Saturday, December 3, 2016

Dem come fe kill Bob!


On the night of December 3, 1976 at least three assassins stormed Bob Marley's Kingston, Jamaica home firing automatic weapons . Bullets struck Marley, his wife Rita and his manager Don Taylor. To this day the identity of the gunmen and their motives are a mystery.

 What is known is that Marley wanted nothing to do with the politics that had sent the island nation on the brink of civil war. Marley said "Every law is illegal. Every government of the face of the earth is illegal. Only Jaa Law should be followed."



Marley did not trust politicians and one would soon remind him why. The superstar wanted to play a free concert for his countrymen and had to negotiate the venue with the unpopular Prime Minister Michael Manley who was up for election. When they settled on National Heroes Park, the National stadium, Manley announced the election would be held just days after he'd appear onstage with Marley. The appearance was that Marley would seem to be endorsing Manley. That angered Marley but outraged the Jamaican Labor Party faithful.

 There were death threats. And despite having bodyguards in place, the assassins broke into the home, hitting Marley with a bullet in his arm which would be there for the rest of his life. Rita Marley was grazed by a bullet to the head. Lewis was hit several times. Marley played the concert two days after the shooting, and although he would say he recognized at least one of the shooters he never told the police.

 If you're looking for a song that might be a reflection on that night you probably need to go to his Survival album and the track "Ambush in the Night":

Ambush in the night
All guns aiming at me
Ambush in the night
They opened fire on me now
Ambush in the night
Protected by his majesty

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