Article
28
Rock
On
Reggae
King of the World - Bob Marley
(Published
in Times of India,
Pune on 12th January, 2002)
R ock and Roll, as a genre of music, saw the light of day
with us Indians only when it entered the mainstream of American and English
life. It was in the fifties, with the advent of Bill Haley and the Comets,
Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley in America and Cliff Richard with the Shadows in
England, that this vibrant music was introduced to thousands of Indians. From
then onwards there was no looking back and Rock & Roll ruled the world
unchallenged for the next two decades. It would be years before there could be
any other kind of music that could attract the attention of the youth. All this
while, on the small island of Jamaica, West Indies,
there was a music revolution brewing that would shake the world with its
freshness and intensity. Bob Marley and his band, the Wailers, were getting
ready to hit the planet with their special brand of music and philosophy. The
Reggae movement was about to be launched!!
I first heard the music of this master when
Eric Clapton covered his song "I shot the sheriff" for his own
comeback album "461 Ocean
Boulevard". It is said that the song was
almost dropped from the album, as Clapton was unhappy with his own
interpretation. He held Bob Marley in high esteem and did not wish to
disrespect his music. Thankfully, wiser counsel prevailed and a new star was
unveiled to the world through Clapton. The song was a major hit all over the
world and I remember my band "Savage Encounter" doing the song at
countless shows all over the country. Naturally, all of us were curious to hear
more from this genius and he sure did not disappoint us.
Bob Marley began his music career in the
sixties and was a major hit in his island nation of Jamaica. However, it would be years
before he could attract the attention of the west. Very few "Third
World" musicians have attained success in the western world and it was
only when he caught the attention of Chris Blackwell, owner of Island Records that Marley entered the mainstream English
market. Chris's label concentrated on the Rock market in the late sixties and
so he decided to market the Wailers as a Rock band. The band arrived in the UK in 1973 to
tour and appeared on television. In July 1973, they supported Bruce Springsteen
in New York.
"Catch a Fire" and "Burnin'" were the names of the albums
that were responsible for Marley's entry in the British Pop scene and by 1975,
Marley had scored his first UK
chart hit, "No Woman, No Cry".
There was no stopping this strong Rastafarian
from achieving global stardom. Throughout, Marley stuck to his strong political
and religious sentiments and his lyrics echoed his social activism and his
struggle to achieve a harmonious existence within mankind on earth. He even
suffered an assassination attempt and had to leave Jamaica for 18 months. In 1978, he
played the One Love Peace Concert in Kingston
and brought the two leaders of the violently warring Jamaican political parties
together in a largely symbolic peacemaking gesture. By then, his fame had
spread all over the world and he set off on a huge worldwide tour that would
cross USA, Canada, Japan,
Australia and New Zealand.
It was around this time that ominous signs
started appearing on the health front of this maestro. Cancer cells had been
discovered in his toe a few years earlier when he was operated after a football
accident. In a few years the cancer had started spreading and Marley collapsed
on stage during a Madison
Garden concert in 1980.No medical help could save him now and within a year, he
succumbed to brain cancer on May 11, 1981. One of the world's greatest
performer, singer and songwriter was no more!
The legend of Bob Marley continues till date
and the magic of Reggae music has been spread far and wide by the talent of
this local Jamaican hero. His music has been kept alive by thousands of
musicians all over the world and the Wailers continue to tour the world and
spread the message. Of special interest to Indians was the addition of local Bombay guitarist, Roy
Venkatraman, to this band for a few years. We, Bombay
musicians were delighted to hear the news of his being asked to join the band
after he jammed with them when the Wailers toured Bombay. The next few years were hectic for
this talented musician who toured the world with this legendary band. Truly a
fabulous way to pay tribute to one of the finest musicians that the world has
ever seen! According to Rastafarian religious beliefs, Bob Marley like Emperor
Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia
was never born and therefore could not die. Certainly, the same can be said of
his music
Rock on!
Nandu Bhende
http://nandu_bhende.tripod.com
