"One good thing about music,
when it hits you, you feel no pain."
I'm not the biggest fan of reggae, I
guess I like hearing it from time to time but I guess I don't really "like"
it, well, there, I guess I'm glad I said it…
But watching performers who more or
less have the time of their lives every time they go on stage IS a big thrill, so
Bob Marley's on my list, I don't think he ever felt any pain…I guess it's not true
that he singlehandedly made reggae a world phenomenon, but without Marley, would
you know what "reggae" means?.....
My sort of connection to Marley is that
my main man, Eric Clapton, took a fancy to "I Shot The Sheriff" and performed it in 1974—it was a gonzo hit in the U.S., giving a boost to Marley's rising star.
Marley was born in Nine Mile, Jamaica.
His dad was white, his mom was black….Marley reflected on his heritage:
"I don't have prejudice against meself. My father was a
white and my mother was black. Them call me half-caste or whatever. Me don't
deh pon nobody's side. Me don't deh pon the black man's side nor the white
man's side. Me deh pon God's side, the one who create me and cause me to come
from black and white."
That works for me.
Bob Marley created the great breadth of Reggae songs, but my heart resides with Jimmy Cliff, who came along in the 70s with his own sound and philosophy. "The Harder They Come", then slowing down slightly for "Many Rivers to Cross and "Sitting in Limbo". Sweet sounds out of Jamaica.
ReplyDeleteI'm gonna check out this Jimmy Cliff fellow...
ReplyDelete