Rastafari and Bob Marley

Let me first of all confess - I am not a big Bob Marley fan. I have always known Bob Marley as one of the best performers who had a huge impact on the people of his generation but, I didnt know he was as strong a man of character as to surrender his life to a painful death for his belief in the Rastafari religion. Now that I know, I cant help but fall in awe of the man and his character.

Rastafari is a religion or rather a subculture whose pilgrimage is based out of Ethiopia. Ras Tafari, the emperor of Ethiopia, is worshipped by Rastafarians. Its basically a Black youth subculture and a religious movement that arose in the ghettos of Kingston, Jamaica, in the 1950s. Rastafarians regard Ras Tafari as divine. Males grow hair in long dreadlocks and wear woolen caps, use marijuana and listen to reggae music. Sounds like quite a cool religion. Well, hang on!

This religion opposes any surgery on the body. In Sep 1977, Marley was diagnosed as having cancer on his toe and was advised an amputation. Since Marley was a firm believer in the religion, he refused it. Cancer was spreading in his body but he kept on performing. Many of his shows had to be cancelled as he endured great pain and fought for his life for 8 excruciating months. He performed for the last time in Pittsburg in great pain and succumbed to death on May 11, 1981.

Bob Marley was a man who rose from being a trained welder to one of the best musicians. He was a man whose mother was abandoned by his father when he was 5 but who later on reconciled Jamainca's rival political groups through his music and following. A man who became the epitome of fight against inequity in the US and a national hero for the Jamaicans also had an ironical twist to his life - The man behind the fantastic number 'No Women No Cry' actually got married to Rita Anderson in 1966 at an age of 21. But then, he sung the song after he got married. Any lessons for me who takes the Matrimonial Oath in a short while?

Cheers to Marley and Reggae anyway!!!!