Bob Marley: Pioneer of Raggae

(1945–1981)

When most people think about Reggae, a young Robert Nesta Marley OM comes to mind.

Bob Marley is one of the most revolutionary names in the music industry. He is a global symbol for Jamaican culture and a Rastafari icon.

February 6, 1945, Bob Marley was born in Nine Mile,

. Marley spent part of his childhood in Nine Mile before moving to live in a West Kingston ghetto "Trench Town" at the age of 9.

In Trench Town, Marley attended

school until dropping out at the age of fourteen. Despite a struggle with poverty, Marley was able to find inspiration in music. He began to sing cover songs with his own makeshift instruments.

The distinctive reggae sound we associate so closely to Marley, was developed on these instruments in combination of Jamaican style Ska and blues (styles popular in Trench Town).

The Wailers:

The version of Bob Marley and the Wailers we recognize today comes from a long history of variations and shifts. Picture this, Jamaica in 1963. An 18 year old Bob Marley Beverly Kelso, Peter McIntosh (aka Peter Tosh), Cherry Smith, Junior Braithwaite, Bunny Livingston (aka Bunny Wailer) come into the music scene. And thus, a foundation for what came to be a pivotal moment in reggae was born.

The Names:

There were many names before settling with the Wailers: The Teenagers to the Wailing Rudeboys, The Wailing Wailers, and finally Bob Marley and the Wailers. The bands names throughout coincided with the bands many shifts- from slight rebranding to completely new members.

The Vibes:

In the early 60's, the band followed Jamaican style ska. After gaining popularity in Jamaica through the 60s, the band fell into financial battles. Members of the band began to drift or leave (Braithewaite, Kelso and Smith)

Rasta?:

During the drift, Marley left to the United States. Marley returned to Jamaica (and the Wailers) 8 months after reuniting with Livingston and McIntosh. Now, beginning the During this time ( late 60s/early 70s) the Wailers began to incorporate the political and religious Rastafarian movement into their music.

Rastafari, sometimes called Rastafarianism is a religion that developed in Jamaica during the 1930s.

Some may say that it was Marley who did more than any other Rasta to spread the religion across the globe.

Wailer Success:

Many hits were released during this time of reunification. "Stir it Up", "Trench Town Rock", and "Soul Rebel" to name a few.

Eventually, the Wailers were contracted by Island Records. The contract was monumental, as the band recorded their first full album Catch a Fire and second Burnin in the same year.

In 1975, members Livingston and McIntosh decided to leave the Wailers to pursue solo careers. In 1977, Bob Marley and the Wailers released album Exodus. (My third favorite after Uprising- released in 1980 Legend- released in 1984). This released was followed by many others.

As you can see... they created MANY albums:

Studio Albums	​13
Live Albums	6
Compilation Albums	38
Singles	133
Soundtrack Albums	1
Remix Albums	10
Box Sets	11

Marleys Final Days:

While on tour to promote the Uprising album (1980), Marley fell extremely ill . Cancer discovered earlier in his toe spread to the rest of his body. Months later, Marley was no longer able to withstand his disease. In hopes of one final goodbye to his homeland, Marley set out for Jamaica. However, he did not complete the travels and passed away on May 11. 1981 in Miami, Florida. Marley was 36 years old.

I think I can speak for the majority when I say that Marley was monumental. His legacy reigns far beyond the albums he released. Marley is coined as a heroic symbol for not only paving the way for raggae as mainstream, but also inspiring courage, happiness, and peace amongst all people.