Wednesday, March 7, 2012

  Thank you for the love and blessings.
They kept telling me no one would listen to what i had to say but now they pay to hear me speak.


This musical journey is my drug and i believe you've come here for your fix. welcome malaya
YOU CAN CALL ME :Vasan or BIG BOWL 
 find me in facebook as 

Vasan BalakrishnanOK?
Born to be a F***ing Inspiration to you.
You're sent to your birth to hate me or doubt me? Face yourself first!

Friday, March 2, 2012

PUBLIC FREAK NEWS: HISTORY OF DJ MASTERMIND

PUBLIC FREAK NEWS: HISTORY OF DJ MASTERMIND: DJ MASTERMIND' TURNTABLIST Student which graduated from Playaz Universe Dj Academy back in year 2004, was abroad away for further studies ...

HISTORY OF DJ MASTERMIND

DJ MASTERMIND' TURNTABLIST

Student which graduated from Playaz Universe Dj Academy back in year 2004, was abroad away for
further studies & now freshly joining the clubbing circuit, DJ MASTERMIND is not a new comer. Backed with his
turntablism scratching, juggling skills and essential music selection, his public relation methods with clientele
has made him stand on his own class. The music he plays is not calm and composed like his true being.

An avid Top 40'sand classic hiphop music lover, DJ MASTERMIND is ready to give their competition a run for their money.
He also plays the key role in every showcase of rapper Balan Kashmir since 2009. Planning the impact
of live showmanship gives him the upper hand in knowing how to work a crowd throughout the night,
He has also lend his midas touch to artistes like Sasi The Don, Reshmonu, Kraft, Gila Monstarz, Rabbit(tamil act) and Diwan(tamil act) onstage.

The experience and the youth in them speaks through the music. With a strong following him since
he began the journey as, DJ MASTERMIND will surely bring the noise and make
the clubbers beg for more. You be warned, as this partner ready to lift up the playing field.


Events and Performances

-Rotaract Annual Dinner, Klang Jun 2009
-Sasi The Don 'Music in Me' CD Launch, KL Sept 2009
-Amway International Annual Show with Sasi The Don, Bukit Jalil Stadium, KL Nov 2009
-Malaysian Tamil Superstar Gig, KL Oct 2009
-Balan Kashmir 'Maria' CD Launch, KL Nov 2009
-Bomb Shelter At Cloth & Clef, Changkat KL Nov 2009
-ALC Charity Night, Klang Nov 2009
-UNISEL Charity Night, Shah Alam Nov 2009
-Ishq Bector(Canadian rapper) Live in Mist, KL Feb 2010
-R Records Live at Laundry, KL Feb 2010
-Penang Charity Night, Penang March 2010
-Goodwheels Campaign, KL April 2010
-TM Blockbuster / THR Raaga Nation Tour, KL April 2010
-TM Blockbuster / THR Raaga Nation Tour Seremban April 2010
-Dhol Federation Veshaki Celebration, KL April 2010
-TM Blockbuster / THR Raaga Nation Tour, Klang May 2010
-TM Blockbuster / THR Raaga Nation Tour, JB May 2010
-Da Monsta Album Launch with KLG SQWAD, Genting Highland July 2010
-THR Raaga Awards Tour, Penang July 2010
-BAC College Charity Night, PWTC KL August 2010
-HOTLINK Show, Batu Caves KL Jan 2011
-Lim Kok Wing National Competion Kl Feb 2011
-Indian actors asia tour nite Klang May 2011
Clubs:-

-Cloth n Cleft Changkat KL 2009
-Mist Club bangsar, KL 2009 & 2010
-Chynabar, Heritage KL 2010
-Space Club, Heritage KL 2010
-Neutral Club, Sultan Ismail, KL 2010
-Desire Manor, Heritage KL 2010
-Houz Club, Ipoh 2011
-Gosh Club, KL 2011

BALAN KASHMIR



Balan Kashmir from Klang, Malaysia, a rap musician best known to his peers as the eclectic poet with Indian origins, electrifying performer and a humble playboy to his fans. The partner in Star Sound Asia and the leader of the Macha Magic Movement!

Futuristic Hindu + Beast on Stage + Vibrant Musician
Biography
Balan Kashmir has worked as a solo rapper / song writer with many established names and upcoming acts which he was privileged to meet and greet along his years of climbing the ladder of success. He has written alongside acts such as KLG Sqwad, Pete Teo, Joe Flizzow, Elvira, Sasi The Don, Phlowtron, Reefa, Sakti, Saran, Phlowtron, Chakrasonic, DA MONSTA, Rabbit, Psycho Mantra, Emcee David, Shab’d Clique and others talents.

Kashmir was blessed with the opportunity to work with producers such as Dnavigator, Damian Shorty Soul, ILLegal, Jamie Wilson, DJ Uno and DJ Fuzz as the years passed. More songs and mix-tape projects are in the pipelines, as he speaks.

Doing his part for the local music scene, Kashmir had a hand in co-organizing a major unity project which involved some 50 Malaysian musicians, actors and actresses dubbed Malaysian Artistes for Unity. He was featured in the theme song and video which was directed by Yasmeen Ahmad and two government related projects: Zoom Malaysia theme song and a video for Tourism Malaysia in 2008 as well as ‘Satu Suara’theme song and a video for the Kementerian Belia and Sukan in 2009.

Balan Kashmir has roped in his long time producer, Dnavigator to start work on his solo album and is currently performing live shows with the support of DJ Mastermind.

The project is scheduled for release in late 2011. The concept behind the album would see Kashmir exploring his mind and two languages: Tamil and English. He entwines his rhymes within both languages. This is sure to set him far ahead of the competition due to it being done with such finesse.

By setting up the blueprint of the coming-of-age album, Balan Kashmir is ready to prove to the world a type of swagger only a true born ‘macha’ possesses. Stay tuned to witness the aftermath.


Solo Shows:-

Rotaract Annual Dinner, Klang Jun 2009
Astro RRA Showcase, Melaka July 2009
Sasi The Don 'Music in Me' CD Launch, KL Sept 2009
Malaysian Tamil Superstar Gig, KL Oct 2009
Balan Kashmir 'Maria' CD Launch, KL Nov 2009
Bomb Shelter At Cloth & Clef, KL Nov 2009
ALC Charity Night, Klang Nov 2009
Astro Aatam 100 Vagai Finals, KL Dec 2009
The UltimateMid Air Party, Sabah Dec 2009
The Album Launch of Gila Monstarz, KL Jan 2010
Bob Marley 65th Birthday Bash, KL Feb 2010
Ishq Bector Live in Mist, KL Feb 2010
R Records Live at Laundry, KL Feb 2010
Penang Charity Night, Penang March 2010
Diwan Street Launch, Penang March 2010
Goodwheels Campaign, KL April 2010
Malaysia-Lah Campaign with KLG/Joeflizzow, KL April 2010
TM Blockbuster / THR Raaga, KL April 2010
TM Blockbuster / THR Raaga, Seremban April 2010
Dhol Federation Veshaki Celebration, KL April 2010
TM Blockbuster / THR Raaga, Klang May 2010
TM Blockbuster / THR Raaga, JB May 2010
Bank Simpanan Nasional SPP Launch, KL June 2010
Da Monsta Album Launch with KLG, Genting July 2010
THR Raaga Awards Tour, Penang July 2010
Urban Koothu with Sasi The Don, London Sept 2010
Astro Raaga Awards, Bukit Jalil Oct 2010
INTI Subang ISC Cultural Night, Subang Oct 2010
DIGI Deepavali Street Launch, Klang Nov 2010
PJ Stamford College Indian Night, Subang Nov 2010
Vanity White Diwali with DJ Biggie, Vanity KL Nov 2010
HOTLINK Thaipusam Galatta, Batu Caves KL Jan 2011
Balan Kashmir Presents We are Music, Mist Club Bangsar 2011
O.N.E Night + Album Launch, Neutral Club, KL March 2011
SMK Lasalle International Understanding Day, April Klang 2011
Chinna Thirai Superstar Night, April Klang 2011
Youth Fest I.U Day, May Klang 2011
Sasi The Don KL Launch, Mist Bangsar Jun 2011
Sasi The Don Penang Launch, Fame July 2011
Sasi The Don Johor Bharu Launch, Jazz & Blues July 2011
THR Raaga Payanam, Seremban Parade August 2011
Tribal Birthday Bash, Klang September 2011
PJ Club Badminton Charity with Lee Chong Wei, PJ Oct 2011
DIGI Deepavali Carnival, Tengku Kelana Klang Oct 2011
Movemint Dail Edition 4, Laundry Bar KL Oct 2011
Raising The Bar Anniversary, HQ Petaling Jaya Dec 2011
Aloud Asia Foam Party, Hard Rock Cafe Penang 2011
Youth Fest, Dewan Klang Dec 2011


Club Emceeing:-

Helo Bali with DJ Monkey and DJ Ash, Sunway 2009
Mist Club with DJ Monkey and DJ Funzuu, KL 2009
Blanc with DJ Brandon, Heritage Row KL 2009
Bar Club with DJ G-mix, Heritage Row KL 2009
Maison with DJ Monkey, Heritage Row KL 2009
Mist Club with Goldnation, KL 2010
Nuetral with 3 Ninjas, Sultan Ismail KL 2010
Desire Manor with 3 Ninjas, Heritage Row KL 2010
Mist Club with DJ Prem & Double D, Bangsar 2011
Gosh KL, Heritage Row 2011 & 2012
Current Location
Klang, Malaysia
General Manager
Starr Sound Asia / Bass Ethics Entertainment Management
Influences
You
Press Contact
starrsoundasia@gmail.com
Booking Agent
starrsoundasia@gmail.com

P. Ramlee


From Public Freak News

P. Ramlee
BornTeuku Zakaria bin Teuku Nyak Puteh
March 22, 1929
PenangMalaysia
DiedMay 29, 1973 (aged 44)
Jalan Dedap, Taman P. Ramlee (formerly Taman Furlong)
SetapakKuala Lumpur
SpouseJunaidah Daeng Harris (1950–1954, died 1998)
Noorizan Mohd. Noor (1955–1961, died 1992)
Saloma (died 1983)
Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr. P. Ramlee, (March 22, 1929 – May 29, 1973) was a Malaysian filmactordirector, singer, songwritercomposer, and producer. Due to his contributions to the movie and music industry and his literary work, he is often considered the icon of Malay entertainment in MalaysiaSingapore, and Sumatra (especially in Aceh due to his ancestry).


P. Ramlee was born Teuku Zakaria bin Teuku Nyak Puteh, on the first day of the
 Eid festival, which fell on 22 March 1929. His father, Teuku Nyak Puteh, was a sailor from Aceh, who later married Che Mah Hussain.
Early life

He attended Sekolah Melayu Kampung Jawa (Kampung Jawa Malay School) and Sekolah Francis Light primary schools. Next he went to the famous Penang Free School secondary school until the second World War broke out. During the Japanese occupation years in Malaysia, he continued his studies at the Japanese Navy Academy. When the war ended, he resumed his studies in Penang Free School. He was very active in sports. 、 、、、、、


Career

In 1947, he won the first place in a song competition organized by Penang Radio. Seven years after his acting career started, P. Ramlee directed his first film, Penarek Becha. In 1957, he appeared in the first of his Bujang Lapok comedic films, in which he acted along with Aziz Sattar and S. Shamsuddin, and which are still popular among modern Malay film watchers.[1] During his career he directed and acted in 66 films, and had more than 360 songs to his credit.[2]
He returned permanently to Kuala Lumpur after years with Shaw Brothers in Singapore. His final film was Laksamana Do Re Mi in 1973. In his last song, "Air Mata di Kuala Lumpur" (Tears in Kuala Lumpur), also in 1973, the lyrics depict his crushed feelings from a series of disappointments and setbacks upon returning to Malaysia after years in Singapore.[3]


Family

P. Ramlee was married three times. His first marriage, to Junaidah in 1950, ended in a divorce four years later. His second marriage, in 1955 to Noorizan Mohd. Noor, a member of the Royal family of State of Perak, ended in divorce in 1961. His last marriage was on 21 November 1961, to Salmah Ismail, a very famous singer known as Saloma.

[edit]Death and legacy

On 27 May 1973, P. Ramlee died at the age of 44 from a heart attack and was buried in Jalan Ampang Muslim Cemetery, in Kuala Lumpur. The death was a shock to the nation, and a sense of collective guilt began to spread nationwide,[citation needed] as prior to his death he had been discredited and rejected by his own nation,[by whom?] citing that he was a "has been" and that his songs and film were no longer marketable.[citation needed]
In 1986, 13 years after his death, in honor of his contributions to the Malaysian entertainment industry, the P. Ramlee Memorial or Pustaka Peringatan P. Ramlee was built in his home in Setapak, Kuala Lumpur. In 1982, the street Jalan Parry, in the center of Kuala Lumpur, was renamed Jalan P. Ramlee in his honor. In 1990, he was posthumously awarded the Malaysian honorific title Tan Sri, and then in 2009, the honorific title of "Datuk Amar" by Sarawak State Government. The Chief Minister of Sarawak, Abdul Taib Mahmud, an avid fan of P. Ramlee, presented the award to his adopted daughter, Dian P. Ramlee, in a ceremony honoring veteran artists in Kuching.[4] On 31 October 2010, a 90-minute documentary on his life was aired on History Channel Asia.[5]
The P. Ramlee House is a museum situated along Jalan P. Ramlee (formerly Caunter Hall road) in Penang, Malaysia. The building is a restored wooden house that was originally built in 1926 by his father and uncle. The house had previously undergone multiple repairs before being taken over by the National Archives as an extension of its P. Ramlee Memorial project in Kuala Lumpur. Items on display at the house include personal memorabilia related to his life in Penang, and items belonging to his family.


Places named in honor of Ramlee

  • Jalan P. Ramlee, Penang (formerly known as Counter Hall; renamed in 30 August 1983)
  • Jalan P. Ramlee, Kuala Lumpur (formerly known as Jalan Parry; renamed in 1982)
  • Bangunan P. Ramlee,Sekolah Kebangsaan Hulu Klang, Selangor (used as background in Masam Masam Manis)
  • Jalan P. Ramlee, Kuching, Sarawak (formerly known as Jalan Jawa)
  • P. Ramlee Auditorium (formerly known as RTM Auditorium)
  • SK Tan Sri P. Ramlee, Georgetown, Penang (formerly SK Kampung Jawa, his alma mater; renamed on 13 November 2011)


Awards

His award-winning films are:
  • Anakku Sazali (My Son Sazali): Best Male Actor, 4th Asian Film Festival (Tokyo, 1957)
  • Hang Tuah (Legend of Hang Tuah): Best Musical Score, 3rd Asian Film Festival (Hong Kong 1956) and Official screening at the 7th Berlin International Film Festival in 1957. The only P. Ramlee movie to be filmed in color.
  • Ibu Mertuaku (My Mother-in-Law): Most Versatile Talent, 10th Asian Film Festival (Tokyo, 1963)
  • Madu Tiga (Three Wives): Best Comedy, 11th Asian Film Festival (Taipei, 1964)
  • Nujum Pak Belalang (Pak Belalang the Fortune Teller): Best Comedy, 7th Asian Film Festival (Tokyo, 1960)
  • Pendekar Bujang Lapok (The Three Warrior Bachelors): Best Comedy, 6th Asian Film Festival (Kuala Lumpur, 1959)
  • Sumpah Orang Minyak (Curse of the Oily Man): Best Black and White Photography, 5th Asian Film Festival (Manila, 1958)
His other hononary awards are:

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Bob Marley


From PUBLIC FREAK NEWS

       For the American comedian, see Bob Marley (comedian).

Bob Marley
Black and white picture of a man with long dreadlocks playing the guitar on stage.
Bob Marley performing in concert, circa 1980.
Background information
Birth nameRobert Nesta Marley
Also known asTuff Gong
Born6 February 1945
Nine MileSaint AnnJamaica
Died11 May 1981 (aged 36)
MiamiFloridaU.S.
GenresReggaeskarocksteady
OccupationsSinger-songwriter, musician
InstrumentsVocals, guitar, piano, saxophone, harmonica, percussion
Years active1962–1981
LabelsStudio OneUpsetterTuff Gong
Associated actsBob Marley & The Wailers,Wailers BandThe UpsettersI Threes
Websitebobmarley.com
Robert Nesta "Bob" MarleyOM (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981) was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the skarocksteadyand reggae band Bob Marley & The Wailers (1963–1981). Marley remains the most widely known and revered performer of reggae music, and is credited with helping spread both Jamaican music and the Rastafari movement to a worldwide audience.[1]
Marley's music was heavily influenced by the social issues of his homeland, and he is considered to have given voice to the specific political and cultural nexus of Jamaica.[2] His best-known hits include "I Shot the Sheriff", "No Woman, No Cry", "Could You Be Loved", "Stir It Up", "Jamming", "Redemption Song", "One Love" and, "Three Little Birds",[3] as well as the posthumous releases "Buffalo Soldier" and "Iron Lion Zion". The compilation album Legend(1984), released three years after his death, is reggae's best-selling album, going ten timesPlatinum which is also known as one Diamond in the U.S.,[4] and selling 25 million copies worldwide.[5][6]Bob Marley was born in the village of Nine Mile in Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica as Nesta Robert Marley.[7] A Jamaican passport official would later swap his first and middle names.[8] His father,Norval Sinclair Marley, was a white Jamaican of mixed and English descent whose family came from Essex, England. Norval was a captain in the Royal Marines, as well as a plantation overseer, when he married Cedella Booker, an Afro-Jamaican then 18 years old.[9] Norval provided financial support for his wife and child, but seldom saw them, as he was often away on trips. In 1955, when Bob Marley was 10 years old, his father died of a heart attack at age 70.[10]Marley faced questions about his own racial identity throughout his life. He once reflected:Early life and career
I don't have prejudice against meself. 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.[11]

The Bob Marley House in Nine Mile is a home that he shared with his mother during his youth
Although Marley recognised his mixed ancestry, throughout his life and because of his beliefs, he self-identified as a black African, following the ideas of Pan-African leaders. Marley stated that his two biggest influences were the African-centered Marcus Garvey and Haile Selassie. A central theme in Bob Marley's message was the repatriation of black people to Zion, which in his view wasEthiopia, or more generally, Africa.[12] In songs such as "Black Survivor", "Babylon System", and "Blackman Redemption", Marley sings about the struggles of blacks and Africans against oppression from the West or "Babylon".[13]
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 to make music with Joe Higgs, a local singer and devout Rastafari. At a jam session with Higgs and Livingston, Marley met Peter McIntosh (later known as Peter Tosh), who had similar musical ambitions.[14] In 1962, Marley recorded his first two singles, "Judge Not" and "One Cup of Coffee", with local music producerLeslie Kong. These songs, released on the Beverley's label under the pseudonym of Bobby Martell,[15] attracted little attention. The songs were later re-released on the box set Songs of Freedom, a posthumous collection of Marley's work. Marley was also known to use an Epiphone guitar for much of his career.

Bob Marley Epiphone guitar at his birthplace in Nine Mile, Jamaica.

Bob Marley & The Wailers

1963–1974


Marley in concert in 1980, Zurich Switzerland
In 1963, Bob Marley, Bunny Wailer, Peter Tosh, Junior BraithwaiteBeverley 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 Bob Marley, Bunny Wailer, and Peter Tosh.[16]
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.[17]
Though raised in the Catholic tradition, Marley became captivated by Rastafarian beliefs in the 1960s, when away from his mother's influence.[18] Formally converted to Rastafari after returning to Jamaica, Marley began 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.

Bob Marley's flat in 1972 at 34 Ridgmount Gardens, BloomsburyLondon, his first UK address.[19][20]
Between 1968 and 1972, Bob and Rita Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer re-cut some old tracks with JAD Records in Kingston and London in an attempt to commercialise The Wailers' sound. Bunny later asserted that these songs "should never be released on an album ... they were just demos for record companies to listen to". Also in 1968, Bob and Rita visited the Bronx to seeJohnny Nash's songwriter Jimmy Norman.[21] A three-day jam session with Norman and others, including Norman's co-writer Al Pyfrom, resulted in a 24-minute tape of Marley performing several of his own and Norman-Pyfrom's compositions. This tape is, according to Reggae archivist Roger Steffens, rare in that it was influenced by pop rather than reggae, as part of an effort to break Marley into the American charts.[21] According to an article in The New York Times, Marley experimented on the tape with different sounds, adopting a doo-wop style on "Stay With Me" and "the slow love song style of 1960's artists" on "Splish for My Splash".[21] An artist yet to establish himself outside his native Jamaica, Marley lived in Ridgmount Gardens, BloomsburyLondonduring 1972.[19][20]
In 1972, the Wailers entered into an ill-fated deal with CBS Records and embarked on a tour with American soul singer Johnny Nash. Broke, the Wailers became stranded in London. Marley turned up at Island Records founder and producer Chris Blackwell's London office, and asked him to advance the cost of a new single. Since Jimmy Cliff, Island's top reggae star, had recently left the label, Blackwell was primed for a replacement. In Marley, Blackwell recognized the elements needed to snare the rock audience: "I was dealing with rock music, which was really rebel music. I felt that would really be the way to break Jamaican music. But you needed someone who could be that image. When Bob walked in he really was that image."[22] Blackwell told Marley he wanted The Wailers to record a complete album (essentially unheard of at the time). When Marley told him it would take between £3,000 and £4,000, Blackwell trusted him with the greater sum. Despite their "rude boy" reputation, the Wailers returned to Kingston and honored the deal, delivering the album Catch A Fire.
Primarily recorded on eight-track at Harry J's in Kingston, Catch A Fire marked the first time a reggae band had access to a state-of-the-art studio and were accorded the same care as their rock'n'roll peers.[22] Blackwell desired to create "more of a drifting, hypnotic-type feel than a reggae rhythm",[23] and restructured Marley's mixes and arrangements. Marley travelled to London to supervise Blackwell's overdubbing of the album, which included tempering the mix from the bass-heavy sound of Jamaican music, and omitting two tracks.[22]
The Wailers' first major label album, Catch a Fire was released worldwide in April 1973, packaged like a rock record with a unique Zippo lighter lift-top. Initially selling 14,000 units, it didn't make Marley a star, but received a positive critical reception.[22] It was followed later that year by Burnin', which included the standout songs "Get Up, Stand Up", and "I Shot the Sheriff", which appealed to the ear of Eric Clapton. He recorded a cover of the track in 1974 which became a huge American hit, raising Marley's international profile.[24] Many Jamaicans were not keen on the new "improved" reggae sound on Catch A Fire, but the Trenchtown style of Burnin' found fans across both reggae and rock audiences.[22]
During this period, Blackwell gifted his Kingston residence and company headquarters at 56 Hope Road (then known as Island House) to Marley. Housing Tuff Gong Studios, the property became not only Marley's office, but also his home.[22]
The Wailers were scheduled to open 17 shows for the number one black act in the States, Sly and the Family Stone. After 4 shows, the band was fired because they were more popular than the acts they were opening for.[25] The Wailers broke up in 1974 with each of the three main members pursuing solo careers. The reason for the breakup is shrouded in conjecture; some believe that there were disagreements amongst Bunny, Peter, and Bob concerning performances, while others claim that Bunny and Peter simply preferred solo work.

1974–1981

A crowd of people standing in water and listening to a band perform on stage.
Bob Marley & The Wailers live at Crystal Palace Parkduring the Uprising Tour
Despite the break-up, 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 MowattMarcia 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 United States,Rastaman Vibration (1976), which spent four weeks on the Billboard Hot 100.[26] On 3 December 1976, two days before "Smile Jamaica", a free concert organised by theJamaican 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 minor wounds in the chest and arm.[27] 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, two days after the attempt. When asked why, Marley responded, "The people who are trying to make this world worse aren’t taking a day off. How can I?" The members of the group Zap Pow, which had no radical religious or political beliefs, played as Bob Marley's backup band before a festival crowd of 80,000 while members of The Wailers were still missing or in hiding.[28][29]
Marley left Jamaica at the end of 1976, and after a month-long "recovery and writing" sojourn at the site of Chris Blackwell's Compass Point Studios in Nassau, Bahamas, arrived in England, where he spent two years in self-imposed exile. Whilst there he recorded the albumsExodus and KayaExodus stayed on the British album charts for 56 consecutive weeks. It included four UK hit singles: "Exodus", "Waiting in Vain", "Jamming", and "One Love" (a rendition of Curtis Mayfield's hit, "People Get Ready"). During his time in London, he was arrested and received a conviction for possession of a small quantity of cannabis.[30] In 1978, Marley returned to Jamaica and performed at another political concert, the One Love Peace Concert, again in an effort to calm warring parties. Near the end of the performance, by Marley's request, Michael Manley (leader of then-ruling People's National Party) and his political rival Edward Seaga (leader of the opposing Jamaica Labour Party), joined each other on stage and shook hands.[31]
Under the name Bob Marley and the Wailers eleven albums were released, four live albums and seven studio albums. The releases includedBabylon by Bus, a double live album with thirteen tracks, were released in 1978 and received critical acclaim. This album, and specifically the final track "Jamming" with the audience in a frenzy, captured the intensity of Marley's live performances.[32]
"Marley wasn’t singing about how peace could come easily to the World but rather how hell on Earth comes too easily to too many. His songs were his memories; he had lived with the wretched, he had seen the downpressers and those whom they pressed down."
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 17 April celebration of Zimbabwe's Independence Day. Uprising (1980) was Bob Marley's final studio album, and is one of his most religious productions; it includes "Redemption Song" and "Forever Loving Jah".[34] 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.[35]

Personal life

Religion

Main doctrines
Jah · Afrocentrism · Ital ·Zion · Cannabis use
Central figures
Haile Selassie I · Jesus ·Menen Asfaw · Marcus Garvey
Key scriptures
Bible · Kebra Nagast · The Promise Key · Holy Piby · My Life and Ethiopia's Progress ·Royal Parchment Scroll of Black Supremacy
Branches and festivals
Mansions · in United States ·Shashamane · Grounation Day · Reasoning
Notable individuals
Leonard Howell · Joseph Hibbert · Mortimer Planno ·Vernon Carrington · Charles Edwards · Bob Marley ·Peter Tosh
See also:
Vocabulary · Persecution ·Dreadlocks · Reggae ·Ethiopian Christianity · Index of Rastafari articles
Bob Marley was a member of the Rastafari movement, whose culture was a key element in the development of reggae. Bob Marley became an ardent proponent of Rastafari, taking their music out of the socially deprived areas of Jamaica and onto the international music scene. He once gave the following response, which was typical, to a question put to him during a recorded interview:
  • Interviewer: "Can you tell the people what it means being a Rastafarian?"
  • Bob: "I would say to the people, Be still, and know that His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia is the Almighty. Now, the Bible seh so, Babylon newspaper seh so, and I and I the children seh so. Yunno? So I don't see how much more reveal our people want. Wha' dem want? a white God, well God come black. True true."[36]
Observant of the Rastafari practice Ital, a diet that shuns meat, Marley was a vegetarian.[37] According to his biographers, he affiliated with the Twelve Tribes Mansion. He was in the denomination known as "Tribe of Joseph", because he was born in February (each of the twelve sects being composed of members born in a different month). He signified this in his album liner notes, quoting the portion from Genesis that includes Jacob's blessing to his son Joseph. Marley was baptised by the Archbishop of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Kingston, Jamaica, on 4 November 1980.[38][39]

Family

Bob Marley had a number of children: three with his wife Rita, two adopted from Rita's previous relationships, and several others with different women. The Bob Marley official website acknowledges eleven children.
Those listed on the official site are:
  1. Sharon, born 23 November 1964, to Rita in previous relationship
  2. Cedella born 23 August 1967, to Rita
  3. David "Ziggy", born 17 October 1968, to Rita
  4. Stephen, born 20 April 1972, to Rita
  5. Robert "Robbie", born 16 May 1972, to Pat Williams
  6. Rohan, born 19 May 1972, to Janet Hunt
  7. Karen, born 1973 to Janet Bowen
  8. Stephanie, born 17 August 1974; according to Cedella Booker she was the daughter of Rita and a man called Ital with whom Rita had an affair; nonetheless she was acknowledged as Bob's daughter
  9. Julian, born 4 June 1975, to Lucy Pounder
  10. Ky-Mani, born 26 February 1976, to Anita Belnavis
  11. Damian, born 21 July 1978, to Cindy Breakspeare
Makeda was born on 30 May 1981, to Yvette Crichton, after Marley's death.[40] Meredith Dixon's book lists her as Marley's child, but she is not listed as such on the Bob Marley official website.
Various websites, for example,[41] also list Imani Carole, born 22 May 1963 to Cheryl Murray; but she does not appear on the official Bob Marley website.[40]

Final years and death


Marley performing in at Dalymount Park in the late 1970s
In July 1977, Marley was found to have a type of malignant melanoma under the nail of one of his toes. Contrary to urban legend, this lesion was not primarily caused by an injury during a football match in that year, but was instead a symptom of the already existing cancer. Marley turned down doctors' advice to have his toe amputated, citing his religious beliefs.[42] Despite his illness, he continued touring and was in the process of scheduling a world tour in 1980. The intention was forInner Circle to be his opening act on the tour but after their lead singer Jacob Miller died in Jamaica in March 1980 after returning from a scouting mission in Brazil this was no longer mentioned.[43]
The album Uprising was released in May 1980 (produced by Chris Blackwell), on which "Redemption Song" is particularly considered to be about Marley coming to terms with his mortality.[citation needed] The band completed a major tour of Europe, where they played their biggest concert, to a hundred thousand people in Milan. After the tour Marley went to America, where he performed two shows at Madison Square Garden as part of the Uprising Tour.
The final concert of Bob Marley's career was held September 23, 1980 at the Stanley Theater (now called The Benedum Center For The Performing Arts) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The audio recording of that concert is now available on CD, vinyl, and digital music services.
Shortly after, Marley's health deteriorated and he became very ill; the cancer had spread throughout his body. The rest of the tour was cancelled and Marley sought treatment at the Bavarian clinic of Josef Issels, where he received a controversial type of cancer therapy (Issels treatment) partly based on avoidance of certain foods, drinks, and other substances. After fighting the cancer without success for eight months, Marley boarded a plane for his home in Jamaica.[44]
While flying home from Germany to Jamaica, Marley's vital functions worsened. After landing in Miami, Florida, he was taken to the hospital for immediate medical attention. He died at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Miami (now University of Miami Hospital) 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".[45] Marley received a state funeral in Jamaica on 21 May 1981, which combined elements of Ethiopian Orthodoxy and Rastafari tradition.[46] He was buried in a chapel near his birthplace with his red Gibson Les Paul (some accounts say it was a Fender Stratocaster).[47]
On 21 May 1981, Jamaican Prime Minister Edward Seaga delivered the final funeral eulogy to Marley, declaring:
His voice was an omnipresent cry in our electronic world. His sharp features, majestic looks, and prancing style a vivid etching on the landscape of our minds. Bob Marley was never seen. He was an experience which left an indelible imprint with each encounter. Such a man cannot be erased from the mind. He is part of the collective consciousness of the nation.[48]

Legacy


Marley has remained popular for decades after his death—one of many memorials to him is this representation at Madame Tussaud Wax Museum in Amsterdam
Bob Marley was the Third World's first pop superstar. He was the man who introduced the world to the mystic power of reggae. He was a true rocker at heart, and as a songwriter, he brought the lyrical force of Bob Dylan, the personal charisma of John Lennon, and the essential vocal stylings of Smokey Robinson into one voice.
— Jann Wenner, at Marley’s 1994 posthumous introduction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame[49]
In 1999 Time magazine chose Bob Marley & The Wailers' Exodus as the greatest album of the 20th century.[50] In 2001, he was posthumously awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and a feature-length documentary about his life, Rebel Music, won various awards at theGrammys. With contributions from Rita, The Wailers, and Marley's lovers and children, it also tells much of the story in his own words.[51] A statue was inaugurated, next to the national stadium on Arthur Wint Drive in Kingston to commemorate him. In 2006, the State of New York renamed a portion of Church Avenue from Remsen Avenue to East 98th Street in the East Flatbush section ofBrooklyn "Bob Marley Boulevard".[52] In 2008, a statue of Marley was inaugurated in Banatski SokolacSerbia.[53]
Internationally, Marley’s message also continues to reverberate amongst various indigenous communities. For instance, the Aboriginal people of Australia continue to burn a sacred flame to honor his memory in Sydney’s Victoria Park, while members of the Native American Hopi andHavasupai tribe revere his work.[54] There are also many tributes to Bob Marley throughout India, including restaurants, hotels, and cultural festivals.[55][56]
Marley has also evolved into a global symbol, which has been endlessly merchandised through a variety of mediums. In light of this, authorDave Thompson in his book Reggae and Caribbean Music, laments what he perceives to be the commercialized pacification of Marley's more militant edge, stating:
Bob Marley ranks among both the most popular and the most misunderstood figures in modern culture ... That the machine has utterly emasculated Marley is beyond doubt. Gone from the public record is the ghetto kid who dreamed of Che Guevara and the Black Panthers, and pinned their posters up in the Wailers Soul Shack record store; who believed in freedom; and the fighting which it necessitated, and dressed the part on an early album sleeve; whose heroes were James Brown andMuhammad Ali; whose God was Ras Tafari and whose sacrament was marijuana. Instead, the Bob Marley who surveys his kingdom today is smiling benevolence, a shining sun, a waving palm tree, and a string of hits which tumble out of polite radio like candy from a gumball machine. Of course it has assured his immortality. But it has also demeaned him beyond recognition. Bob Marley was worth far more.[57]

Film adaptations

In February 2008, director Martin Scorsese announced his intention to produce a documentary movie on Marley. The film was set to be released on 6 February 2010, on what would have been Marley's 65th birthday.[58] However, Scorsese dropped out due to scheduling problems. He was replaced by Jonathan Demme,[59] who dropped out due to creative differences with producer Steve Bing during the beginning of editing. Kevin Macdonald replaced Demme[60] and the film was released in 2012.
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 be executive producer.[61]

Discography

Awards and honors

A five pointed pink star inlaid in the sidewalk with Bob Marley written on it.
Marley's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

References

  1. ^ "2007 Pop Conference Bios/Abstracts"Experience Music Project and Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame. 2007.
  2. ^ "Bob Marley"Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
  3. ^ "Bob Marley". Encyclopædia Britannica. 2006.
  4. ^ Miller, Doug (26 February 2007). "Concert Series: 'No Woman, No Cry'". web.BobMarley.com. Retrieved 3 October 2009.
  5. ^ Newcomb, Peter (25 October 2004). "Top Earners for 2004"Forbes: p. 9. Retrieved 30 November 2008.
  6. ^ "Rolling in the money". iAfrica. Retrieved 30 November 2008.
  7. ^ Moskowitz 2007, p. 1
  8. ^ Moskowitz 2007, p. 9
  9. ^ Moskowitz 2007, p. 2
  10. ^ Moskowitz 2007, p. 4
  11. ^ Webley, Bishop Derek (10 May 2008). "One world, one love, one Bob Marley"Birmingham Post. Retrieved 15 June 2008.
  12. ^ "Religion and Ethics: Rastafari – Bob Marley". BBC.
  13. ^ Middleton 2000, pp. 181–198
  14. ^ Ankeny, Jason. "Bob Marley – Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 15 June 2008.
  15. ^ "The Beverley Label and Leslie Kong: Music Business". bobmarley.com. Archived from the originalon 21 June 2006.
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  17. ^ White, Timothy (25 June 1981). "Bob Marley: 1945–1981"Rolling StoneJann Wenner.
  18. ^ Moskowtz, David Vlado (2007). The Words and Music of Bob Marley. Westport, Connecticut. p. 16. ISBN 0275989356ISBN 9780275989354.
  19. a b Bob Marley’s London home on the Music Pilgrimages website.
  20. a b Muir, Hugh (27 October 2006). "Blue plaque marks flats that put Marley on road to fame"The Guardian (UK). Retrieved 7 September 2010.
  21. a b c McKinley, Jesse (19 December 2002). "Pre-reggae tape of Bob Marley is found and put on auction"The New York Times. Retrieved 4 January 2009.
  22. a b c d e f Hagerman, Brent (February 2005). "Chris Blackwell: Savvy Svengali"Exclaim.ca. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
  23. ^ [Quoted in the liner notes to 2001 reissue of Catch a Fire, written by Richard Williams]
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  29. ^ Walker, Jeff (1980) on the cover of Zap Pow's LP Reggae Rules. Los Angeles: Rhino Records.
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  31. ^ "One Love Peace Concert". Everything2.com. 24 May 2002. Retrieved 3 October 2009.
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  33. ^ Henke 2006, p. 61
  34. ^ Morris, Chris (16 October 1980). "Uprising review"Rolling Stone. Jann Wenner. Retrieved 3 October 2009.
  35. ^ Schruers, Fred (1 September 1983). "Confrontation review"Rolling Stone. Jann Wenner. Retrieved 3 October 2009.
  36. ^ Davis, Steven, Bob Marley: the biography (1983) p. 115
  37. ^ "Bob Marley". The International Vegetarian Union. Retrieved 16 December 2009.
  38. ^ "The Ethiopian Orthodox Church & Bob Marley's Baptism And The Church". Jamaicans.com.
  39. ^ "Bob Marley's Baptism in Ethiopian Orthodox Church". Rastafarispeaks.com.
  40. a b Dixon, Meredith. "Lovers and Children of the Natural Mystic: The Story of Bob Marley, Women and their Children". The Dread Library. Retrieved 21 June 2007.
  41. ^ "Bob Marley's Children"Chelsea's Entertainment Reviews. Retrieved 28 December 2009.
  42. ^ "A Death by Skin Cancer? The Bob Marley Story"The Tribune. 11 April 2011. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
  43. ^ Slater, Russ (6 August 2010). "The Day Bob Marley Played Football in Brazil". Sounds and Colours. Retrieved 6 August 2010.
  44. ^ "His story: The life and legacy of Bob Marley". web.bobmarley.com. Retrieved 4 October 2009.
  45. ^ "Why Did Bob Marley Die - What Did Bob Marley Die From". Worldmusic.about.com. Retrieved 2011-10-31.
  46. ^ Moskowitz 2007, p. 116
  47. ^ "Bob Marley". Find a Grave. 1 January 2001. Retrieved 16 April 2009.
  48. ^ Henke 2006, p. 58
  49. ^ Henke 2006, p. 4
  50. ^ "The Best Of The Century"Time (Time Inc.). 31 December 1999. Retrieved 16 April 2009.
  51. ^ "Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for Bob Marley". Caribbian Today. 31 January 2001. Retrieved 4 October 2009.
  52. ^ "Brooklyn Street Renamed Bob Marley Boulevard"NY1. 2 July 2006. Retrieved 6 October 2009.
  53. ^ "n. Marinković, "Marli u Sokolcu"". Politika.rs. Retrieved 2011-10-31.
  54. a b Henke 2006, p. 5
  55. ^ Singh, Sarina; Brown, Lindsay; Elliot, Mark; Harding, Paul; Hole, Abigail; Horton, Patrick (2009). Lonely Planet India. Oakland, CA: Lonely Planet. p. 1061. ISBN 978-1741791518. Retrieved 2011-07-07.
  56. ^ "Bob Marley Cultural Fest 2010". Cochin Square. May 4, 2010. Retrieved 2011-07-07.
  57. ^ Reggae and Caribbean Music, by Dave Thompson, Hal Leonard Corporation, 2002, ISBN 0879306556, pp. 159
  58. ^ Winter Miller (17 February 2008). "Scorsese to make Marley documentary"Ireland On-Line. Retrieved 6 March 2008.
  59. ^ "Martin Scorsese Drops Out of Bob Marley Documentary". WorstPreviews.com. 22 May 2008. Retrieved 26 May 2008.
  60. ^ Kevin Jagernauth (February 2, 2011). "Kevin Macdonald Takes Over 'Marley' Doc From Jonathan Demme"indieWire. Retrieved February 22, 2012.
  61. ^ Miller, Winter (3 March 2008). "Weinstein Co. options Marley"Variety (Reed Business Information). Retrieved 3 March 2008.
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  64. ^ "London honours legendary reggae artist Bob Marley with heritage plaque"AfricaUnite.org.
  65. ^ "Grammy Hall of Fame Awards Complete Listing"Grammy.com.

Further reading

External links