Bob Marley News

(2/6/03, 4 p.m. ET) -- Late reggae great Bob Marley's legacy is being celebrated in honor of his birthday. Marley was born in Jamaica on February 6, 1945, and he died of cancer at age 36 on May 11, 1981. Celebrations of Marley's life include the 10th Annual Bob Marley Caribbean Festival in Miami, Florida, on Saturday (February 8), with Marley's mother, Cedella Marley Booker, and his sons Stephen, Damian, and Julian Marley on the bill.

Reggae artists Capleton, Bunny Wailer, and Steel Pulse are also scheduled to perform, as is the legendary George Clinton, who will be accompanied by the 420 Funk Mob.

Damian Marley, who picked up the Grammy for best reggae album in 2002 and is preparing to tour the U.S. in March, has said his father's legacy should also be remembered during all of February, which is Black History Month. "Everywhere you go now you can see at least a few Rastas, yet before Bob Marley & the Wailers really went out there to play music, you really wouldn't see any," Damian said. "So our father really helped spread the music and the message of Rastafari, which is really a culture that deals with black upliftment. Also, we know that my father's music is really for the people who are struggling, which--when you check it, especially in the Western hemisphere--the majority happens to be black."

Damian and his brothers Stephen and Julian are also performing at the 22nd Annual Ragga Muffins/Bob Marley Day Festival on the West Coast. Shaggy, Buju Banton, Steele Pulse, Barrington Levy, Ce'Cile, Anthony B., Wailing Soul, Donovan, and George Nooks will also perform at the celebration, which kicks off February 15 in Long Beach, California.

Bob Marley will also be remembered in Kingston, Jamaica, the birthplace of his musical career. In addition, salutes to Marley will take place Thursday (February 6) at Kingston's Ethiopian Orthodox Church, at Tuff Gong International, and at the Bob Marley Museum. For more info, go to bobmarley.com.

-- Anna Maria Gibson, New York

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