In the Spotlight...

Bob Marley

Reflections on a
Rasta Man's Vibrations

Often when one hears the term World Music, one thinks of Reggae and of Bob Marley. Bob was indeed a gifted, creative reggae composer, performer, Rasfafarian, Reggae ambassador and crusader for freedom, justice and global humanity.

Global Beat indeed seeks to present Reggae and music from the four corners of the Globe, in a holistic, spiritual way, and will appreciate and celebrate its creativity and the culture and the humanity it reflects and emanates from.

On stage Bob Marley was vibrant, electric, electrifying, pantomimic, acrobatic, choreographic, rhythmic, evangelistic. He challenged concert audiences to actively participate in and to celebrate life. Bob sought to communicate, celebrate, and elevate the human spirit, the human condition.

Prior to traveling to a performance, Marley, the Wailers, I Threes, accompanying singers, family members and friends prepared spiritually, physically, and nutritionally by having a full course organic meal so that they were at their best spiritually and physically so that they could give their best. It was a family affair. That meant that friends were expected to be at the performances too. And, in truth, you felt very much a part of the collective energy of those onstage and those in the audience that accompanied the group to the performance. It was a very singular experience. It was a feeling of inclusiveness, indeed of family.

Off stage Bob Marley was, pensive, serious, humorous, animated, and whimsical. He was brilliant, philosophic, sensitive, passionate about what he believed in, politically conscious and engaging. But most important, he was always aware, always, thinking, interacting with people.

Bob was personally involved and involving. He was always observant of everyone in his presence and of everything that happened around him, whether there was a few or many present. He was keenly aware and able to "read a person," to sense their being, often by observing them without talking to them, but watching their facial expressions, their mannerisms, their vibrations, sort of intuitively, and often without them being aware of his observations.

Robert Nesta Marley's keen ability to view, analyze, ask questions and listen to others, appeared to have gone to the core of his being, and was in turn reflected in his music, which was a reflection of himself, a Rasfafarian, creative being of the highest order, astute political scientist, world culture historian, celebrator of Jamaican, African, African American, World culture, and humanity.