As part of the 77th birthday celebrations for Bob Marley’s birthday – dubbed #ROOTS77 – this year, there will be seven days with seven main events, including a beach clean-up, a sound clash, music industry seminars, two art installations, and two concerts. All activities will showcase various aspects of Marley’s legacy under the theme Roots 77. Fans worldwide are invited to join festivities by tuning in to the live stream of Bob Marley’s 77th Earthstrong on the Tuff Gong TV YouTube channel, on February 6, from 12 noon to 7 p.m.
“I am so pleased to have the opportunity to honour my dad each year – especially in a way that welcomes fans and well-wishers around the world to share this special occasion with our family,” states Cedella Marley. “This year is particularly important to us with Jamaica celebrating its 60th anniversary. The theme we chose, Roots 77, is inspired by the song Roots, and as we go back to our roots, we get a chance to explore the growth of reggae, Rastafari, and Jamaica.”
From now until February 4, the Bob Marley Foundation is accepting entries from young artists for the Roots 77 Art Exhibition that will be on show at the Bob Marley Museum from February to August. One of the main attractions of the celebration is the new Rita Marley: Mystic of a Queen permanent installation at the museum.
PERMANENT FIXTURE AT MUSEUM
The Berette S. Macaulay-curated exhibition honouring family matriarch Dr Alferita ‘Rita’ Constantia Marley will be a permanent fixture at the Bob Marley Museum. It will debut on February 6 with a private viewing before opening to the public on weekdays from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Another highlight is the Roots 77 Concert: Celebrating the Roots of Marley’s Livity, which will be broadcast live on SiriusXM from Tuff Gong International Studio on Monday, January 31, at 5 p.m. This will include performances by Etana, Tony Rebel, Queen Ifrica, Gyptian, Bugle, Black-Am-I, Amanyea, and hosted by legendary MC Tommy Cowan.
Through the Tuff Gong TV YouTube channel, Bob Marley’s 77th Earthday live stream will be carried on February 6, 12 noon – 7 p.m. The full audio and video of the Roots 77 Concert from Jamaica to the East Coast and the West Coast of the USA will showcase additional musical performances by The Marley brothers, Minister Marion Hall, Sharon Marley, and grandsons Skip Marley, Jo Mersa Marley, and Elijah Marley.
ONGOING CELEBRATION
The birthday live stream will also feature highlights from the ongoing celebrations as well as live-action events at the museum like African drumming; the traditional blowing of the Abeng; and student performances from Haile Selassie High School, Liguanea Preparatory, St Andrew Preparatory School, Revival All-Age School, and St Isaac Basic School.
A new feature of the Bob Marley celebration is the introduction of The 7 Roots of Marley. Inspired by the seven pillars of Kwanzaa, the video meditations will explore the reggae legend’s ideals and give insight into his natural mystic, well-roundedness, and far-reaching impact. The short daily meditations will air each day leading into his birthday.
Julia Vaz, marketing director of the Bob Marley Group of Companies, emphasised the comprehensive nature of this year’s offerings: “The goal is to provide something for everyone and to emphasise different aspects of Bob Marley’s guiding beliefs and way of life. We want people to have a feel of who he was beyond his status as a reggae superstar.”
True to this notion of going back to one’s roots, there will be a soundclash titled ‘Echoes of Sound Systems – When the Two 7’s Clash’. It is a collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment, and Sports (MCGES), with the first airing on February 6. Billed as the soundclash to end all sound clashes, it will see sound systems vie for the top prize and bragging rights. This celebration also forms part of the celebrations for Jamaica’s 60th year of independence and will air weekly during reggae month on Tuff Gong TV.
As part of the Roots 77 birthday celebrations, the Bob Marley Foundation also looks forward to conducting a three-part series of music industry seminars on the business of music. In conjunction with the MCGES, Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JARIA), and IRIE FM. The Zoom seminars will be aired live on Irie FM and Tuff Gong TV from February 1-3.