The Marley Legacy
by Chynna Pearson
Music and cannabis have almost always gone hand in hand. Some would likely say that Bob Marley is one of the most well-known in the combined space. Additionally, if anyone knows anything about being in the cannabis community at any point, it is very likely to have come across, seen, or heard of the late, great Bob Marley. However, to reduce Bob Marley to simply a man who partakes in cannabis is disrespectful to his legacy. For those that have not been fully acquainted with Bob Marley, the most basic description of him would be: a Jamaican, Rastafarian singer, songwriter, and musician who sold over 20 million reggae albums, he would ultimately become the world's leading ambassador for reggae music. Now, let’s get into who Bob Marley was and how he came to be such a well-known and revered person within both the music industry and the cannabis community.
Marley was born on February 6, 1945, in St. Ann Parish, Jamaica. Marley’s mother was a young Black woman who was just a teen when he was born. His father was a traveling white man from outside of Jamaica who was much older than his mother, and he was not involved in Marley’s life. Marley’s young life was spent continuing to live where he was born and in the rural village known as Nine Miles. Nine Miles is a very small district of St. Ann Parish consisting of less than 500 people. Today, there is a Bob Marley Museum Tour that is located in Marley’s childhood home. People visit it daily to get a glimpse of where Marley was born and how some of his lyrics came to be. It must be a truly remarkable place to visit as a fan of the King of Reggae to get a deeper look into his early life. Before getting too deep into Marley’s life, it is important to fully explain what Rastafari, or Rasta Fari, is. It is important to understand that in many circles it has been misappropriated and skewed by people who don’t fully understand it. Many know that some of the common beliefs of Rastafarians come from Jamaican nationalist Marcus Garvey. What many do not know is that Rastafari’s name was derived from an Ethiopian emperor from 1930, His Imperial Majesty Halie Selassie I, whose pre coronation name was Ras Tafari. Rastafari is a religious and political movement that began in 1930s Jamaica but, has been adopted by many people all around the world. According to Britannica, it combines Protestant Christianity, mysticism, and pan-African political consciousness. Members of Rastafari are called Rastas, they look at their lives in a specific context. As Rastafari draws from the Old Testament, most commonly from Exodus. Rastas see people of African descent be “exiles of Babylon” who are being tested by God through slavery and the years of economic and systemic injustice and racial oppression. They also draw from the book of Revelation, awaiting their eventual deliverance to Zion. Zion is the symbolic name for Africa. 41
APRIL 2022
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UNITED KINGDOM - JUNE 01: RAINBOW THEATRE Photo of Bob MARLEY, Bob Marley performing live on stage (Photo by Graham Wiltshire/Redferns)
In Jamaica, Rastas are typically descendants of enslaved people who were converted to Christianity by missionaries. Rastas believe that those missionaries had corrupted the word of God, this is not unfounded as it has been recorded that slave owners encouraged incorrect interpretation of the Bible to better control enslaved people. According to History.com, there are some that theorize that when enslaved African Americans were taught about Christianity they could not read certain passages, or some were removed from the text; this was mostly found to be parts of the Old Testament. The Rastas also uphold the principles of a balanced lifestyle, they wear their hair long and locked in its natural state. They are often seen wearing red, gold, and black; each symbolizing blood, herbs, and Africa. Being vegetarian is also a huge part of the Rastafarian religion. This is where the smoking of cannabis, or ganja, comes in. Ganja is used in prayer services to achieve a higher state of meditation, and during the “binges,” nighttime drumming ceremonies. It is said that reggae music actually is derived from the Rastafarian movement, this is why Bob Marley is well known and associated with this religion. As a young child, in 1950, Bob and his mother moved to Kingston, Jamaica, where they lived in an area called Trench Town. Trench Town is not known for being a particularly prosperous area and Marley lived in poverty. Although this can be a difficult thing to deal with, Marley found his inspiration in music, artists like Elvis Presley, Ray Charles, the Drifters, and Fats Domino. Were popular at this time and are said to have heavily inspired young Marley. One of Marley’s childhood friends, Neville "Bunny" O'Riley Livingston, attended the same school as he did, they both shared a love of music. It was actually Bunny who inspired Marley to learn to play guitar, according to Christopher John Farley’s book Before the Legend: The Rise of Bob Marley. He also said that during this time, Bunny’s father and Marley’s mother ended up becoming involved and they all lived together in Kingston for a time.
