To Reggae Beats, Ethiopia Pays Bob Marley Tribute

[G_j]

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=musicNews&storyID=7548286

To Reggae Beats, Ethiopia Pays Bob Marley Tribute

Sun Feb 6, 2005 04:11 AM ET
By Matthew Green

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - To the rhythm of thumping bass lines, thousands of Bob Marley fans gathered in the Ethiopian capital Sunday for a concert to honor the 60th anniversary of the reggae icon's birthday.

Marley looked to Ethiopia as the spiritual homeland of his Rastafarian faith, although dreadlocked followers of the religion sporting their red, gold and green colors where few and far between in a crowd of mainly young Ethiopian men.

For Rastafarians who made the trip to the tribute -- the first time it has been held outside Marley's native Jamaica -- the concert was a chance to shed negative stereotypes of their faith, which considers smoking marijuana a sacrament.

"Most of the time Rastas are associated with ganja and dreadlocks, but Rasta also means life," said Rasta Paul, who traveled from South Africa for the gig, and who describes himself as ageless like the mountains.

"It's a good thing for Africa...Peace brother, irie," he said, using the Rasta word for high emotions and peaceful vibrations.
..more..

[SHRED]

1. Bob sings about ...

Christian missionary, Repuke, militaristic, CONservative, CIA, neoCON adgenda:

________________________________________
Them crazy, them crazy -
We gonna chase those crazy
Baldheads out of town;
Chase those crazy baldheads
Out of our town.

I’n’i build a cabin;
I’n’i plant the corn;
Didn’t my people before me
Slave for this country?
Now you look me with that scorn,
Then you eat up all my corn.

We gonna chase those crazy -
Chase them crazy -
Chase those crazy baldheads out of town!
---
/scat singing/
---
Build your penitentiary, we build your schools,
Brainwash education to make us the fools.
Hate is your reward for our love,
Telling us of your God above.

We gonna chase those crazy -
Chase those crazy bunkheads -
Chase those crazy baldheads out of the yown!
---
/instrumental break/
---
We gonna chase those crazy -
Chase those crazy bunkheads -
Chase those crazy baldheads out of the yown!

Here comes the conman
Coming with his con plan.
We won’t take no bribe;
We’ve got stay alive.

We gonna chase those crazy -
Chase those crazy baldheads -
Chase those crazy baldheads out of the yown.

[leftchick]

2. Happy Birthday Bob!

:smoke:

[Ivote]

3. Get Up Stand Up

Marley said it best
:kick:

[G_j]

4. Tell the children the truth right now!

Bob Marley
Babylon System

We refuse to be
What you wanted us to be;
We are what we are:
That's the way (way) it's going to be. You don't know!
You can't educate I
For no equal opportunity:
(Talkin' 'bout my freedom) Talkin' 'bout my freedom,
People freedom (freedom) and liberty!
Yeah, we've been trodding on the winepress much too long:
Rebel, rebel!
Yes, we've been trodding on the winepress much too long:
Rebel, rebel!

Babylon system is the vampire, yea! (vampire)
Suckin' the children day by day, yeah!
Me say: de Babylon system is the vampire, falling empire,
Suckin' the blood of the sufferers, yea-ea-ea-ea-e-ah!
Building church and university, wo-o-ooh, yeah! -
Deceiving the people continually, yea-ea!
Me say them graduatin' thieves and murderers;
Look out now: they suckin' the blood of the sufferers (sufferers).
Yea-ea-ea! (sufferers)

Tell the children the truth;
Tell the children the truth;
Tell the children the truth right now!
Come on and tell the children the truth;
Tell the children the truth;
Tell the children the truth;
Tell the children the truth;
Come on and tell the children the truth.

'Cause - 'cause we've been trodding on ya winepress much too long:
Rebel, rebel!
And we've been taken for granted much too long:
Rebel, rebel now!

(Trodding on the winepress) Trodding on the winepress (rebel):
got to rebel, y'all (rebel)!
We've been trodding on the winepress much too long - ye-e-ah! (rebel)
Yea-e-ah! (rebel) Yeah! Yeah!

From the very day we left the shores (trodding on the winepress)
Of our Father's land (rebel),
We've been trampled on (rebel),
Oh now! (we've been oppressed, yeah!) Lord, Lord, go to ...

<*Sleeve notes continue: [br />Now we know everything we got to rebel
Somebody got to pay for the work
We've done, rebel.]

===
**HAPPY BIRTHDAY BOB>>miss you

[paineinthearse]

5. State Department warning

Probably now in the archives, a couple weeks ago I posted a newswire release issued by foggy bottom, warning US travelers to the festival of the Ethiopian marijuana laws. Will search.

[paineinthearse]

6. Interesting....the warning seems to have dropped into the "memory hole".

The warning is no longer on the state department site - http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_1764.html All that is there for 2005 is:
Guyana 02/04/2005
Algeria 01/19/2005
Indonesia 01/13/2005

However, here is a news article about it.

=======================================================

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/ap/20050129/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/ethiopia_travel_advisory

U.S. Advises Americans on Ethiopia Travel

Fri Jan 28, 9:43 PM ET White House - AP Cabinet & State

WASHINGTON - The State Department on Friday advised Americans that heightened security will be in place for celebrations in Ethiopia next month of the 60th anniversary of Bob Marley's birth. The measures include increased checks for illegal weapons and drugs at ports and border crossings.

Ethiopian officials estimate 500,000 people, many from overseas, will attend the festivities honoring the Jamaican reggae legend. "Americans traveling in Ethiopia during this time are reminded that traffic and public transportation in the vicinity of the festivities concentrated in downtown Addis Ababa are likely to be affected," the State Department said. Americans should be prepared for security checks and have their U.S. passports available, the advisory said. It said they should also register with the nearest U.S. Embassy or consulate at https://travelregistration.state.gov. The advisory also pointed out that possession of marijuana is punishable in the African nation by up to six months in prison.

Marley was a Rastafarian, a faith whose followers preach a oneness with nature, grow their hair uncombed into dreadlocks and smoke marijuana as a sacrament. Ethiopia's last emperor, Haile Selassie, led the Rastafarian movement. Marley died in Miami in 1981 at the age of 36.

[Dez]

7. Bob lives on

through his music. Happy Birthday Bob!

[SpiralHawk]

9. Marley is Totally Gnarley

Yeah. Natty.

[ryban]

8. Happy Birthday Robert Nesta Marley -- WE MISS YOU, RASTAFARI!

Redemption Song
By Bob Marley

Old pirates yes they rob I
Sold I to the merchant ships
Minutes after they took I from the
Bottom less pit
But my hand was made strong
By the hand of the almighty
We forward in this generation triumphantly
All I ever had is songs of freedom
Won't you help to sing these songs of freedom
Cause all I ever had redemption songs, redemption songs

Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery
None but ourselves can free our minds
Have no fear for atomic energy
Cause none of them can stop the time
How long shall they kill our prophets
While we stand aside and look
Some say it's just a part of it
We've got to fulfill the book

Won't you help to sing, these songs of freedom
Cause all I ever had, redemption songs, redemption songs, redemption songs

Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery
None but ourselves can free our minds
Have no fear for atomic energy
Cause none of them can stop the time
How long shall they kill our prophets
While we stand aside and look
Yes some say it's just part of it
We've got to fulfill the book

Won't you help to sing, these songs of freedom
Cause all I ever had, redemption songs
All I ever had, redemption songs
These songs of freedom, songs of freedom

http://www.bobmarley.com/songs/songs.cgi?redemption