Bob Marley by

Bob Marley

jvile1 — 2017-04-11 01:24:08 UTC

Nesta Robert Marley was a a Jamaican singer, musician, and songwriter. Bob Marley was an ambassador for regge music. He was born on the 6th of February, 1945, in St. Ann Parish, Jamaica. (1) He formed the group 'Wailing Wailers' with his friends in 1963 (2).They got their first contract with Island Records in 1972 (3). He died in 11th of May in 1981 in Miami, Florida. (4) He sold over 20-million records(5) throughout his career, and he was the first person internationally famous for their singing to come from a third world country (6)

Bob Marley began playing music after he moved to Trenchtown, Jamaica. Marley realised that music could not only be his way out of poverty, but it could also lead to change. He loved his country and wanted to make it a better place. He captured a lot of aspects of Jamaican life in his music. He became popular at a time that Jamaica was in political turmoil and people looked to him for inspiration and hope. Bob Marley’s song, “Get Up, Stand Up” became an anthem for a lot of third world countries(7). They believed that the song was telling them to get up and fight the oppressors.

Not only did Bob sing about change to make change, but he also took action, which is the difference between him and other motivational artists. He was an inspirational figure, for example political refugees from Sierra Leone living in Guinean concentration camps and traumatised by years of bloody warfare in their country, found through the music of Bob Marley, inspiration to form their own band and write and record their own songs(8). Through his music he promoted peace, and we influential in bringing together Jamaica in a time of war between factions. Marley won the Peace Medal of the Third World(9)

1)2)3)4)5)6) 'Bob Marley', Bio.,  2017,  Accessed: 12th April  2017, http://www.biography.com/people/bob-marley-9399524
7) Alex, J 2016,  'Bob Marley PPT Presentation ', Power Point Show,  Accessed 12th April  2017, http://www.powershow.com/view/fc3b-MjQ3M/BOB_MARLEY_powerpoint_ppt_presentation
8) Harold , S 2017,  'Bob Marley', Legacy ,  Accessed 12th April  2017, http://alt.bobmarley.com/life_and_legacy_legacy.php
9)Ruffy, S 2012,  'Bob Marley presented with UN Peace Medal, 1978', Midnight Raver ,  Accessed 12th April  2017, http://midnightraverblog.com/2012/07/bob-marley-presented-with-un-peace-medal-1978/

Bob Marleys Worldview & Faith

jvile1 — 2017-04-11 07:59:34 UTC

Bob Marley had a worldview that was considerably different to many of those around him. He promoted ‘positive vibrations’(12) in a world that was quite negative.

Bob Marley is all about Equality. He wants the world to be "One.”(13) Bob Marley said, “I like to see mankind live together - black, white, Chinese, everyone”(14). This refers to the discrimination and slavery of the darker races. He tries to motivate people who have been discriminated through his music lyrics, "Get up, stand up, Stand up for your rights. Get up, stand up, Don't give up the fight" (15)

Bob Marley believed in doing what made you happy. He was
against the European countries that enslaved Jamaicans for financial benefit, because he knew that money did not bring happiness and he made this clear to everyone. Marley wisely said, "The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively."(16) Bob Marley was Christian raised and seems to carry a lot of these morals with him, for example, 1 Timothy 6:10 "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil." (17) This could have inspired his thoughts.

Love over hate. When something is wrong, many artists express anger against system in their music and fuel the battle, Marley showed love instead and great success came from this. He said to thousands, "Flee from hate, mischief and jealousy. Don't bury your thoughts, put your vision to reality. Wake Up and Live!" (18) He is telling both sides of the huge political argument in his native country to stop hating and start loving.

Bob Marley joined the Rastafari Movement in the late 1960s. This influenced a lot of his worldview, but caused him to get on the wrong side of a few people.
Rastafari emerges out of the great depression in which black people found themselves in the 1920s and 30s. The Rastafarian Movement had Social and Political Opposition in Society.
Rastafarian has suffered a lot of injustice. The police constantly assaulted the members of the Rastafarian community as they were beaten and forced to serve long jail sentences. This supported the Rastafarian belief that Western Culture is evil.

Bob took on elements of the Rastafarian religion, for example he grew his hair out into dreadlocks. This is based on Leviticus 21:5 "They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in the flesh."(19)
He became a vegetarian as part of the Rastafarian diet practices known as ital. Controversially he also practiced the use of marijuana , a sacred act for Rastafarians.

Bob Marley also became the first public spokesperson for the Rastafarian Movement. He spoke about black liberation, social justice, and relief from poverty for black Jamaicans.
12)13) Curt, L 1977, 'BOB MARLEY LYRICS', A-Z lyrics , Accessed 12th April 2017, http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/bobmarley/onelovepeoplegetready.html
14)15)16)17)18)Bob Marley Quotes', Brainy Quotes, 2015, Accessed: 12th April 2017, https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/b/bob_marley.html
19)

'Leviticus 21:5King James Version (KJV)', Bible Gateway,  2017,  Accessed: 12th April  2017, https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus+21%3A5&version=KJV

The System

jvile1 — 2017-04-11 08:00:43 UTC

The world at the time, was a place which discriminated against black people. Black people were second-class citizens, and often sold as slaves. Even though slavery was abolished before the 19th century(10), there Black people were still mistreated. They were not seen as equal. All across the world there was separation, the blacks had their own side to public transport, their own bathrooms and taps, and were not allowed in many areas. They were seen as dirty. The system that Bob Marley sang against, was sometimes wider than his own country. It was the entire British Empire. The British Empire were very powerful at the time, and they organised the Triangular trade route, which picked up slaves from Africa and delivered them to the Americas, then back up towards Great Britain(11).

10) 'SLAVERY IN AMERICA', History,  2017,  Accessed: 12th April  2017, http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/slavery
11) Picture) Various , - 2017,  'Triangular trade', Wikipedia ,  Accessed 12th April  2017, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangular_trade

Inspiration To Me

jvile1 — 2017-04-11 08:01:38 UTC

Bob Marley has inspired me in the way that he held in his hate, and instead expressed love and lead by example. He knew that the civil war and the political arguments were all driven by hate, and even though Bob defiantly hated the way that his people had been treated, and he hated the political system, he still expressed love in his music and in his actions. He knew the only way to counter hate was with love and peace. He tried to resolve the huge political division, by helping people realise a mutual purpose, which could guide them to come to an agreement. He was so brave and he risked a lot to make peace in his country. He spoke about the poverty saying, "'...So much guys have so much - too much - while so many have nothing at all..." Through Bob Marley's success he became one of those people who had "Too Much." (20) He got to the stage that he had finally gotten out of poverty, it would have been really easy for him to forget everyone else and go and life the rest of his life with more than he needed. The thing that amazes me most is he always kept his humility, and wanted to share everything that he had. He took his opportunity to make a difference, and risked his status to express his feelings. It would have been to easy for him to say what he knew others wanted to hear and he could have been loved by everyone. Instead he stood up for what he knew was right. He resisted temptation and that is something that would challenge my own worldview. I have always thought that people who get to the highest level in sport or anything else, deserve what they have. My goal is to work hard enough in life that I can have enough money to be financially secure, and not have to worry about anything, what is sometimes quite easy to forget is all of the people that have so much less than me, but would be so much more appreciative of the things that I have. I do think about others quite a lot in comparison to many people, but I don't do it enough. When I was walking through the streets of England I saw a homeless person so I went and gave them some money, I kept walking and saw about 20 more. I though to myself that I would not have any money left to but the soccer top that I wanted if I gave any more away, so I walked past them. I gave in to temptation and this is something that Bob Marley somehow resisted.
20) 'Jamaica and Bob Marley ', Political , 2017, Accessed: 12th April 2017, http://jamaicaandbobmarley.weebly.com/political.html

A Radical Change Agent

jvile1 — 2017-04-11 08:01:45 UTC

During the 1970's in Bob Marleys native country of Jamaica, there was a civil war between Jamaica's Labour Party (Conservative) and the Peoples National Party (Democratic Socialists)(23). They were fighting over the rights and equality of people within Jamaica. Bob Marley’s opinion was that his countries people were too selfish, he expressed this by saying "...So much guys have so much - too much - while so many have nothing at all...Michael Manley say 'i'm wan' help poor people...We need a change from what it was...You have to share. I don't care if it sounds political or whatever it is, but people have to share."(24)

On the 22nd of April , 1978, Bob Marley held a free entry, One Love Peace Concert, in the outdoor National Stadium in Kingston, the Jamaican capital(25). It began at 5pm, and finished in the early hours of the morning(26). At the end of the concert Bob Marley sang "To make everything come true, we gotta be together, yeah, yeah, yeah...I'm trying to say, could we have, could we have, up here onstage here the presence of Mr. Michael Manley and Mr. Edward Seaga(27). I just want to shake hands and show the people that we're gonna unite...we're gonna make it right...(28)" The two political leaders then Joined hands with Bob Marley 29. This sparked hope for change within the way Jamaica was governed and run, and has influenced the way that Jamaica is run today.

23) Thomson , G 2017, 'Jamaica', Encyclopedia.com, Accessed 12th April 2017, http://www.encyclopedia.com/places/latin-america-and-caribbean/caribbean-political-geography/jamaica
24)28) Bob Marley Quotes', Brainy Quotes, 2015, Accessed: 12th April 2017, https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/b/bob_marley.html
25)26)27)

Bob Marley presides over the Peace Concert', The Guardian ,  2017,  Accessed: 12th April  2017, https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/jun/16/bob-marley-peace-concert

Extremist

jvile1 — 2017-04-11 08:07:14 UTC

These acts of peace made Bob Marley a true radical change agent to an extreme extent in contrast to an Extremest. Radical people want to serve, and help people. They are selfless and don't worry about what happens to them. They put themselves at risk to help others, rather than putting others at risk. He put himself out there, with confidence and was a spokesperson for his faith, and therefore a lot of the criticism was targeted at him. Bob Marley was in 1976 there was even an assassination attempt on Bob Marley. Extremists go to an 'Extreme' extent to gain power, and become famous. They want control over how things are run and attempt to force everyone to live their way. Bob Marley merely tries to open peoples mind to the better ways of living, he does not kill everyone that disagrees with him on search for power through fear as extremists such as Hitler did.

jvile1 — 2017-04-11 21:16:28 UTC

Bob Marley more often, referred to the system as being the politics within Jamaica. There was a cilvil war, and lots of illegal doings, in the Jamaican capital of Kingston(21). Youths were often succumbed to the pressure of choosing a side, the Peoples National Party or Jamaican Labour Party. They then formed gangs and were often fighting with their the opposing party's side. Bob Marley was a middle man, he did not really favour either side, he actually hated the way that the politicians acted. Marley thought that the politicians would not “really do anything good for the people.”(22) The two factions were fighting over their rights. Bob speaks against the system in his song War, "Until the philosophy which holds one race superior and another inferior is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned... everywhere is war, Me say war."(23)
21) Alex, J 2016, 'Bob Marley PPT Presentation ', Power Point Show, Accessed 12th April 2017, http://www.powershow.com/view/fc3b-MjQ3M/BOB_MARLEY_powerpoint_ppt_presentation
22)Bob Marley Quotes', Brainy Quotes, 2015, Accessed: 12th April 2017, https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/b/bob_marley.html
23)Bob Marley Quotes', Brainy Quotes, 2015, Accessed: 12th April 2017, https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/b/bob_marley.html

Reference List

jvile1 — 2017-04-12 05:47:05 UTC

'Bob Marley', Bio.,  2017,  Accessed: 12th April  2017, http://www.biography.com/people/bob-marley-9399524

Alex, J 2016,  'Bob Marley PPT Presentation ', Power Point Show,  Accessed 12th April  2017, http://www.powershow.com/view/fc3b-MjQ3M/BOB_MARLEY_powerpoint_ppt_presentation

Harold , S 2017,  'Bob Marley', Legacy ,  Accessed 12th April  2017, http://alt.bobmarley.com/life_and_legacy_legacy.php

Ruffy, S 2012,  'Bob Marley presented with UN Peace Medal, 1978', Midnight Raver ,  Accessed 12th April  2017, http://midnightraverblog.com/2012/07/bob-marley-presented-with-un-peace-medal-1978/

'SLAVERY IN AMERICA', History,  2017,  Accessed: 12th April  2017, http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/slavery

Various , - 2017,  'Triangular trade', Wikipedia ,  Accessed 12th April  2017, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangular_trade

Bob Marley Quotes', Brainy Quotes, 2015, Accessed: 12th April 2017, https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/b/bob_marley.html

Curt, L 1977, 'BOB MARLEY LYRICS', A-Z lyrics , Accessed 12th April 2017, http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/bobmarley/onelovepeoplegetready.html

'Leviticus 21:5King James Version (KJV)', Bible Gateway,  2017,  Accessed: 12th April  2017, https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus+21%3A5&version=KJV

'Jamaica and Bob Marley ', Political , 2017, Accessed: 12th April 2017, http://jamaicaandbobmarley.weebly.com/political.html