“Dem a-go tired fi see mi face – can’t get mi outta di race…” Robert Nesta Marley, “Bad Card” from “Uprising” album 1980.
Thirty-six years after reggae singer Robert Nesta Marley informed the world of his inevitable, perpetual and recurring imagery with the release of a single titled “Bad Card,” Newsweek Magazine proved the lyrics a prophetic prediction of his enduring legacy.
Released one year prior to his untimely death — May 11, 1981 — the song sold a message of his eternal presence and decades later seems to resonate with publishers of the revered news weekly and the first-year issue of a special, limited edition collector’s item chronicling the life of the Rastafarian, reggae icon.
Billed the official 70th anniversary issue, the 100-page edition item is one of only a very few text-based tributes to Marley that has ever been published with the approval and guidance of the Marley family.
In conjunction with daughter Cedella, sons Stephen and Ziggy, the biographic profile hit the newsstands last month, selling at a nominal $9.99 into 2016.
Marley’s 70th birthday anniversary next month will likely spawn numerous tributes and celebratory events however the news-oriented publication jump-started the inevitable by delving into various aspect of the Jamaican musical innovator’s earliest days from birth in the countryside of St. Ann’s, Jamaica to “the worldwide personification of equal rights and unity he has become today.”
Edited by Tim Baker, some articles are written and authenticated by his off-springs.
The heirs provide insightful reading as “the next generation of Marleys, who have faithfully carried on that legacy into the 21st Century.”
Stephen tackles an explanation about “the night his parents were shot.”
Ziggy details “the enduring works of Bob Marley & the Wailers.”
And Cedella opines on “Bob’s world-changing relevance.”
Also included in the tribute issue are enlightening and detailed information about Marley’s philosophy on life, politics and music.
“Coming Home” addresses Marley’s relationship with Africa and his pursuit for African unity.
Other topics included are: The role of the wailing Wailers in the development of the recording industry in Jamaica; a visual chronicling of Marley’s tour history around the world, a look at the various band members that collectively made up the backing band throughout the years, an article titled “Family Matter: The story of Bob & Rita,” “Keeping The Faith: a look into Rastafari’s part in Reggae and the lyrics of Marley’s songs” and a full overview of the entire Bob Marley & The Wailers discography.
Interviews with Ziggy and Stephen Marley also provide personal reflections on the legendary father, husband, son, friend and Jamaica’s national hero.
