He is considered the Godfather of Reggae, singer, songwriter, and musician. Robert Nesta Marley, also widely known as Bob Marley could arguably be the most influential recording artist of our time.
Robert Nesta Marley “Bob Marley” was born on February 6, 1945 in Rhoden Hall, Nine Miles, St. Ann, Jamaica. In the late 1950’s, in his early teen years moved to the western vicinity of Kingston known as Trench Town, a low income community.
Bob Marley’s Artistry
It’s hard to find ways to describe the authenticity that was Bob Marley’s talent. His musicianship, his voice and the songwriting skills that he possessed can never be matched. His dazzling guitar riffs, which helped enhance the reggae offshoot sound, where the bass and drum were moved to the forefront. Jamaican producer Lee “Scratch” Perry, helped to develop this sound accompanied by the brotherly duo, Carlton Barrett (drummer) and Aston Barrett (bassist), who were known as “The Upsetters”. The Barrett brothers who later became a part of the “Wailers”, respectively after Neville Livingston also known as “Bunny Wailer” and Peter “Macintosh” Tosh left the group.
The raspiness in Marley’s voice that was filled with such heartfelt emotion and his writing that visually brought life to the music and made the world aware of the living and social conditions the people of Jamaica were dealing with. You could say his practice of Rastafarianism and his love for soccer (football) helped develop and inspire his songwriting as well. People try to associate with Bob Marley with just his consisted use of marijuana. (Which is part of Rastafarianism), but he was more than a “Dreadlock Rasta”. Not only was this man who was raised in the hard, rugged streets of Trench Town rise above his unsettling and poverty stricken circumstances and became a global commercial success, selling millions of albums worldwide. He was connected with his roots, a revolutionary and philanthropist. He showed his love and respect for every individual, whether he wrote about in a lyrical form or by showing it by giving back anyway he could, and bringing people from all different cultures together to sing along to one of his groundbreaking songs. Soul Savviness shows appreciation to the legacy of the iconic Bob Marley.