Anniversary of Marley’s birth being observed as Int’l One Love Day
A group of prominent Jamaicans, assisted by three American writers, will this Thursday outline a series of events planned to mark the 60th anniversary of reggae superstar Bob Marley’s birth.
One major aim of the project will be to encourage Jamaicans to ensure that February 6 – Marley’s birth date – is violence-free, according to American author Robert Roskind, one of the initiators of the plan.
“This includes not just physical violence, but mental, verbal and emotional violence as well,” said Roskind. The idea for the programme, he explained, was born out of Marley’s philosophy of love, which is inherent in his song One Love.
The group behind the project includes reggae singer Abijah, University of the West Indies professors Barry Chevannes and Trevor Munroe, Monsignor Richard Albert, Colin Leslie, Elaine Wint-Leslie, veteran singer and musician Ernie Smith and his wife Janet, lawyer and radio talk show host Antonnette Haughton, dub poet Cherry Natural, Sharon Chambers and Martin Schade.
The other American authors involved in the project are Julia and Alicia Roskind.
The Roskinds, through their books and their ‘Healing of the Nation Concerts’, have been encouraging Jamaica to claim her destiny by reinforcing ‘One Love’ as the island’s message to the world.
According to local public relations and advertising agency PRO Communications, concerts portraying the message of love, compassion and forgiveness will be held at several colleges, universities and inner-city schools throughout this month, leading up to the main show on February 6 titled ‘Healing of the Nation Concert: A New Day’.
This, the agency said, will be a free concert featuring various artistes known for producing conscious lyrics, as well as speakers. The show will be broadcast live on television and radio and the day will be declared ‘The First Annual International One Love Day’.
“February 6 will be Bob Marley’s ‘earthday’,” said Chevannes. “Let us make an appeal that that day will be a violence-free day. No ‘dus’ing’ a one; no wounding and no fighting. And if we succeed for that one day, who knows? We could make it two, then three, then a week, then a month, two months, and become the first country in the universe to heal itself.”
