Get Up, Stand Up!! Bob Marley - Still Jammin And Still Relevant

His music, as it did so long ago, continues to heal and reminds us that in this world there is only "One Love." It's Bob's birthday. So, if you live in Colorado or Washington state..."smoke em, if you got em."

On this day, in 1945, Bob Marley entered this world in the village of Nine Mile, in Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica. His given name was Nesta Robert Marley.

He was born to Norval Sinclair Marley, a White Jamaican plantation overseer from Sussex, England, and Cedella Booker, an 18-year old Black Jamaican woman. In 1955, when Bob Marley was 10 years old, his father died of a heart attack at age 70. As many do today, Marley faced questions about his own racial identity throughout his life. I watched a documentary on Marley and saw a clip in which he spoke on that issue:

"I don't have prejudice against meself. My father was a white and my mother was black. Them call me half-caste or whatever. Me don't deh pon nobody's side. Me don't deh pon the black man's side nor the white man's side. Me deh pon God's side, the one who create me and cause me to come from black and white."

The wisdom of that statement is as relevant today as it was in his life.

In 1963, Marley, Bunny Wailer, Peter Tosh, and three friends formed a group called "The Teenagers" singing ska and rocksteady. The group changed its name several times until they were discovered by record producer Coxsone Dodd, and settled on the name "The Wailers". By 1966, the three friends had left The Wailers, leaving the core trio of Bob Marley, Bunny Wailer, and Peter Tosh. With that...Reggae took the world by storm. Marley left us so many great songs it's difficult to name them all...."Buffalo Soldier," "No Woman, No Cry," "Redemption Song," "One Love," "I Shot the Sheriff," and my personal favorite, "Get Up, Stand Up."

Marley was more than simply a musician, singer and songwriter. He was a prophet, a mystic, a guru, a political and social activist, a musical healer. His music and his message brought us Reggae, and introduced the world to Rastafarians, dreadlocks, and the "sacredness" of a certain wild growing weed.

He died on May 11, 1981.

His music, as it did so long ago, continues to heal and remind us that in this world there is only "One Love." Enjoy his musical healing on this video of him "Jammin." And, if you live in Colorado or Washington state..."smoke em, if you got em."

Happy Birthday, Bob!! And, thanks for the music!

Until we rendezvous...

Peace!!