Bob Marley’s 69th anniversary
BOB Marley died at the age of 36. I recall seeing him alive at the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, where his sons were altar servers. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church is the closest church, theologically, to the Roman Catholic Church in Jamaica, and there were times, as a young man, when I would pay a visit. I also recall seeing him in his coffin in the National Arena with his guitar in one hand and a Bible in the other.
Bob Marley put reggae and Jamaica on the map through music in the way that Herb McKenley and Arthur Wint had done through athletics. In a real way he helped to sell our sugar, bananas, bauxite, and whatever else because of reggae. I believe that it was because Jamaica became known for reggae that our national football team is called the Reggae Boyz. It helped the tourism product, which is today second only to remittances in bringing in our much-needed foreign exchange.