My limited knowledge of reggae culture comes mostly from my UB40 collection and my recent discovery of Hassidic reggae artist Matisyahu. I therefore had no idea, for example, that Bob Marley died of cancer at age 36 (I thought he was shot dead). I had absolutely no clue that he was mixed-race, and went by the moniker 'German boy' on account of his White father. There was not much I did know about Jamaica's most famous figure.
No matter: Kevin Macdonald, the Scotsman who directed the excellent 'The Last King of Scotland', does a superb job of educating people in my position, and I have a feeling his superlative documentary will sate even Marley's most ardent fans. This is one of the most joyous, interesting and educational documentaries I have ever seen. I was utterly engrossed, in fact spellbound.
The concert footage is mesmerising. Not many could generate as much energy without recourse to gimmicks. In rare and previously unseen interview footage, we get a glimpse into the psyche of the man. He was quite the philosopher. Everyone preaches peace and love, especially singers, but Bob practised it. That's why people in the most unlikely places on Earth, as shown at the end, sing their hearts out to his simple but powerful songs.
I learned about Rastafarianism, the politics and history of Jamaica, the origins and influence of reggae music and, of course, about the documentary's primary subject, Robert Nesta Marley. His ascent was ridiculously unlikely, given his impoverished background, lack of direction and mixed heritage. If you were a religious person, as he was, you might say divinity had a part to play.
I can't say whether he was a genius, but I don't hesitate to call him a superior human being. He genuinely wanted to see the two rival parties in Jamaica (the People's National Party and the Jamaican Labour Party) unite under his synonymous phrase, 'One love'. Yet he had no political agenda; only a humanist agenda. The man even took a bullet for his belief and didn't let the material prospect of assassination deter him.
It is so hard not to be infected by the brio of the interviewees, particularly Rita Marley, his uniquely tolerant widow and fellow Wailer, who put up with Bob's notorious philandering when most wouldn't. 'Who didn't want him?' is her rhetorical rationale. Even Jamaican Miss World, Cindy Breakspeare, couldn't say no.
He loved football, his country, music, culture, women. He loved life. He loved people. That's why, when you hear his songs, it's impossible not to smile and, as he sings, 'don't worry about a thing, cuz everything gonna be alright'.
www.moseleyb13.com
No matter: Kevin Macdonald, the Scotsman who directed the excellent 'The Last King of Scotland', does a superb job of educating people in my position, and I have a feeling his superlative documentary will sate even Marley's most ardent fans. This is one of the most joyous, interesting and educational documentaries I have ever seen. I was utterly engrossed, in fact spellbound.
The concert footage is mesmerising. Not many could generate as much energy without recourse to gimmicks. In rare and previously unseen interview footage, we get a glimpse into the psyche of the man. He was quite the philosopher. Everyone preaches peace and love, especially singers, but Bob practised it. That's why people in the most unlikely places on Earth, as shown at the end, sing their hearts out to his simple but powerful songs.
I learned about Rastafarianism, the politics and history of Jamaica, the origins and influence of reggae music and, of course, about the documentary's primary subject, Robert Nesta Marley. His ascent was ridiculously unlikely, given his impoverished background, lack of direction and mixed heritage. If you were a religious person, as he was, you might say divinity had a part to play.
I can't say whether he was a genius, but I don't hesitate to call him a superior human being. He genuinely wanted to see the two rival parties in Jamaica (the People's National Party and the Jamaican Labour Party) unite under his synonymous phrase, 'One love'. Yet he had no political agenda; only a humanist agenda. The man even took a bullet for his belief and didn't let the material prospect of assassination deter him.
It is so hard not to be infected by the brio of the interviewees, particularly Rita Marley, his uniquely tolerant widow and fellow Wailer, who put up with Bob's notorious philandering when most wouldn't. 'Who didn't want him?' is her rhetorical rationale. Even Jamaican Miss World, Cindy Breakspeare, couldn't say no.
He loved football, his country, music, culture, women. He loved life. He loved people. That's why, when you hear his songs, it's impossible not to smile and, as he sings, 'don't worry about a thing, cuz everything gonna be alright'.
www.moseleyb13.com