and advanced a societal framework that promoted independence, rejected colonialism and shunned slavery. Subsequently, famous rock producer Chris Blackwell signed Marley and his Wailers and aided them in the production of their first global album “Catch a Fire” which included famous hits including “Stir it Up”, “No More Trouble”, and “Kinky Reggae”. Jayson Toybee describes the benefits of partnering with Blackwell by saying, “Blackwell’s idea of tailoring the sound of the Wailer’s first album to help it achieve crossover success was significant. His rock success and sensibilities allowed him to take the original Wailers material and transform it into a product that could generate international attention.” Once on the world stage, Marley began churning out successful albums one after another and touring the world to share his message. Crucially, Bob stayed true to his Rasta beliefs and continued charging his music with political ideas of widespread peace and cooperation. Following the release of his album Exodus in 1977, Marley met with rival Jamaican political activists Claude
The best artists wield their music as a mighty tool and use its influence to evoke social change, to pose psychological questions or simply to promote happiness. The late, great Robert Nesta Marley forever changed the world by spreading his prophetic musical message of peace and love among all human beings. The iconic life of Bob Marley is best appreciated through examining his humble beginnings, studying his beliefs in Rastafarianism, and by tracing his political activism over the course of his career.
Robert Nesta Marley was born on February 6, 1945 in the Jamaican parish of St. Ann to parents Cedella Malcom and Captain Norvall Sinclair Marley. From a young age, Robert displayed an elevated understanding of …show more content…
With sidekicks Peter Tosh and Bunny Livingston, Bob Marley began to truly take off with the release of his first chart topper “Trench Town Rock”. “The song was about the deadly 1967 Kingston riot that was a harbinger of the troubled Jamaican political climate that would affect Bob’s entire life,” Moskowitz writes in his biography on Marley, “Bob sought to move the Jamaican underclass out of its depravity through music.” Marley’s music empowered the Jamaican underclass to proactively seek change in their political system and fight back against their oppressors. A huge political milestone came in 1969 when Michael Manley of the People’s National Party (PNP) was elected after a momentous endorsement from Bob Marley. Manley completely changed Jamaica’s oppressive political culture and advanced a societal framework that promoted independence, rejected colonialism and shunned slavery. Subsequently, famous rock producer Chris Blackwell signed Marley and his Wailers and aided them in the production of their first global album “Catch a Fire” which included famous hits including “Stir it Up”, “No More Trouble”, and “Kinky Reggae”. Jayson Toybee describes the benefits of partnering with Blackwell by saying, “Blackwell’s idea of tailoring the sound of the Wailer’s first album to help it achieve crossover success was significant. His rock success and sensibilities allowed him to take the original Wailers material and transform it into a product that could generate international attention.” Once on the world stage, Marley began churning out successful albums one after another and touring the world to share his message. Crucially, Bob stayed true to his Rasta beliefs and continued charging his music with political ideas of widespread peace and cooperation. Following the release of his album Exodus in 1977, Marley met with rival Jamaican political activists Claude