Harry J’s studio, Kingston, Jamaica, winter 1976. Wearing a Spartan Health Club T-shirt and busted sandals, Bob Marley finishes singing a take of a weirdly cheery song called Smile Jamaica. I had been reporting from the island for the British rock press and was popping by to give my farewells – only to be surprised by this ditty that sounded like a tourism commercial. Why so upbeat? Marley took a swig of green juice and, frowning, crisply replied: “People in Jamaica too vex.”
The term vex refers to being angry, and the accuracy of his evaluation would quickly become evident in the following days. In less than a week, it was reported that four armed individuals invaded Marley’s residence on Hope Road and shot him.
During a time of turmoil on an island affected by conflicts from the distant cold war, the two dominant political parties were intertwined with gang affiliations and charismatic leaders. The Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), under the leadership of Edward Seaga, was often referred to as “CIAga” in graffiti. Meanwhile, the People’s National Party (PNP), headed by LSE graduate Michael Manley, received support from the Soviet Union and Cuba’s Fidel Castro. Bob Marley aimed for his upcoming concert, named Smile Jamaica, to be impartial, but many Jamaicans perceived it as a show of support for Manley. It is believed that the JLP hired gunmen in retaliation.
After surviving, Marley performed in the concert two days after. However, he eventually left the island and was uncertain about coming back. During the following two years in London, he energized the developing Rastafarian community and recorded Exodus with his band, the Wailers. This album was later named album of the century by Time. In 1978, Marley returned to Kingston and triumphantly performed at the One Love Peace Concert.
During this cycle, I was present and wrote about it in my book from 2006 titled “Exodus.” The period has now been brought to the screen in the compelling film “Bob Marley: One Love,” originally titled “Exodus.” The talented British actor Kingsley Ben-Adir gives an exceptional performance, introducing a new generation to Marley. The film, co-produced by Marley’s eldest son Ziggy and his sister Cedella, offers a brief glimpse into their father’s life with luminosity and a deep sense of compassion.
After his death in 1981, Bob Marley’s marketing has gone through multiple transformations. Dave Robinson, the managing director of Island Records, shifted Marley’s once-edgy political Rasta image to a more commercial appeal with the release of the massively successful Legend compilation. This led to Marley being seen as a more approachable and likable figure, known as “Cuddly Dread,” and his image being used to sell products like beer bongs and crochet caps with dreadlocks made of wool. Despite this, in 2012, Saturday Night Live’s Seth Meyers made a joke about the Marley course being taught at New York University, implying that stoner students would skip the morning class. However, Marley was actually a dedicated and hardworking individual, often being the last one in the studio and the first one on the bus the next day.
The focus of marketing changed once more during the surge of the Black Lives Matter movement, as Universal started promoting him as the revolutionary pan-Africanist he had always been (a post on their site titled “10 Bob Marley Protest Hits That Remain Powerful Today” was an example of this). The difficulty for the One Love film was how to bring all of these aspects together.
The film begins with a scene of Marley and his friends in a peaceful Jamaican beach, surrounded by lush scenery. They joyfully run down the beach, with their dreadlocks being washed by powerful waterfalls. The movie evokes strong memories and emotions, causing me to feel overwhelmed and transported back to my younger self, almost like a chameleon blending into the background.
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My own first real-life lessons from Bob came before the point at which the movie begins, when I was a junior press officer for Island Records – then a hip indie label – looking after the Wailers, Burning Spear and Aswad. Already on fire about his music since my recent student days, I wrote press releases projecting the original rude boy as a spiritual firebrand, a poet-revolutionary, who was also a heart-throb à la Che Guevara.
In 1975, Bob and his band achieved success when they traveled to London to perform at the Lyceum theatre. This trip also gave me the opportunity to witness Marley’s work as I accompanied a group of journalists for interviews with him. Marley, who was humorous and playful, would tease any British journalists who showed disrespect towards Rasta by switching from standard English to deep patois. However, he was always attentive and would adapt his approach based on the interviewer. His main goal was to effectively communicate his message.
During the Smile Jamaica recording sessions the next year, I was a journalist covering music and my hotel bill had recently been paid by Virgin’s Front Line reggae label. Marley extended an invitation for me to stay at his communal residence in Kingston’s Hope Road (now known as the Bob Marley Museum), which I accepted for a few days. However, my employers at the weekly paper Sounds requested that I return before the Smile Jamaica concert. Therefore, I narrowly avoided being present at the rehearsal where Marley, his wife Rita, and his manager Don Taylor were all shot.
“I am elevating the ghetto to an urban level,” Marley asserted, after I playfully pointed out the contrast between living near the prime minister and his former residence in Trenchtown. Being conscious of the weight of his words, he added: “You must demonstrate progress to others; it doesn’t necessarily have to be material, but in the realm of free thinking.”
In the movie, there is a scene where Marley is playing his guitar and singing to a group of people gathered around a campfire. This reminded me of a night when I heard faint sounds and went downstairs to find Marley playing on an iron bed while a girl sat at the other end. More children had joined the group. We were captivated by the lyrics of the song, which spoke about the big fish preying on the small fish and the guilt that rests on their conscience. A few weeks later, I was in London attending a session at Basing Street Studios in Notting Hill. I immediately recognized the song playing from the speakers as the one Marley had sung that night. It was called “Guiltiness” and I realized that Marley had been commenting on the events leading up to his near-fatal attack.
The film also features a scene where Marley appears confused at a punk concert in London. This raised the question of whether he actually attended one. It reminded me of a time when I had obtained an early release of The Clash’s debut album and I wondered about Marley’s thoughts on their cover of Junior Murvin’s reggae track “Police and Thieves”. While at Basing Street, I unexpectedly encountered Marley relaxing with Lee “Scratch” Perry, the producer of Murvin’s original version. I played the song for them and as soon as they heard Joe Strummer’s punk vocals, they went from shocked to surprised to appreciative. A lengthy discussion followed, in which Marley placed punks as another group of rebels who he respected, despite not liking their aesthetic of safety pins through the cheek. He admitted that he admired their ability to endure pain without showing weakness.
Founder of Island Records, Chris Blackwell, was pleased with my passion for Marley. He shared with me, “Bob is highly significant to the label – and to me.” In the film One Love, James Norton portrays Blackwell and he now commends the completed movie, particularly Lashana Lynch’s portrayal of Rita Marley. Blackwell also praises director Reinaldo Marcus Green, saying, “He did an exceptional job. Initially, I wasn’t fond of the idea of a film about Bob, as I believed people enjoyed their own connection with him through his music. However, enough time has passed and I am content with the family’s decision to create the film.”
The movie gives off an authorized production vibe. A heartwarming scene depicts Rita educating Bob about the Rasta belief of “I and I”: prioritizing the community over the individual. However, this idea is not consistently portrayed throughout the film, as it primarily focuses on the main character.
The movie clearly establishes the specific period of time in which Bob Marley was inspired to record Exodus. However, fans of The Wailers may still be curious about key individuals in his career, such as the other members of the original trio, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer, or the Barrett brothers, Carlton (drummer) and Aston “Family Man” (bass player) who passed away recently. These characters are well portrayed in One Love, especially Aston Jr as his father, but with such a large group of people, they can sometimes blend together.
Bob was consistently interested in collaborating with others. “Why do you constantly interview me? Why not speak with Family Man?” he inquired. “He’s the leader of the band.”
In the tribe, there is Cindy Breakspeare, who is almost invisible and rarely speaks. She is Damian Marley’s mother and was crowned Miss World in 1976. Around the same time, she began a relationship with Marley, which caused a lot of media attention and made headlines with the title “Beauty and the Beast.” This also brought Bob, who was relatively unknown at the time, into the spotlight of tabloid newspapers. Despite Breakspeare being his main partner, Bob, who lived a complex and polyamorous Rastafarian lifestyle, continued to have children with other women. (Breakspeare declined to comment for this article, and the film’s production company, Paramount, could not arrange interviews with the screenwriters.)
Some viewers interpret the film’s focus on Rita as a natural tribute from producers Cedella and Ziggy to their mother. However, this perspective overlooks the complex love triangle that was influenced by class and colorism. Cindy, a privileged, light-skinned girl from an affluent area, easily captured attention with her beauty. In contrast, Rita came from a less fortunate background and spent years struggling alongside Bob to attain her own privilege. Cindy and Bob had a genuine connection when she lived at Hope Road. While the film shows Bob serenading Rita with “Turn Your Lights Down Low,” it was actually written for Cindy. Rita played a significant role in solidifying Bob’s relationship with Rastafarianism and presented a modest image of womanhood in contrast to Cindy’s glamour. It is a testament to true One Love that, during Bob’s final days when he lost his dreadlocks to chemotherapy, the women were able to put aside any differences.
Similar to most biographical films, some details have been altered for dramatic effect, but the true story of Bob and his childhood friend is even more intense than what is portrayed. In the movie, we witness Claudie Massop of the JLP wearing his signature red beret, appearing through the fog as Marley seeks refuge at Strawberry Hill – a house owned by Blackwell located in the Blue Mountains – after being shot. Massop intercepts him and clarifies that he was not involved in the attack. Marley trusts him and continues on his way.
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Unfortunately, Massop was unable to attend as his political colleagues had taken precautions to ensure he was imprisoned in Gun Court. Despite this, Massop was able to make a phone call to Bob from prison to warn him. However, Marley had faith that Jah would keep him safe and proceeded with the preparations for the concert.
While filming Exodus, the Marley character is surprised to encounter Massop and his former rival Bucky Marshall in a park in London. The two have made peace and invite Marley to come back to Jamaica and perform at the Peace Concert. In reality, Marley paid for their air tickets from Jamaica specifically to discuss this invitation, and Massop even stayed at Marley’s home in Chelsea. This may be too much information for a film aimed at a wide audience, but it helps to understand Marley’s bravery, faith, and strong connections with the gang leaders who are similar to him but trapped in dangerous situations influenced by powerful countries.
Apart from the shooting incident and Taylor’s financial betrayal, which Bob physically confronts, One Love steers clear of negativity, giving no indication that Marshall and Massop were murdered just months later. The only mention of the larger cold war conflict in Jamaica and Marley’s shooting is indirectly heard as Marley watches news on television in London.
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The purpose of this film is to make Marley’s message of unity, pan-Africanism, and pan-humanism more accessible by blurring the lines of his unconventional choices. Anchored by Ben-Adir’s amazing performance, the film successfully conveys this message. It highlights how Marley changed the typical revenge narrative by bringing one of the young gunmen on tour with him, surprising and worrying his peers. This movie showcases Marley’s compassionate and unifying vision of One Love, for which he risked his life. It is hoped that this lively and heartfelt film will inspire and promote this much-needed purpose.
Bob Marley’s film, “One Love,” will be shown in theaters on February 14th. This year, White Rabbit will release a new compilation of Vivien Goldman’s articles titled “Rebel Musix, Scribe on a Vibe.” Additionally, “The Book of Exodus: The Making and Meaning of Bob Marley and the Wailers’ Album of the Century” will be published by Three Rivers Press/Random House.
Source: theguardian.com
