Thesis Statement: Bob Marley’s life affected his writing and contributed to the development of his poetry.
Bob Marley is without a doubt the greatest musician a third world country ever produced. Through Rastafari ideas, he influenced many others with songs that touched the lives of millions with his constant message of unity. His wisdom through experience helped him achieve a grand distinction over other artists.
In the year 1944, Captain Norvol Marley, a middle-aged white marine officer, married a young Jamaican girl named Cedilla Booker. On February 6, 1945 at two thirty in the morning their son, Robert Nesta Marley, otherwise known as Bob Marley was born in his grandfather’s house (The Story). Soon after Bob was born his father left his mother. Bob’s Father did, however give financial support and occasionally arranged to see his son. It was now the late fifties and jobs were scarce in Jamaica. Bob followed his mother from their home in St. Ann to Trenchtown (West Kingston) to seek employment in the big city.
Trenchtown got its name because it was built over a ditch, which drained the sewage of old, Kingston. In Trenchtown Bob spent a lot of his time with his good friend Neville Livingston, who people called by his nickname, Bunny. He began to attend a music class with Bunny, which was held by the famous Jamaican singer Joe Higgs. In that class they met Peter Macintosh and soon became good friends. When Bob was 16, he started to follow his dream of becoming a musician. According to Michael Anderson, “Music to many young Jamaicans was an escape from the harshness of everyday life” (Anderson, 1).
Bob’s life looked brighter on February 10, 1966 when he married girlfriend Rita Anderson. Rita gave birth to their first born whom they named Cedilla. Stephen, Sharon, and Ziggy then followed Cedilla.
Bob Marley had quite a massive résumé for his artistic career. It first started when he met Jimmy Cliff, who at the age of 14 had already recorded a couple of hit songs. After meeting Bob, Jimmy introduced him to Leslie Kong, a local record producer. Bob followed his advice and auditioned for Leslie Kong (Lieblich, 7). Bob’s musical talents shone much more brightly than anyone else that day and found him in the studio recording his first single “Judge Not”. Unfortunately neither “Judge Not” nor his 1962 single “One More Cup of Coffee” did very wel...
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.... He used his ideas and beliefs not to create but to solve problems. The life he lived as a Rasta allowed him to generate songs that are treasured significantly. It has always been said legends never die and with such musical genius, Bob Marley’s legend will live on.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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Lieblich, Julia. “Beyond Dreads, To Roots of Rastafari,” Star Tribune, B 7, August 15, 1998.
Marley, Rita. “Remembering Bob Marley,” Essence. 16: 18, February 1, 1995.
Michael Anderson. “The Biggest Tribute To Bob Marley.” Lycos. 20 Mar. 1998. Online. America Online. 4 Nov. 2001. Available at http:/www.thirdfield.com/.
Mirkin, Steve. “Roots Rock Reggae,” Rolling Stone. 24: 13, April 15, 1998.
Salewicz Chris. “American Music ‘50s Rhythm and blues Influence Bob Marley: Google. Online. Internet. 1995. Available at http:/www.bobmarley.com/life/musical/influences/Americanmusic/index.html.
Sisano, Ben. “All-Star Tribute To Jamaica’s Native Son,” New York Times, III 55, December 19, 1999.
The Story. Chicago: Thames and Hudson, 1996.
The way he used nature in his everyday life and he didn't need much to keep him happy. He could let others see the world through his nonconformist ways through song. He was just happy to be living the life he was given without a worry in the world. That's why I think Bob Marley fits into the Transcendental concepts of nonconformity, simplified Life, and importance of nature. Although he started off Christian I think Rastafarian made him into the man he was. I can't imagine what kind of things he would've done if he didn't die at such an early age can
Wilson, Olly. “On the Significance of the Relationship between African and Afro-American Music.” The Black Perspective in Music 2 (1974), 3-22.
Southern, Eileen. The Music of Black Americans. 2nd ed. 1971. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1986. 367, 404-5, 407, 430, 437. Print.
...uality, nature, anti-materialism and self-reliance. His music was purposed towards encouraging people to believe in their choices and decisions rather than believing in the teachings of societal institutions. Bob Marley criticized religion is an institution which instead of uniting people ends up separating them. He also warns people not to suffer in the name of going to even and live an afterlife. Rather, they should live in heaven on earth that is, they should be happy in their lives. Bob Marley’s song corresponds to transcendentalist who believed that people should not conform to the normal life patterns. Transcendentalists, just like Bob Marley, believed that one derives happiness from what he/she believes is right no matter what people think or the consequences. When one stands up for his/her rights, he/she does not follow what has been stipulated or instructed.
The Nobel Prize in literature is a well sought after reward that fulfills the dreams of both aspiring and well known authors. Gordon Ball’s nomination of Bob Dylan for the prize in 1996 was a controversial decision that has yet to see any results, and it was this nomination that placed into question whether or not a singer-songwriter is eligible to receive the Nobel Prize. While Bob Dylan’s works have been to be found moving to many and arguably profound lyrical masterpieces, they were created with the intention of being verbally and visually expressed and do not read along the lines of traditional writing or poetry.
Although there is a variety of music that could be examined to trace its evolution through time, there is one genre in particular that is quite interesting to examine. Though it differs from other types of music, it will be looked at in conjunction with Reggae music as they have similar ties. Reggae music is quite prominent today in the United States, parts of Africa, and of course Jamaica. Reggae is notoriously known for its most influential artist Bob Marley, and it is not unusual for one to have heard a few, if not many of his songs. Reggae’s popularity is steadily increasing and is doing so through both expansions of the music as well as increasing knowledge on the genre.
Reggae The Story Of Jamaican Music BBC Documentary. vols., 2012. Online. Internet. 22 Mar. 2014. . Available: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wv1Iy26qlLk&feature=youtube_gdata_player.
Through Elvis Presley, rock ‘n’ roll changed the face of American music, and influenced a whole generation’s political philosophy. Composer Leonard Berstein once said, “He introduced the beat to everything and changed everything-music, language, clothes; it’s a whole new social revolution-the 60s come from it” (Wattenberg 6B). To his credit, Elvis embraced rhythm and blues not as a from to be imitated, but as a form to honored and interprete... ...
During his brief stays in Brown's Town and Kingston McKay continued writing poetry, and once back in Sunny Ville, with Jekyll's encouragement, he published the Songs of Jamaica and Constab Ballads in London in 1912. In these two volumes McKay portrays opposing aspects of black life in Jamaica. Songs of Jamaica presents an a...
My speech today is on not just a man, but a man who owns tens of millions of recordings, nine Grammy’s and two Academy Awards, some 60 films, worldwide tours, television specials, and hundreds of millions of dollars raised for charities. In sheer productivity, few popular artists could touch the hem of his tuxedo jacket. In pure, smoldering style, he was unexcelled. His rueful, macho star power ensured that the music and lyrics of the swing era would resonate throughout the later years of the 20th Century - despite a near-endless string of horror stories about his vulgarity, hot temper and alleged ties to organized crime. Frank Sinatra was alluring and powerful not despite his contradictions, but because of them. He was bigger than life, but human as the next guy, and keenly aware of his public persona's many sides. And yet he knew, deep down, that the music - The Voice - was clear enough, powerful enough and passionate enough to eclipse the public's darkest doubts about Sinatra the man. Francis Albert Sinatra was born Dec. 12, 1915, the only child of working-class Italian-American immigrants, in a tenement at 415 Monroe St. in Hoboken, New Jersey. His father, Anthony, was a boxer-turned-fireman; his mother, Natalie "Dolly" Sinatra, was a former barmaid who often sang at family gatherings. Their home and their neighborhood rang with the sounds of the Italian bel canto style of singing, which Sinatra said inspired him to sing. In high school, he saw his hero, crooner Bing Crosby, perform live, an event that inspired him to become a solo vocalist. Between working various jobs at The Jersey Observer, Sinatra sang with a neighborhood vocal group, the Hoboken Four, and appeared in neighborhood theater amateur shows, where first prize was usually $10 or a set of dishes. His first professional gig was at the Rustic Cabin roadhouse in Englewood Cliffs (my Grandmother saw him perform there way back when), where Sinatra sang, told jokes and played the role of emcee when he wasn't waiting tables. He also continued his 4-year love affair with hometown sweetheart Nancy Barbato, who would later become his first wife and the mother of his three children – Nancy, Frank Jr., and Tina. Sinatra later hit it big with the Tommy Dorsey Band, performing with Dorsey until he decided to go solo. Wooing crowds of "booby-soxers," Sinatra garnered his nick...
Bob Dylan is one of the most influential artists, especially in the Vietnam era where everything seemed to be falling apart. He wrote so many different rebel ballads that I most definitely think impacted the turnout of the 60s and 70s. Many of his songs are still popular today and so many different generations know of him and his work. Bob Dylan influenced many artists and is still is inspiring people and will continue to for many years to come.
Marley was born into Jamaica’s poverty and it is where he developed a strong love of reggae and became a Rastafari. Reggae, evolved from another musical style called Ska in the late 1960’s, is considered the voice of the ‘oppressed’ peoples. Many reggae lyrics are politicalised and centre on themes of freedom and fighting for it. (Cooper, 2014)
"Nelson Mandela, hero to the world." New Pittsburgh Courier [Pittsburgh] 17 Dec. 2013, sec. Guest Editorial: A5. New Pittsburgh Courier. Web. 16 Apr. 2014.
King, Stephen; Jensen, Richard,(1995) Bob Marley's "Redemption Song": The rhetoric of reggae and Rastafari Journal of Popular Culture 29.3