Marley's Prophecy

Overview Of Influence

When one thinks of Jamaica, Reggae music is usually the first thing that comes to mind. The world’s best-known Reggae artist, Bob Marley, incorporated his religion into his music. Bob spread the word of Rastafari through his music. He changed Rastafarianism and the world forever.

More than two decades after his premature death, Bob Marley’s many recordings are still selling all over the world. He has become an immortal, uncanny presence. Across the planet, his serious, pained and permanently youthful expression looks out from T-shirts, hats, badges, walls and posters. His voice talks back to power, exploitation and indifference with all the insolent style and complex rhetoric of a rebel captured in the process of becoming a revolutionary. That unchanging face now represents an iconic, godly embodiment of the universal struggle for justice, peace and human rights. (Gilroy 1)

A combination of factors contributed to Marley’s rise to fame. First of all, his timing was perfect. There was political and social unrest in Jamaica and poor people were looking for someone to give them hope. Also, the music industry needed something fresh, vibrant and new to give it a boost. “Marley’s stardom makes sense in the historical and cultural context provided by the end of Rock and Roll. He was the last rock star and the first figure of a new phase identified as the beginning of what has come to be known as ‘world music’” (Gilroy 4). Bob had a unique style, honest message and earthy sound. These combined with his fresh perspective and positive energy made him unforgettable.

Challenges

Although he enjoyed a successful career, Marley faced several huge challenges. These seemed to spur him on rather than discourage him, however. Marley accepted each hardship he faced as an obstacle to be overcome, The bad things that happened to him and around him were part of the oppressive 'Babylon' system, and getting through them showed that Bob had the power to fight the system.

Marley certainly endured a difficult childhood as what would now be called a ‘mixed race’ child. It introduced him not only to poverty and the viciousness of hierarchies, but to the antipathy and suspicion that can be directed from both sides of the colour line at people whose bodies carry the unsettling evidence of transgressive intimacy between black and white. This personal history is being introduced increasingly as the primary explanation of Marley’s character, drive and ambition. It is even suggested that his being a ‘half-caste’ can account for the ways he was able to pursue and articulate cultural identity and explain the power with which he encountered and projected blackness not only as a politics but also as what the Rastafari call ‘livity’ (a whole way of life). (Gilroy 5)

While most people think of the classic Jamaican as a happy-go-lucky Rasta, this is not the case. The Island population consists primarialy of non-Rastas many of whom did not approve of Bob’s religion.

…the island's population is divided into Rastafarians and nonRastas. It's hard to estimate how many there are either way, because so many fall in the cracks between belief and unbelief. But the mainstream non-Rastas clearly control most of Jamaica's economic superstructure. They have a historically antagonistic relationship to the Rastas, who keep prophesying their downfall as part of the Babylon system. At best the mainstream Jamaicans tolerate the Rastas; at worst, those who fear the Rastas' influence have waged a consistent campaign of terror against them. (Stephens 2)

In fact, violence against Rastas was so strong that on the evening of December 4, 1976 a gunman broke into Marley’s home and shot him. Luckily the assassin only wounded Bob and he was even able to play a short set of songs at a free concert he had planned for the next day (bobmarley.com). It is understandable that Rastas and capatalists did not get along. Their values and beliefs are basically the opposite of each other. Rastas did not contribute money to the reigning capatalist system and they had different ideas about right and wrong than the Jamaican government.

Rasta Culture And Message

The message that Bob wanted to spread is one of simplicity, love and harmony. Rastas have a “back to basics” approach; they reject anything artificial or unnatural. Cutting ones hair, tattoos, piercings or altering one’s body in any way are against Rasta beliefs. They have dreadlocks because it is low-maintainance and the most natural way to wear their hair. They keep their clothing as basic as possible and never buy expensive, designer garments and they go barefoot whenever possible. They take pleasures in the natural world rather than in material things and monetary gain. Rastas avoid salt, alcohol, meat, processed foods and medications. For healing purposes they use primarily “ganja”, the sacred herb that grew on King Solomon’s tomb. It is seen as a natural, beneficial sacrament.

Rastas, by such simple enigmatic equations, have freed themselves from earthly care. Countryman lives like a wild animal on a beautiful stretch of deserted paradise miles from anywhere, and nobody can touch him. He has rejected rejection. He came upon this spot out here about fifteen years ago - he was walking along the beach one day smoking a spliff, and he found a piece of plywood lying around, so he stuck it up against a palm tree and called it home…``Peace and love,'' he says when you meet him; that's the Rasta greeting, it has been for thirty years. The Rastas are imaginary beings. They are exiles, not just from a distant and misunderstood past, but from the grim and banal realities of the present day as well. They live in the imagination. And the imagination is immortal. (Thomas)

Marley did reap a great deal of profit from his music, but his message was so focused around Jah and unity that he stayed grounded to his beliefs. He maintained an amzingly simple lifestyle for such a superstar.

His Imperial Majesty Jah Rastafari

Rastas worship His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie King of Kings, Lord of
Lords, Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah, Defender of the Faith, King Elect of God,
Jah Rastafari as their messiah, He fulfills the prophecy of a black Ethiopian king.

…the coronation of Haile Selassie I fulfilled a prophesy that a black king would return to the throne of Ethiopia. This was not only a vindication for Jamaicans under colonial rule, who now had their own royalty, a black messiah. It also reinforced their relationship to Judaism: Selassie, or Ras (Prince) Tafari Makonnen was considered the 225th Emperor, directly descended from the Solomonic line of kings. Among many majestic titles, he's revered as the Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah. Selassie quickly attract ed unsolicited followers in his name, as the Rastafarians were certain he was the living God, or Jah, as named in Psalm 68:4. (Siwek)

Many Rastas saw Marley as a prophet, chosen by Jah to stop Babylon from oppressing good people. He spread the message of peace, love and understanding and aimed to stop war, greed, hatred and other vices that kept his people downtrodden. The love he exaults is fundamentally a love of life itself, deeply imprinted by the memory of slavery as the suspended sentence of death which could be carried out at any time by masters and mistresses who act with impunity. This defence of life was tied to Marley’s opposition to all war and to his stalwart advocacy of peace. This is his gift to us and to the future (Gilroy 20).

The emphasis on Marley sprang partially from his charismatic personality and partially from his vision of the Wailers' importance. A devout Rastafarian, Marley believed that Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie I was God incarnate and that Ethiopia was the true homeland for all people of color. Although the Rastafarians were well established in Jamaica before Marley grew famous, his international recognition provided new exposure for the tenets of his religion, and he used himself and the Wailers as vehicles for the Rasta message. Combining his songwriting and his performance style, Marley crafted an image as a Rasta prophet, spreading their message of harmony and praising the power of Jah--the shortened version of "Jehovah," which Rastafarians regularly use to refer to Selassie. When, in 1978, one of Selassie's children gave Marley a ring that the emperor had worn, the prophet's anointing seemed complete. (Nash 2)

Relevance Regardless Of Religion

A common symbol in both Judaism and Rastafarianism is the star of David. Another theme both Jews and Rastas share is their history of suffering, slavery and searching for the promise land.
When Bob Marley sang, "Exodus, movement of Jah People" he was simultaneously memorializing the Israelites' journey out of Egyptian bondage and making an emotional plea for repatriating the sufferers of slavery. In that one song, a Chai pendant-wearing Marley was making the case for Zionism for both peoples. Back-to-Africa advocate Marcus Garvey told blacks to seek Zion in Ethiopia after he interpreted Psalm 68 ("Princes shall come out of Egypt, and Cush shall stretch forth his hand to God") to mean it was there, not Israel, where the Israelites settled post-Exodus.(Siwek).

Although Judaism is the closest-linked religion to Rastafarianism, people of any religion can relate to Bob’s lyrics.
As a hybrid form of music and religion, Reggae Rasta developed the power to awaken a spiritual awareness in people who would not admit to being spiritually inclined. It awakened a longdormant human urge to look over the horizon for One who is greater. I have the feeling that we are going to be seeing Rasta symbols reappearing in popular culture for a long time, because Rasta has an immense transformative power, a power not susceptible to reason, but a power that is capable of being perpetually reinvented (Stephens).

“Going home to Holy Mount Zion” could symbolize going to heaven for Christians for example. The belief in a unifying energy- be it Christ, Allah, Yaweh, God, Jah or the Earth is the key element of spirituality. One does not need to believe in a single diety to be spiritual, but simply have the desire to do something for the greater good. This is the central idea behind Bob’s “One Love” gospel. Marley had a unique ability to preach in a way that was exciting, entertaining, enlightening and great for dancing. He reached millions by formatting religion into an amusing, exhilarating art.

Musical Development

Bob had enormous success outside of Jamaica. Many European and American fans are in love with Reggae music. I personally got into it because of the positive, upbeat message, the lack of profanity and degrading lyrics in the songs and simply because it was different and more interesting and substantial than American pop music. No two songs of Bob’s sound the same, and if you listen to his records in chronological order, you can hear his message as well as the band’s sound change over time. The older stuff is much more jukebox-style reggae, with more of the high pitched “wailing” that the Wailers were named for. The earlier works are full of raw, determined energy. As the sound progresses, the band adopts more of a pop feel. At the same time, Bob’s voice gets a bit more pleading and desperate. Near the end, especially as he was suffering from cancer, we can hear a more peaceful, resolved sound in his works.

The Wailers recorded their first singles in 1963, enjoying some local success. From then until Marley's death, the Wailers were a constantly evolving entity. The group repeatedly changed musical styles as the Jamaican music scene developed, moving from ska, rude boy music, and rock steady to island reggae and then beyond that to a fusion of rock and reggae that transformed the international music scene (Nash 1).

No two of Bob Marley's songs sound the same- each has its own tone, feel and distinct rhythm. I find that there is a Marley song to fit any mood or situation. Because the Wailers did not "sell out" and copy popular beats, they were able to keep an original sound. The band was passionate about the music and spreading the message of "One Love".

I think that the primary reason Bob’s music is still so popular today is that he actually had something to say and was not simply cranking out songs as fast as possible to make money. He sang to get his message across and the fact that he had chart- toppers and even Time Magazine’s Album of the Century – Exodus- were just pleasant side-effects of his efforts to spread Rasta gospel. “Marley’s continuing worldwide appeal reveals a distinctive blend of moral, spiritual, political and commercial energies (Gilroy 2).”

From Obscurity To Fame

If it had not been for Bob Marley, the Rasta prophet, it is doubtful that anyone outside of the Caribbean would know about the cult of Rastafarianism. The country whose government Bob struggled against is now known for his music. It is so ironic that Jamaica is identified and even defined by Rasta culture when Rastas were so hated and oppressed as recently as a quarter-century ago. The minority is much more in the limelight than the majority. Rastafarianism gained millions of new followers, or at least want-to-be followers because of Bob’s music. He spread an interest in the religion and culture to millions of others who did not become followers too. Everyone who hears his music can relate it to their own spiritualities as well as appreciate Bob’s point of view and beliefs. Reggae music would not have developed much beyond simple Jamaican folk music without Bob Marley. The genre was obscure before Bob’s rise to fame. He was the first Reggae artist to enjoy success outside of the Caribbean, let alone worldwide. All reggae artists after his drew inspiration from his rhythms, harmonizations and lyrics. Bob rejuvenated Rasta culture, Jamaican popular culture as well as the music industry worldwide. His sons continue to spread his message and the idea of “One Love” and unity will never be forgotten!

Works Cited

Cooper, Caroline. “At The Crossroads--Finding Meaning In Jamaican Dancehall Culture”. New York Times v156 i53747. 29 October 2006. Academic Search Permier. 18 April 2007.
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Gilroy, Paul. “Could You Be Loved? Bob Marley, Anti-Politics and Universal Sufferation”. Critical Quarterly v47. Summer 2005. Academic Search Premier. 17 April 2007. http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdf?vid=2&hid=108&sid.

Nash, William. “Bob Marley”. American National Biography Online. 2000. Academic Search Premier. 17 April 2007. http://www.anb.org/articles/18/18-02044.html.

Siwek Daniel. “Zion Riddims”. Tikkun v20. March/April 2005. Academic Search Premier. 17 April 2007. http://silk.library.umass.edu:2048/http://search.ebscohost.com.

Stephens, Gregory. "Fashion Dread Rasta." Whole Earth Review n59. Summer 1988. Academic OneFile. Thomson Gale. University Of Massachusetts Amherst. 18 April 2007. http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=3&hid=108&sid-.

Thomas, Michael. “The Wild Side Of Paradise”. Rolling Stone n139. July1993.
Gale Group. 18 April 2007. http:/silk.library.umass.edu://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?.

http://web.bobmarley.com/index.jsp. "Bob Marley Official Fansite". April 2006. Bob Marley Music, Inc. http://web.bobmarley.com/index.jsp.