Bob Marley Day (Jamaica)
Bob Marley Day is celebrated on February 6 each year in Jamaica and around the world to honor the legacy of the iconic reggae musician Bob Marley, who was born on this date in 1945. Established in 1991, the day features various activities such as reggae concerts, art displays, and cultural events that reflect Marley's influence on music and society. As a prominent figure in reggae, Marley is known for his unique sound that blends Jamaican folk music with rhythm and blues, and for his powerful lyrics that address themes of social justice and resistance against oppression. Marley was also deeply connected to the Rastafarian faith, which influences the day's celebrations, including the practice of marijuana use among adherents for spiritual purposes. His music continues to resonate globally, and Marley's contributions have been recognized posthumously, including receiving the Order of Merit from the Jamaican government. Since 2008, Bob Marley Day has been integrated into Jamaica's Reggae Month, further emphasizing the nation's rich musical heritage. Significant commemorations, including a notable celebration for his seventy-fifth birthday in 2020, showcase the enduring impact of his artistry and message.
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Bob Marley Day (Jamaica)
Bob Marley Day (Jamaica)
Reggae legend Bob Marley has been honored by the country of his birth, Jamaica, since 1991. His birthday, February 6, is celebrated as Bob Marley Day in Jamaica and around the world as well, for Marley's music enjoys international popularity. His birth is commemorated with reggae concerts, displays of Jamaican arts and crafts, and sometimes the smoking of marijuana by members of the Rastafarian faith, to which Marley belonged.
Marley was born as Robert Nesta Marley in St. Ann, Jamaica, on February 6, 1945. He formed his first group, the Rudeboys, in 1961. In 1963 they changed their name to the Wailers and recorded “Simmer Down,” which became a top-ten hit in Jamaica. Marley decided to establish his own recording company and developed a unique style of music which incorporated a number of influences into that distinctive genre now known as reggae, combining Jamaican folk music and the rhythm-and-blues of the American South. Marley's music was also influenced by his conversion to Rastafarianism, a mystical religion that regards Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia as a god and advocates the smoking of marijuana for spiritual and mental enlightenment.
In 1972 Marley and the Wailers signed with Island Records of London, England. Marley's first release with Island, Catch a Fire in 1973, won him and his music international acclaim. That same year, he reorganized his group and renamed it I-Three. A succession of hit albums followed, including Natty Dread (1975), Rastaman Vibration (1976), Exodus (1977), Kaya (1978), Survival (1979) and Uprising (1980). Meanwhile, Marley was becoming a prominent political figure. He spoke out against the vestiges of colonialism in the third world, and in his music decried the poverty and oppression of his native Jamaica; he combined protest with visionary evocations of a better world. In 1980 Marley made plans to do a major concert tour, beginning in the newly independent nation of Zimbabwe, but on May 11, 1981, he died after collapsing while jogging in New York City's Central Park. The cause of his death was an untreated cancer which had spread to vital organs of his body.
Later in 1981 the Jamaican government posthumously awarded Marley the Order of Merit. His music still thrives, thanks to fan support and a number of posthumous album releases. Marley's wife Rita and several of their children also pursued musical careers, helping to keep his legend alive. As of 2008, Bob Marley Day became part of Jamaica's Reggae Month, which was designated to devote more time to celebrating Jamaica's role in the development of the musical genre. Along with many other countries in the world, Jamaica put on an especially elaborate celebration to mark Bob Marley Day on what would have been his seventy-fifth birthday on February 6, 2020.
Bibliography
Baltin, Steve. "Bob Marley at 75: Celebrating His Global Legacy." Forbes, 2 Feb. 2020, www.forbes.com/sites/stevebaltin/2020/02/02/bob-marley-at-75-celebrating-his-global-legacy/#7138aef11830. Accessed 17 Apr. 2020.
Goldman, Vivien. "Bob Marley at 75: How a Ghetto Reggae Star Rebranded Jamaica." The Guardian, 10 Feb. 2020, www.theguardian.com/music/2020/feb/10/bob-marley-75th-birthday-how-ghetto-reggae-star-rebranded-jamaica. Accessed 17 Apr. 2020.
Hope, Donna P. "Reggae Month Truly Comes of Age." Jamaica Observer, 5 Mar. 2020, www.jamaicaobserver.com/opinion/reggae-month-truly-comes-of-age‗188767?profile=1444. Accessed 17 Apr. 2020.
Ricci, Talia. "On the 75th Anniversary of Bob Marley's Birth, GTA Reggae Scene Reflects on His Influence." CBC News, 6 Feb. 2020, www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/bob-marley-birthday-gta-reggae-1.5451670. Accessed 17 Apr. 2020.