Bob Marley: A global psalm, human redemption, ad infinitum! BY TONY ERHA

About forty-four (44) years after his exit from the finite world, the radiant work and name of Bob Marley, continually hold the world spellbind. For the Jamaican-born, but globally acclaimed singer, guitarist, songwriter and seer, the month of May, 2025 is another that is reverberating like the cricket’s sound in a rainforest. Yeah, his fame comes larger and increasingly perceptible than the thunderclaps, with which he initially gained worldwide fame and recognition in the 1970s and 1980s, until in May 11, 1981 when he passed to eternity, in his boom of youth. At thirty six (36) years of age!

In Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation and its aclaimed big-brother, like most countries of the world, it is palpable excitement that the 44th marking of Marley’s demise and his earthly feats, is a fad that submissively engage all and sundry. Perhaps, there are no artistes that are as luminous and who had gotten a global recognition in human history, as Bob Marley.

Born Robert Nesta Marley, on 6 February 1945, Bob Marley is regarded as one of the pioneers of Reggae, who mixed the ingredients of Reggae, ska and rocksteady. He was also renowned for his unique vocal and songwriting skills, that prompts him as Jamaican most music ambassador and worldwide acceptance. He sang about love, peace, unity and human freedom, as he propagated against injustice and man’s inhumanity to man.

Aside the regular concerts and activities that are staged in his memory, oftentimes by his nucleus family members, who are also artistically inclined, there are numerous other artistes and entertainment organisations, that propel the immortalisation of his name, ideals and creative works.

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Interestingly, the wide-world was elated by a global spectacular event, where over 8,000 children sang medley songs in honour of the late Marley, on Thursday February, 6 2025 on his 80th posthumous birthday. The event, which took place in the highbrow Manchester Coop Arena, London, was titled ‘Young Voices’, in collaboration with the Bob & Rita Marley Foundation, that brought together over 2,000 schools, students and families, worldwide, to join a special FREE Singalong, that is ever the largest Children Choir. The epic event, which was streamed to the world, with others participants joining simultaneously, was across the races of the world.

The event, in which this writer and his organisation, Forum for African Renaissance and Reggae Revival (FA-R3) partook, was re-echoed across the globe by the BBC, VOA, Reuters and other notable media houses in Africa. With Bob’s epic hits like ‘One Love’ and ‘Three Little Birds’ as theme songs, 50 countries, including the United States, Jamaica and Zimbabwe, participated.

Bob Marley’s music is special; a tonic that is soul-stirring. It is an elixir; a burning flame, which inspires the hope of the hopeless.

As a teenager, who came from a low parentage and obscurity, Bob Marley and his philosophical music offered me the green light. From early 1970s, I could sing his songs by heart and when called on stage to render them to live band stands. His sacred track ‘Natural Mystic’ was and had been soulful companion which suited my rustic background unto the presence.

A visit to Jamaica, by this writer, in the heels of the FESTAC ’77, a global Black art and cultural festival that stormed Lagos, Nigeria in 1977, opened my eyes about Reggae music and its Jamaican provenance. Having taken part in the event as a young choreographer, a ‘thank-you-tour’ by the performing delegates of the Nigerian Federal Government, to tens of some of the participating countries, on the wings of the defunct Nigeria Airways, brought me to the Biblical sense of Jamaica, being the similitude of the birth of the Lord Christ Jesus, in the Jerusalem’s manger.

Interestingly, Bob Marley posed a question about Reggae in a memorable track; ‘Is this not the music from the ghetto?”

Although Bob Marley and his fellow Jamaican musicians, like Desmond Dekker, Jonny Nash, Jimmy Cliff and Peter Tosh brought Reggae to the world, as it was a sensation that influenced all, mostly African youth, it was a turnaround for this writer, when he experienced him ‘live on stage’ in April, 1980 in Zimbabwe, at her maiden independent celebration. Then a young freelance Entertainment reporter, the same Nigeria Airways was the carrier flight for this writer. After rendering some tracks, to the ‘thirst’ of the tumultuous audience that was restive, there was a stampede, from teargas canisters thrown near the arena. In the scramble, I lost a mini Yashika camera handed to me by my sponsors. From the side of the stage meant for the press, I witnessed the Wailers’ band members gasping for breath and one of the ‘I Three’ women backups shielding Bob Marley, whose eyes were clenched, still in the mood of singing. Till now, there isn’t anything to convince me that he was supernatural. But we were later informed that the teargas was intended to disperse the Zimbabwe’s freedom fighters, who were stopped from coming in. They, who went bent on seeing Marley performing later gained entrance in their thousands and khaki uniform. They were also in session dancing vigorously to the chant dongs of Sonny Okosun and his Ozziddi band.

Back in Nigeria, and in late 1980, I encouraged some of my friends to set up a Reggae band called the Commoners. I was learning to play the guitar, whilst I did more of the vocals. The band suffered as I relocated to work at Igueben, in Esan land of Edo State. With some students of the Advanced College, which soon winded up, and the establishment of a College of Education, we formed another Reggae band, which took us regularly to musical tutorials at a nearby Uromi town, by Monday Ebor, a multi instrumentalist who had just left Sonny Okosun, the late Reggae and Afrobeat maestro. It was during our frequent visits to Ebor that my path got crossed with Peter Tosh, who accompanied Sonny Okosun, at Taxona Hotel, Uromi.

It’s not just about this writer telling his life and musical history, but how Bob Marley and his work came to influence him and the world, particularly the youth. Amongst the youth with whom we played tge guutar and Reggae was those of College of Education musical band, Goddy Francis Okoyo (GFO), Ayo Hanny, Frank Texdee and others. Prince Clem Agba, the immediate-past Nigeria minister of state for Budget and National Planning was also a solid Reggae vocalist, who played a guitar.

In later years, we had formed the aforementioned Forum for African Renaissance and Reggae Revival (FA-R3), which underscores our activities as the name suggests. With Prince Agba as Nigerian National Grand Patron, and sponsor of three national events of FA-R3, including a Bob Marley’s anniversary, a lot is being done by this group, that has affiliate groups in Nigeria and six African countries.

In one of the events, Pupa Orits Williki, a frontline Nigerian Reggae star, once told the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) global network, that there was the need to do more of Reggae events and to promote its ideals, so as to redirect the consciousness of most Nigerian youth. Dr Osagie Obayuwana, a notable human rights activist and former Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Edo State, also spoke in the same manner. Obayuwana was a great drummer and vocalist in the old state, where Bob Marley and his like influenced great established Reggae stars, like Majek Fashek, Orits Williki, Evy Edna Ogholi and others.

Still on the rejuvenation of Reggae music in Nigeria, which is the ‘Reggae Revival’ amongst the corporate acronym of FA-R3, there is a cherished lift being made by the Jamaican High Commission, Abuja, Nigeria. In February, 2025, its Ambassador, His Excellency, Mr. Lincoln G. Downer & Mrs Lucrecia Downer, had invited Raggae lovers to a ‘Tribute to Bob Marley and Reggae Month Reception’. The Reggae Month event, which is said to have debunted in Nigeria, outside of Jamaica, indicates a filip to the rebirth.

● Tony Erha, a journalist and entertainment activist, lives in Abuja and could be reached at tonyerha@gmail com.