Celebrating legend Bob Marley’s life

Last Wednesday, February 6, Bob Nesta Marley clocked 68 because even in death, he lives on in the hearts and lives of reggae fans worldwide.

His Ugandan fans got together to party to the sounds of the fallen reggae icon in different locations. At Hooters Bar, located in Uganda Manufacturer’s Association (UMA) grounds, documentaries like the recently released Marley, about the life of the reggae icon were shown.

At 9pm, a band, consisting of band members of Ras Clan, The Blood Brothers, The Kokonuts and Barbed Wire Thong, kicked off performances of some of Bob Marley’s tracks. There were later solo acts by the likes of Tshaka Mayanja, a big-time reggae fan that was in good mood to share some ‘rastaman vibrations’ as he plucked away on his guitar.

It was like one big reggae music family as more fans like Kampala Central Division chairman, Godfrey Nyakana, dread-clocked videographer Mustaque Abdallah, corporates and part of the Rastafarian community came together to share Bob Marley’s biggest message of “One Love”. Some rastas used the opportunity to make some money by selling merchandise customised with rastafarian colours and Bob Marley portraits.

There was another party at Laftaz, Centenary Park that had performances from the likes of Bebe Cool and his Gagamel Crew and the Roots Rockers band of Ras B. Ssali and Jenkins Mukasa.

Earlier in the day, top radio stations like KFM dedicated time to play Bob Marley songs as they reminded listeners about the greatness of a man who dedicated his life to preach justice, love and unity, using a score of hits like Buffalo Soldier, Zimbabwe and One Love to mention but a few.

If you did not attend the concert, then you have a reason to look out for Marley, which documents the life of the reggae legend with some never-seen-before footage, right from his childhood to the emotive end of his earthy journey when he lost the battle to cancer. But like it is, clearly, Marley lives on, now at 68 and going strong as the template for old school reggae that talked to the heart and touched the soul. Long live Tuff Gong!

rbatte@ug.nationmedia.com