Robert "Bob" Nesta Marley OM (February 6, 1945 – May 11, 1981) was a Jamaican singer-songwriter, musician, and Rastafarian. He was the lead singer, songwriter and guitarist for the ska, rocksteady and reggae bands: The Wailers (1964 – 1974) and Bob Marley & the Wailers (1974 – 1981). In spite of dying nearly three decades ago he is the most widely known performer of ska/reggae music, and is credited for helping spread Jamaican music to the worldwide audience.[1]

Marley's best known hits includes "I Shot the Sheriff", "No Woman, No Cry", "Exodus", "Could You Be Loved", "Stir It Up", "Jamming", "Redemption Song", "One Love" and, together with The Wailers, ""Three Little Birds".[2], as well as the posthumous releases "Buffalo Soldier" and "Iron Lion Zion". The compilation album, Legend, released in 1984, three years after Marley's death, is the best-selling reggae album ever (10 times platinum[3]), with sales of more than 12 million copies.

Early life and career

Marley was born in the small village of Nine Mile in Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica as Nesta Robert Marley. A Jamaican passport official would later swap his first and middle names. His father, Norval Sinclair Marley, (born in 1895), was a white Jamaican of English descent, who lived in Liverpool. Norval was a Marine officer and captain, as well as a plantation overseer, when he married Cedella Booker, a black Jamaican then eighteen years old. Norval provided financial support for his wife and child, but seldom saw them, as he was often away on trips. In 1955, when Marley was 10 years old, his father died of a heart attack at age 60. Marley suffered racial prejudice as a youth, because of his mixed racial origins and faced questions about his own racial identity throughout his life. He once reflected:

I don't have prejudice against himself. My father was a white and my mother was black. Them call me half-caste or whatever. Me don't dip on nobody's side. Me don't dip on the black man's side nor the white man's side. Me dip on God's side, the one who create me and cause me to come from black and white.

Marley and his mother moved to Kingston's Trenchtown slum after Norval's death. He was forced to learn self-defense, as he became the target of bullying because of his racial makeup and small stature (5'4" or 163 cm tall)[citation needed]. He gained a reputation for his physical strength, which earned him the nickname "Tuff Gong".

Marley became friends with Neville "Bunny" Livingston (later known as Bunny Wailer), with whom he started to play music. He left school at the age of 14 and started as an apprentice at a local welder's shop. In his free time, he and Livingston made music with Joe Higgs, a local singer and devout Rastafari. It was at a jam session with Higgs and Livingston that Marley met Peter McIntosh (later known as Peter Tosh), who had similar musical ambitions.

In 1962, Marley recorded his first two singles, "Judge Not" and "One Cup of Coffee", with local music producer Leslie Kong. These songs, released on the Beverley's label under the pseudonym of Bobby Martell,[4] attracted little attention. The songs were later re-released on the box set, Songs of Freedom, a posthumous collection of Marley's work.

Musical career

The Wailers

In 1963, Bob Marley, Bunny Livingston, Peter McIntosh, Junior Braithwaite, Beverley Kelso, and Cherry Smith formed a ska and rocksteady group, calling themselves "The Teenagers". They later changed their name to "The Wailing Rudeboys", then to "The Wailing Wailers", at which point they were discovered by record producer Coxsone Dodd, and finally to "The Wailers". By 1966, Braithwaite, Kelso, and Smith had left The Wailers, leaving the core trio of Marley, Livingston, and McIntosh.

In 1966, Marley married Rita Anderson, and moved near his mother's residence in Wilmington, Delaware in the United States for a short time, during which he worked as a DuPont lab assistant and on the assembly line at a Chrysler plant, under the alias Donald Marley.[5] Upon returning to Jamaica, Marley became a member of the Rastafari movement, and started to wear his trademark dreadlocks (see the religion section for more on Marley's religious views).

After a conflict with Dodd, Marley and his band teamed up with Lee "Scratch" Perry and his studio band, The Upsetters. Although the alliance lasted less than a year, they recorded what many consider The Wailers' finest work. Marley and Perry split after a dispute regarding the assignment of recording rights, but they would remain friends and work together again.

Between 1968 and 1972, Bob and Rita Marley, Peter McIntosh and Bunny Livingston re-cut some old tracks with JAD Records in Kingston and London in an attempt to commercialize The Wailers' sound. Livingston later asserted that these songs "should never be released on an album … they were just demos for record companies to listen to."

The Wailers' first album, Catch A Fire, was released worldwide in 1973, and sold well. It was followed a year later by Burnin', which included the songs "Get Up, Stand Up" and "I Shot The Sheriff". Eric Clapton made a hit cover of "I Shot the Sheriff" in 1974, raising Marley's international profile.

The Wailers broke up in 1974 with each of the three main members going on to pursue solo careers. The reason for the breakup is shrouded in conjecture; some believe that there were disagreements amongst Livingston, McIntosh, and Marley concerning performances, while others claim that Livingston and McIntosh simply preferred solo work. McIntosh began recording under the name Peter Tosh, and Livingston continued as Bunny Wailer.

Bob Marley & The Wailers

Main article: Bob Marley & The Wailers_

Despite the breakup, Marley continued recording as "Bob Marley & The Wailers". His new backing band included brothers Carlton and Aston "Family Man" Barrett on drums and bass respectively, Junior Marvin and Al Anderson on lead guitar, Tyrone Downie and Earl "Wya" Lindo on keyboards, and Alvin "Seeco" Patterson on percussion. The "I Threes", consisting of Judy Mowatt, Marcia Griffiths, and Marley's wife, Rita, provided backing vocals.

In 1975, Marley had his international breakthrough with his first hit outside Jamaica, "No Woman, No Cry," from the Natty Dread album. This was followed by his breakthrough album in the US, Rastaman Vibration (1976), which spent four weeks on the Billboard charts Top Ten.

In December 1976, two days before "Smile Jamaica", a free concert organized by the Jamaican Prime Minister Michael Manley in an attempt to ease tension between two warring political groups, Marley, his wife, and manager Don Taylor were wounded in an assault by unknown gunmen inside Marley's home. Taylor and Marley's wife sustained serious injuries, but later made full recoveries. Bob Marley received serious injuries in the chest and arm. The shooting was thought to have been politically motivated, as many felt the concert was really a support rally for Manley. Nonetheless, the concert proceeded, and an injured Marley performed as scheduled.

Marley left Jamaica at the end of 1976 for England, where he recorded his Exodus and Kaya albums. Exodus stayed on the British album charts for 56 consecutive weeks. It included four UK hit singles: "Exodus", "Waiting In Vain", "Jamming", "One Love", and a rendition of Curtis Mayfield's hit, "People Get Ready". It was here that he was arrested and received a conviction for possession of a small quantity of cannabis while traveling in London.

In 1978, Marley performed at another political concert in Jamaica, the One Love Peace Concert, again in an effort to calm warring parties. Near the end of the performance, by Marley's request, Manley and his political rival, Edward Seaga, joined each other on stage and shook hands.

Babylon by Bus, a double live album with 13 tracks, was released in 1978 to critical acclaim. This album, and specifically the final track "Jammin'" with the audience in a frenzy, captured the intensity of Marley's live performances.

Survival, a defiant and politically charged album, was released in 1979. Tracks such as "Zimbabwe", "Africa Unite", "Wake Up and Live", and "Survival" reflected Marley's support for the struggles of Africans. His appearance at the Amandla Festival in Boston in July 1979 showed his strong opposition to South African apartheid, which he already had shown in his song "War" in 1976. In early 1980, he was invited to perform at the April 17 celebration of Zimbabwe's Independence Day.

Uprising (1980) was Bob Marley's final studio album, and is one of his most religious productions, including "Redemption Song" and "Forever Loving Jah". It was in "Redemption Song" that Marley sang the famous lyric,

" Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery

None but ourselves can free our minds…"

Confrontation, released posthumously in 1983, contained unreleased material recorded during Marley's lifetime, including the hit "Buffalo Soldier" and new mixes of singles previously only available in Jamaica.

Cancer diagnosis

In July 1977, Marley was found to have malignant melanoma in a soccer wound on his right hallux (big toe). Marley refused amputation, because of the Rastafari belief that the body must be "whole":

"Rasta no abide amputation. I don't allow a man to be dismantled. "

—From the biography Catch a Fire

Marley may have seen medical doctors as samfai (tricksters, deceivers). True to this belief Marley went against all surgical possibilities and sought out other means that would not break his religious beliefs. He also refused to register a will, based on the Rastafari belief that writing a will is acknowledging death as inevitable, thus disregarding the everlasting (or everliving, as Rastas say) character of life.

Collapse and treatment

The cancer then metastasized to Marley's brain, lungs, liver, and stomach. After playing two shows at Madison Square Garden as part of his fall 1980 Uprising Tour, he collapsed while jogging in NYC's Central Park. The remainder of the tour was subsequently cancelled.

Bob Marley played his final concert at the Stanley Theater in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on September 23, 1980. The live version of "Redemption Song" on Songs of Freedom was recorded at this show.[6] Marley afterwards sought medical help from Munich specialist Josef Issels, but his cancer had already progressed to the terminal stage.

Death and posthumous reputation

While flying home from Germany to Jamaica for his final days, Marley became ill, and landed in Miami for immediate medical attention. He died at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Miami, Florida on the morning of May 11, 1981 at the age of 36. The spread of melanoma to his lungs and brain caused his death. His final words to his son Ziggy were "Money can't buy life."[7] Marley received a state funeral in Jamaica on May 21, 1981 which combined elements of Ethiopian Orthodoxy and Rastafari tradition. He was buried in a chapel near his birthplace with his Gibson Les Paul, a soccer ball, a Cannabis bud, a ring that he wore every day that was given to him by the Prince Asfaw Wossen of Ethiopia (eldest son of HIM), and a Bible. A month before his death, he was awarded the Jamaican Order of Merit.

Marley was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. Time magazine chose Bob Marley & The Wailers' Exodus as the greatest album of the 20th century.

In 2001, Marley was posthumously awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and a feature-length documentary about his life, Rebel Music, won various awards at the Grammys. With contributions from Rita, the Wailers, and Marley's lovers and children, it also tells much of the story in his own words.

In 2004, a cover of "Three Little Birds" by Ziggy Marley and Sean Paul was used as the title song for the film Shark Tale.

In 2006, the City of New York renamed a portion of Church Avenue from Remsen Avenue to East 98th Street in the East Flatbush section of Brooklyn "Bob Marley Boulevard".[8]

The hero of the 2007 film I Am Legend, cites Bob Marley as an influence on his life philosophy. Marley's songs are prominently used in the film

Religion

Bob Marley was a member of the Rastafari movement, whose culture was a key element in the development of reggae. Bob Marley became the leading proponent of the Rastafari, taking their music out of the socially deprived areas of Jamaica and onto the international music scene.

Marley's adoption of the characteristic Rastafari dreadlocks, famous use of cannabis as a sacred sacrament, and an ital food diet, which were an integral part of his persona. He is said to have entered every performance proclaiming the divinity of Jah Rastafari (in reality Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia).

Many of Marley's songs contained Biblical references, sometimes using wordplay to fuse activism and religion, as in "Revolution" and "Revelation":

"Revelation reveals the truth … "

"It takes a revolution to make a solution …"

He was criticized for singing

" and I feel like bombing a church …"

" now that you know that the preacher is lying … "

on the song "Talkin' Blues" on the Natty Dread album.

Bob Marley was baptized by the Archbishop of the Ethiopian Orthodox Christian Church in Kingston, Jamaica on November 4, 1980.

Film adaptation

In February 2008, director Martin Scorsese announced his intention to produce a documentary movie on Marley. The film is set to be released on February 6, 2010, on what would have been Marley's 65th birthday.[14]

In March 2008, The Weinstein Company announced its plans to produce a biopic of Bob Marley, based on the book No Woman No Cry: My Life With Bob Marley by Rita Marley. Rudy Langlais will produce the script by Lizzie Borden and Rita Marley will exec produce.

Zimbabwe Tour:In April 1980, Bob Marley and the Wailers Were Afforded the Highest Honor of Their Musical Careers!

Bob Marley Zimbabwe Tour

"Every man gotta right to decide his own destiny." - Bob Marley, 'Zimbabwe'

In April 1980, Bob Marley and the Wailers were afforded the highest honor of their musical careers. On April 18th, the country Rhodesia which would now be called Zimbabwe was to celebrate its independence from England and Bob Marley and The Wailers were invited to perform at the ceremony.

Officials from Zimbabwe's government-elect invited Marley and the band to perform at the Independence ceremonies. Marley’s "Zimbabwe" tune had proved inspirational to the ZANLA (Zimbabwe National Liberation Army) freedom fighters. He would be playing amidst the ruins of Great Zimbabwe, an enormous pyramid built by Solomon and Sheba.

What no one had thought to inform Bob and his team of was the precise nature of the first show they would be playing. The concert was scheduled for the slot immediately following the independence ceremony, and was to be performed for an exclusive audience of assembled dignitaries and media. As well as the ZANLA party faithful, the international luminaries included Zimbabwe's first Prime Minister Robert Mugabe, Britain's Prince Charles and India's Indira Gandhi.

The general population would not rest until they got the chance to here their hero belt out the tune that had earlier inspired them, hence the unrest.

Bob Marley and the Wailers' first performance in Zimbabwe was marred by tear gas and chaos, yet Marley returned to the stage to perform "Zimbabwe" and prevailed the next day, as over 100,000 people gathered for the second show on April 19, 1980.

Marley’s dream of African liberation was subdued by the chaos and reflected in the lack luster performance that he gave in the second instance.

Zimbabwe

Every man gotta right to decide his own destiny,

And in this judgement there is no partiality.

So arm in arms, with arms, we'll fight this little struggle,

'Cause that's the only way we can overcome our little trouble.

Brother, you're right, you're right,

You're right, you're right, you're so right!

We gon' fight (we gon' fight), we'll have to fight (we gon' fight),

We gonna fight (we gon' fight), fight for our rights!

Natty Dread it in-a (Zimbabwe);

Set it up in (Zimbabwe);

Mash it up-a in-a Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe);

Africans a-liberate (Zimbabwe), yeah.

No more internal power struggle;

We come together to overcome the little trouble.

Soon we'll find out who is the real revolutionary,

'Cause I don't want my people to be contrary.

And, brother, you're right, you're right,

You're right, you're right, you're so right!

We'll 'ave to fight (we gon' fight), we gonna fight (we gon' fight)

We'll 'ave to fight (we gon' fight), fighting for our rights!

Mash it up in-a (Zimbabwe);

Natty trash it in-a (Zimbabwe);

Africans a-liberate Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe);

I'n'I a-liberate Zimbabwe.

(Brother, you're right,) you're right,

You're right, you're right, you're so right!

We gon' fight (we gon' fight), we'll 'ave to fight (we gon' fight),

We gonna fight (we gon' fight), fighting for our rights!

To divide and rule could only tear us apart;

In everyman chest, mm - there beats a heart.

So soon we'll find out who is the real revolutionaries;

And I don't want my people to be tricked by mercenaries.

Brother, you're right, you're right,

You're right, you're right, you're so right!

We'll 'ave to fight (we gon' fight), we gonna fight (we gon' fight),

We'll 'ave to fight (we gon' fight), fighting for our rights!

Natty trash it in-a Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe);

Mash it up in-a Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe);

Set it up in-a Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe);

Africans a-liberate Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe);

Africans a-liberate Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe);

Natty dub it in-a Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe).

Set it up in-a Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe);

Africans a-liberate Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe);

Every man got a right to decide his own destiny.

"Redemption song"

Old pirates, yes, they rob I;

Sold I to the merchant ships,

Minutes after they took I

From the bottomless pit.

But my hand was made strong

By the hand of the Almighty.

We forward in this generation

Triumphantly.

Won't you help to sing

This(not another) songs of freedom

'Cause all I ever have:

Redemption songs;

Redemption songs.

Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery;

None but ourselves can free our minds.

Have no fear for atomic energy,

'Cause none of them can stop the time.

How long shall they kill our prophets,

While we stand aside and look? Ooh!

Some say it's just a part of it:

We've got to fullfil the book.

Won't you help to sing

This songs of freedom-

'Cause all I ever have:

Redemption songs;

Redemption songs;

Redemption songs.

---

/Guitar break/

---
Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery;

None but ourselves can free our mind.

Wo! Have no fear for atomic energy,

'Cause none of them-a can-a stop-a the time.

How long shall they kill our prophets,

While we stand aside and look?

Yes, some say it's just a part of it:

We've got to fullfil the book.

Won't you have to sing

This songs of freedom? -

'Cause all I ever had:

Redemption songs -

All I ever had:

Redemption songs:

These songs of freedom,

Songs of freedom.

A reggae-dancehall line-up entitled “Promise Land Riddem”   produce by Dr Olugander of the Gander’s Production will soon be release in the market. Crafted at Bulldorf  Recording studio, the  new line-up featured fourteen other top Gambian artistes . Currently a promo single has been released to some radio stations in the country.

However, this is the latest development embarked upon by Dr Olugander better known the Musical Doctor.

Speaking to What’s On the reggae star disclosed that the main reason behind the initiative is to assist the upcoming artistes especially those, who cannot record their own music stuffs.

According to him, the creation of this new line-up is another milestone in the annals of the entertainment industry.

“We the artist should always inculcate love and unity among ourselves and I think this is a way to achieved that goal. With the number of artiste featured in this line-up ,I  have the firm belief that unity and love will for ever flourished among ourselves and other artist in achieving our aspirations,” he said.

Olugander however, observed that Gambia is full of young talents noting that if given the necessary support they can live up to expectation.

He noted that, I is not a profit making venture or fame, but to involve artistes in conscious and positive agendas.

“ Each artiste featured in this line-up will have his or her share when the final work is completed. So I want to tell reggaes fans to support their artistes featured in the line-up and support them to the fullest. forward for ever,” he added.

Watch out for Promise Land Riddem in the market very soon.

The Gambia’s only musical doctor, Dr Olugander, has been  awarded  the 2007 reggae song award with his track titled “Run Da Place”.

Dr Olugander is one of the leading reggae artiste in the country. He is well known for his versatile skills and stage
performance.

Olugander was among 21 other personalities who received various prestigious awards.

Organised by Joluv Arts Entertainment based in United Kingdom in collaboration with Gambia Talents Promotions in Atlanta, the
award night was designed to reward and promote distinguished Gambians who have made tremendous efforts in their respective
areas.

In an interview with What’s On, Dr Olugander said it was a pleasure to have received an award which he described as worthy
and timely.

“This award shows how my fans like my music because without them I can’t do anything. There is this proverb which says “the
greatness of a king depends on the number of people he rules,” he said.

He thanked the organisers and cooperate sponsors like Africell for their support to the  development of The Gambian music
industry. by Assan Sallah

The Gambia’s only musical doctor, Dr Olugander, has been  awarded  the 2007 reggae song award with his track titled “Run Da
Place”.

Dr Olugander is one of the leading reggae artiste in the country. He is well known for his versatile skills and stage
performance.

Olugander was among 21 other personalities who received various prestigious awards.

Organised by Joluv Arts Entertainment based in United Kingdom in collaboration with Gambia Talents Promotions in Atlanta, the
award night was designed to reward and promote distinguished Gambians who have made tremendous efforts in their respective
areas.

In an interview with What’s On, Dr Olugander said it was a pleasure to have received an award which he described as worthy
and timely.

“This award shows how my fans like my music because without them I can’t do anything. There is this proverb which says “the
greatness of a king depends on the number of people he rules,” he said.

He thanked the organisers and cooperate sponsors like Africell for their support to the development of The Gambian music
industry.

All is set for Miss Willies 2008

Preparations are currently on high gear for the annual Miss Willies beauty pageant contest slated for Saturday 28th March,
2008 at Lamin Village.

Organised by Champion Sounds Promotions, the day is designed to showcase the country’s  rich cultural heritage and to further
strengthen peace and oneness through entertainment.

Speaking to What’s On, DJ  Lamin Cham of Champion Sounds Promotions said  six beautiful  young ladies would contest in the
event . According to him the day is expected to be graced by high profile personalities.

“This beauty  pageant contest will also witness live performances by various top Gambian artists, among them, Chamajeng,
Sambou Suso aka the golden voice of Manding, Lamarana Jallow, among others,” he said.

According to him, it is going to be a fun-filled event in the history of Miss Willies.

Jupiter & Massive, a widely known Senegalese Reggae group, is stopping at the Allicance for a one night show.

After their tour through Senegal, the Alliance is proud to be the host of this famous band and is inviting the general public to come and spend a wonderful evening with good quality reggae.

Date: Saturday, 01 March 2008
Time: 10pm
Venue: Allicance Franco Gambienne, Kairaba Ave
Tickets: D100

A rising Swedes music sensation, Anna-Malin Andersdotter alias Salona, has concluded a weeklong visit to The Gambia during which she met some Gambian artistes to discuss ways of forging and cementing constructive and fruitful working bond.

Speaking to Entertainment shortly before her departure, Salona described her trip to the Smiling Coast of Africa as a thundering success, in that, it offered her the ‘unique’ opportunity to meet and associate with like-minded people to chart a way forward for long-term poverty-reducing projects in the impoverished tiny West African state. She said the visit also gave her the chance to discover Gambia, which was hitherto uncovered to her.

“Gambian people are hospitable people and are unique in their civility to guests. My stay in The Gambia offered me a romantic and an exhilarating experience, hence my resolution to return to the country in the near future to not only stage musical concerts but to also embark on projects. I want to be part of Gambia’s diverse but homogenous cultures as Africa is my homeland,” posited Salona.

She promised that she would strive with might and main to contribute to the promotion of the country’s budding music sector.

The promising Reggae star added: “One of the reasons for my visit to The Gambia is to infuse traditional music in modern Reggae and Hip-Hop among other strands of music. As a singer cum dancer with experience, I would use my ability to work towards the attainment of world peace, justice and development. I have plans to work with organizations to help me in actualizing my dreams of coming up with projects in Gambia.”

It emerged out of the slums of Jamaica. Since then it has crossed boundaries and established itself in nations thousands of miles away from its homeland.
In Africa  reggae’s impact can be seen in many sectors of society. Among the youths, reggae is however more than just a form of songs.Due to its close attachment to Rastafarianism, most youths see it as areligious and spiritual music. But reggae’s influence transcends  religious boundaries. Its socio-politicalmessages to many are the driving forces behind its fascinating spread.

Whether in Jamaica or elsewhere, reggae has always spread messages whichestablish injustice, repression, corruption and poverty.It has always associated itself with the underprivileged in society. That’swhy most lyrics and clips feature the slums and difficulty of lifein the Caribbean.
Perhaps to many Africans, its acceptance is closely associated withEthiopia and its Emperor Haile Selasi. This man is hailed and reveredby Rastas in religious terms as almost a God. His close associationstems from the believe that he is the Prophet and God entrusted to rule the black nation as a result of which he is termed as the Lion of Judah and King of Kings.

As a result of this, Rastafarians see Africa as the Motherland of the black man and race, hence explaining why Rastas’ look forward to coming back home to Africa to finally settle. As Marcus Garvey once said “blacks no matter where they are from are Africans.”
Although reggae is the culmination of different forms of music, it was not until 1960 that the word was initiated in Jamaica to refer to a “ragged” style of dance music which originated in New Orleans rhythm n blues.

Soon afterwards, it took the lament-like style of chanting and emphasized the syncopated beat. It was also made explicit with the world of Rastarafai. However, as one observer noted, the paradox of reggae, of course, is that this music "unique to Jamaica" is actually not Jamaican at all, as its foundations are found in the USA and Africa.
At its inception, reggae was very much associated with ghetto phenomena and gang-styled violence, but Jimmy Cliff's Wonderful World Beautiful People (1969) wed reggae with the "peace and love" philosophy of the hippies, an association that would not die away.

Reggae’s association with Africa dates back to decades. This did not only manifest in its origins in Africa, but in the struggle for political liberation in the continent. During the struggle against apartheid, reggae artists allied with their African brothers to resist the racist philosophies they preach. Bob Marley dedicated a whole song to the Zimbabwe struggle in which he looked forward to the day the continent will be liberated from the shackles of colonial bondage.

Over the past twenty years Africa has produced its towering reggae stars, Alpha Blondy and the recently murdered Lucky Dube being great examples. The Gambia’s affiliation with reggae has been thrilling, fascinating and interesting.

An attempted carjacking Thursday evening in Johannesburg has left famous South African reggae star Lucky Dube dead. He was dropping his children off in the suburb of Rosettenville when he was attacked.

Police said that three gunshots were fired through the car window, injuring Dube. His children were out of the car at the time. An injured Dube then attempted to drive his car away from the area, but hit a tree soon after. He died at the scene. The police suspect that three people were responsible for the attack.

There has been an outrage in South Africa and around the world over the killing. Many radio stations were flooded with calls from tearful fans condemning the attack.

Lucky Dube was one of the most prominent reggae artists of all times - often remembered alongside Bob Marley for his songs on social issues. He began his career singing in Zulu and released his first album in 1982. He later moved to reggae and released is album 'Rastas Never Die'. This album was banned by the apartheid government. His other albums include Slave, Prisoner and Together As One and Respect - his most recent album which he released in April of this year.

Simply Simon, forthcoming album entitled “Give thanks to Jah” is set for release to the music market very soon.

The Nigerian born solo reggae artist who is  currently working on the video clips of his music before the cassette is finally release to the market said: “People are singing and dancing to some of the tracks of this my yet to release album due to the last promotional tour I had. Almost all the tracks in this forthcoming album are hit tunes, because most of the tracks talks about what is going on in the ghettoes.”

The tracks entitled “Give thanks to Jah” a track and title of the cassette is one of the hit tunes. However, many people like this track because it is a praised songs to Almighty God.

“We should thank God for His blessing on us and if   you go to bed at night and in the morning you wake-up in good condition of health, it worthwhile to give thanks to him.” He continued: “My promotional tour took me to Senegal, Basse and Farafenni. Now there is plan underway to travel to Guinea Conakry for some concerts.”

This velvet tone reggae solo artist’s music is full of goodwill message and entertainment.

“I am totally against usage of drug because it can ruin a nation, therefore youths who are the future leaders of tomorrow should be mindful and restrict themselves from it,” he advised.

Comparing his promotional tour, Simply Simon prefer playing in his resident country, The Gambia, because of  language barrier noted that “in places like Senegal and Guinea Conakry ,the  people like  reggae music but because of the language it is more demanding in The Gambia, therefore my Gambia’s show is the best.”

However, his forthcoming album is going to be his best according to some radio DJs.