ReggaeMylitis

Peter Tosh, Bob Marley, Bunny Wailer, Lucky Dube. I could write an endless list. The first thing that any knowledgeable person would think of when hearing these names would be Reggae or the group called “The wailers” - Lucky Dube would be excluded in this case. If you conjectured anything in the lines of reggae, then you’re correct. Mozart is said to be a musical mastermind, but in “MY” world that status belongs to Bob Marley. What sparked the idea of sitting down and actually typing this blog was a sudden nostalgic feeling I got when listening to a song by Bob Marley called War, which in actual fact was taken from a speech given by his imperial majesty Haile Salassi before the UN general assembly.



The greatest thing that anyone will notice about this genre of music is the unique way in which reggae artists use harmonious tunes to address hardcore controversial issues without trying to be politically correct. If you are not deaf than there is no way to justify why you have not heard a song by Bob Marley, one of his best reggae track is “No women No cry”. I trend to look up to this iconic figure as the pillar of the Rastafarian movement and an apostle of the imperial majesty’s teachings. This statement might be wrong when I browse through the history pages of this movement or lifestyle that radiates positive vibes like equal rights and being emancipated from mental slavery, as said on yet another work of art titled “The redemption song”.

Many may say that this status belongs to Marcus Garvey who is considered to be a prophet in the Rastafarian community, but my reason for making such a bold statement about Bob Marley is simply because he used a strong and efficient medium – this medium is nothing more than music - that reached corners of the earth that Marcus Garvey never reached in his lifetime. I must give acknowledgement to the fact that Marcus Garvey played a major role in the liberation of Africans around the world but ask any village darkie “Who is Marcus Garvey?” and the typical response will be “Eish! I don’t know chief”. But ask the question “Who is Bob Marley?” and you will get an instantaneous response saying “Yah, he is a Rasta who sings No women no cry”.

I listen to other music genres and appreciate them but I guess I have always had unalloyed love for reggae. Some of my greatest memories are attached to a reggae tune and it’s hard not to turn into a groupie of the genres giants.