WALLACE BOB MARLEY THE IDEAL TEACHING TOOL

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BOB MARLEY : THE IDEAL TEACHING TOOL

By LEONIE WALLACE, Lecturer in English

Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques, Paris

NEGOCIA, Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie de Paris

“Bob Marley was a son of Jamaica. What aspects of Jamaica are revealed in

his songs?” This is the title of the essay that my French students are

asked to submit for the final exam of my course, “Bob Marley, the Musical

Legend of Jamaica”. They write what they have learned about Jamaica from

studying the lyrics of Bob Marley. One essay in particular has stood out

from the rest. It starts like this: “Bob Marley’s lyrics are a trip to Jamaica. More

than an expression of his feelings and more than the story of his life, his lyrics are an illustration of

Jamaica, its culture, its history, its political life1.”

This paper will discuss the extent to which Bob Marley represents the ideal

teaching tool, as students can discover Jamaica’s history, religion,

culture, music, language and politics through a study of his life and

works.

THE IDEA OF TEACHING A COURSE ON BOB MARLEY

I have been teaching English to French students in Paris for many, many

years. Most English teachers in France are either British or American

(many are French also), and language schools usually prefer teachers to

1 Kanelle Valton, Sciences-Po, Paris. End-of-semester essay. February 2007.

©2009 LEONIE WALLACE. All rights reserved.

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represent one of these two cultures. The teaching of British and American

culture and civilization are considered to be an integral part of language

learning, and teachers are often encouraged to integrate cultural themes

into their teaching. As a Jamaican I therefore initially felt almost at a

disadvantage for not representing one of the two dominant cultures, and

found myself teaching students a mixture of both English and American

cultural practices, such as Guy Fawkes Day or Thanksgiving. So when the

opportunity arose to propose a course on Bob Marley I immediately

understood that I was finally going to be able to “be myself”, and consider

my Jamaican-ness as an asset rather than a liability.

The course was an immediate hit among the students. Bob Marley is

extremely popular in France. His songs are played on the radio,

documentaries about his life are shown on television, and Bob Marley

merchandise is sold not only in flea markets but also in high street shops.

The students know many of his songs, and listen to them on their mp3

players. I therefore had a captive audience. At times my course was

overbooked. But what were the students really interested in learning?

One student mentioned the following in an essay: “Although Bob Marley’s music is

really famous worldwide, it does not mean that his message is well known, as most of the people think

of him only in terms of a “dreadlock Rasta”, a ganja smoker, or a reggae singer.” He continues

this line of reasoning as follows : “Actually, it seems like Bob is still alive today thanks

to tons of reggae fans who are dressed and try to behave like him … we all know people who adore

Bob Marley and try to look like him despite their obvious coming from a posh Paris’ neighborhood …


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of course you’re supposed to be a regular marijuana addict. ... I remember some classmates when I

was younger who tried to be our school’s Marleys. In the end, they looked like fanatics enrolled in a

sect. They were more interested in Bob’s wardrobe and his free behavior with girls and drugs than in

his music or his message … Bob’s influence has been so great that there is still an army of fake Bobs

swarming all over the world. Yet, they’re unfortunately paying tribute to his style rather than his

message or his music. .. the Bobs I met in the past did not even vote.2

The student seems to hit the nail on the head when he discusses the main

stereotypes that abound in France concerning Bob Marley. He also points to

the need to discover the real Bob: “Bob’s adoration often sounds fake to me, as it does

not deal with the real Bob3”. This is where my role as teacher and guide

crystallized as being one that would help the students to really understand

what Bob Marley was all about.

SETTING UP THE COURSE

Being no expert on Bob Marley myself, my first task was to learn about him.

Visits to bookshops in England and Jamaica proved worthwhile as I acquired

a small collection of books on Bob Marley. The second step involved

actually designing the course. I opted for a chronological seminar, and

divided the sessions according to the different episodes in Bob Marley’s

life: first his birth and childhood, followed by the move to Trench Town,

secondly the formation of the Wailing Wailers and the turbulent period of

the 1960s and early 70s. The turning point in his career followed, with

the signing of the recording contract in London with Island Records and

2 Quentin Harada, essay written in January 2006.3 Op. cit.


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including the way in which politics in Jamaica influenced his output, and

how he in turn came to influence local politics. This section was followed

by a sidestep into his love life, before returning to his public persona

and dealing with Rastafari and the way in which Africa proved to be one of

his strongest influences. The course would end with his illness and death

and his immediate legacy, meaning his children, as well as the Bob Marley

museum and the Tuff Gong recording studio.

The next task was to choose the songs that would best represent the content

I had chosen. I shortlisted about thirty songs, from “Judge Not” to

“Redemption Song”, from the collection “Songs of Freedom”, and matched them to

the periods in his life that would be studied during the course. The

website “bobmarley.com” provided the lyrics to the songs at that time.

Starting in September 2005, the course was to be offered twice yearly at

the The Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques, a private French university,

considered to be one of the finest in the country, and where I work part

time. Many of France’s political leaders are graduates of Sciences-Po, which

specializes in Economics and Social Sciences, and also offers degrees in

Law, Journalism, Finance, Environmental Sciences, European Affairs and so

on. All students study foreign languages and are required to attain a high

level of competence in English in order to graduate. For many years Sciences

Po offered theme-based courses in English, and when I proposed “Bob Marley:

The Musical Legend of Jamaica” the response was enthusiastic and

encouraging, as it was felt that Sciences Po students would welcome the


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opportunity, and actually needed to discover other English-speaking

cultures.

Two years later, in 2007, I proposed the same course at NEGOCIA, a business

school of the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry, where I have full

tenure. English is compulsory for all students and there is a strong

international component, where students work or study abroad for periods

lasting from a term to a year. “English options”, or theme-based courses,

are also offered for one semester at NEGOCIA, and my course on Bob Marley

was put on the syllabus.

COURSE OBJECTIVES AND STRUCTURE

The main objective is for students to learn about the life of Bob Marley

and to understand the context and lyrics of his songs. Concerning English-

language teaching objectives, I also aim for students to learn how to write

a structured, researched essay that includes a bibliography and footnotes.

Guidelines for making an oral presentation are also given; they must not be

read, but delivered from notes. Students are thus taught to distinguish

between written and spoken English.

The course is held over a single semester, and consists of 24 or 28

teaching hours, depending on the school (Sciences-Po: 28 teaching hours,

NEGOCIA: 24 teaching hours,). It is optional; students can choose from a

range of theme-based courses in English. At Sciences-Po it is reserved for

graduate students (Masters) who are already fluent in the language, in


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groups of 18. At NEGOCIA it is offered in the second year of the

Bachelor’s programme, with no pre-requisite in terms of language level.

Twelve students are admitted per group.

COURSE INPUT

The students choose from the list of themes and songs that I provide in a

handout, and prepare PowerPoint presentations singly or in pairs. Students

are required to do research from a reading list that I supply; they are

also welcome to find their own sources of information either at the library

or on the Internet. In terms of content, the basic principle is for the

students themselves to do the research and teach each other about Bob

Marley. However, due to the fact that the students voluntarily choose the

themes they wish to present, I usually deliver lectures on those themes

that are not chosen. They are given as PowerPoint presentations. The same

principle applies to those songs that I consider to be essential, such as

Small Axe, which is a very important and complex song in terms of its

Biblical references (French students know very little about the Bible) and

to the Jamaican music industry in the 1960s. Apart from that, my role

consists of guiding them (or correcting them if necessary), and providing

any extra information needed in order for them to better understand the

social, historical or political contexts. And I help them to grasp the

main characteristics of Jamaican English, Jamaican patois, the meaning of

the proverbs Bob Marley frequently used, and the main features of the

language used in Rastafari in order for them to grasp the meaning of the

songs.


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LANGUAGE SKILLS AND EVALUATION

As students of English, they are evaluated on the basis of their speaking,

writing, reading and listening skills. Apart from the presentations on the

life and songs of Bob Marley, for which their speaking skills are

evaluated, they are also given a list of essays to choose from, in order to

evaluate their writing skills. There are twelve essay topics; six dealing

with his life and the other six concerning his message. Students are asked

to choose one of each. Students are also sometimes required to write an

analysis of any song of their choosing. For reading comprehension, they are

given the liberty to find a newspaper or Internet-based article and

summarize it. And in order to evaluate their listening skills, I propose

recordings (audio and video) of interviews from radio programmes, Internet-

based video or DVD extracts, which they must summarize.

READING LIST GIVEN TO STUDENTS

1) White, Timothy. Catch a Fire, The Life of Bob Marley. London: Omnibus

Press, 2000 Edition.

2) Dawes, Kwame. Bob Marley, Lyrical Genius. London: Sanctuary

Publishing Limited, 2002.

These first two references were made available at the Sciences-Po library

at my request. Timothy White’s book, although lengthy, gives a

comprehensive account of Bob Marley’s life and includes his entire

discography as well as photographs and other documents, legal or otherwise,


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related to the artist. The students found Kwame Dawes’ book to be even

more useful, as it provides an extensive analysis of a number of Bob

Marley’s songs from the period of the contract with Island Records. It

also provides background information on Jamaica’s political life, as well

as on Rastafari. Dawes’ book was the most frequently borrowed by the

students. It practically became their Bible.

The other books belong to my personal collection, which I made available to

my students by setting up a mini lending library. The most important ones

for the students were the biographies:

3) Davis, Stephen. Bob Marley, Conquering Lion of Reggae. London: Plexus

Publishing Ltd., 1994.

4) Farley, Christopher John. Before the Legend, the Rise of Bob Marley.

New York: Amistad/Harper Collins, 2006.

5) Steckles, Garry. Bob Marley, A Life. Massachusetts: Interlink Books,

2009.

These three biographies were found to be the most useful to those students

desirous of learning facts about Bob Marley’s life. It is interesting to

observe the dates of publication of the books. I started teaching the

course in 2005, before two of them were even written or published, so it

was very interesting for the students to see that Bob Marley continues to

be written about by scholars and for them to keep up with the latest

releases. The same can be said about the constant flow of newspaper and

magazine articles written about Marley. Some students even found one


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article that compared Marley to Barack Obama4, and another comparing Bob’s

musical skills to the football skills of Zinedine Zidane, the French

football hero, in an article referring to “The Bob Marley of soccer”5.

6) Marley, Cedella and Gerald Hausman. The Boy from Nine Miles.

Charlottesville, VA: Hampton Roads Publishing Company Inc., 2002.

This children’s picture book accounting Bob Marley’s childhood was highly

appreciated as a complement to the first chapters of White’s, Farley’s,

Steckles’ and Davies’ biographies.

INVITED GUEST

Roland Monpierre, a Guadeloupean, creator of an illustrated book on the

life of Bob Marley, “Bob Marley, La Légende des Wailers” (Editions Albin Michel,

2006) was introduced to me by a mutual friend. I immediately invited him

to speak to the students, and his visits on two occasions provided the

students with a great deal of insight into the power of Bob Marley to

inspire people, as well as the creative process he employed to produce his

book. Indeed the book is presented in comic-book style, with each page

hand painted in watercolours. The book also involved intensive research

into the minute details of Bob Marley’s life, and the desire to produce not

just a biography but also a work of art.

4 Dr. Kwame Nantambu. “Obama’s Marley effect” . Found on the Internet at : http://www.trinidadandtobagonews.com/blog/?p=702 (2008)

5 Zahir Janmohamed. “A much-needed head butt”. Found on the Internet at: http://www.altmuslim.com/a/a/a/a_much_needed_head_butt/ (2006)


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Having dealt with the objectives, structure and input of the course, the

next part of this paper will deal with the learning outcomes, and the

extent to which the course objectives were met, and even surpassed.

LEARNING ABOUT BOB MARLEY

BOB MARLEY IN MINUTE DETAIL

The students learned a great deal about Bob Marley’s life. Their

relentless quest for information led them to unearth some amazing facts,

which gave rise to a great deal of debate and reflection, especially about

the artist’s way of life and his message. They found pictures of his

father, Norval Sinclair Marley and discovered that he had white skin. The

fact that Bob Marley was the child of a black mother and a white father

brought home to them the idea that Jamaica can be seen as representing a

crossroads between African and European cultures. And the way in which he

was rejected by his father’s family helped them to appreciate the

complexity of race relations in Jamaica in the 1940s.

They delved into Bob Marley’s private life and found out the names of all

of his girlfriends and the children that they bore, amazed that in one same

year, two of the children were actually born to two different women,

despite the fact that their father was a married man. That led to

discussions about sexuality and the notion of the extended family in


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Jamaica, as well as theories about the impact of the legacy of slavery:

the extent to which it deconstructed the myth of the nuclear family, as

slave owners sought to increase their numbers of slaves by encouraging men

to have as many children as possible.

The students also tried to reconcile Bob Marley’s deeply religious beliefs

with the “rock-star” lifestyle that he seemed to lead towards the end of

his life. They eventually came to see him not as a “hero” but as someone

who had struggled to overcome so many obstacles, and someone who was not

without his weaknesses. They were very sensitive to the lines in “Judge

Not”: “Who are you to judge me and the life that I live?” and learned to appreciate the

man, as well as the Legend.

RELEVANCE

One of the issues I felt I had to deal with was the extent to which my

students would find any relevance in learning about the “real” Bob Marley.

Would they be able to identify with the struggles of a poor man in Jamaica

in the 1960s and 1970s? Could they appreciate the complex social problems

that Jamaica has had to face, stemming from centuries of slavery through

colonialism, independence and nation building? 90 per cent of my students

are of European origin. Wouldn’t they consider themselves to be living in

“Babylon”, that place that Marley so often condemned ? In order to find

the answers to these questions I assigned the following essay “Is Bob

Marley relevant to people in Europe today? In what way(s) ? / Why not?” I


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wanted the students to be as frank and honest as possible and not express

the conventional ideas they thought I was expecting. The students were

divided on the topic, some of them admitting not being able to see any

particular relevance in studying the life of Bob Marley : “I don’t really think

that Bob Marley is really relevant today in Europe. Times have changed, Europe is not a segregated

nor a colonial society. We have many other models that inspire us and make us want to change

things. Our every day lives have no common point with Bob Marley’s.”6 Another recognized

his importance on a global level but still questioned his pertinence for

contemporary Europe: “As a matter of fact we can wonder whether the Jamaican legend and

his message is relevant to Europeans today. ... Nonetheless, even though what Bob accomplished in

his country for peace is admired by the entire world, it is true that the relevance of his work in

nowadays Europe is limited. Parallels are hard to make between 21st century Europe political

situation and 1970’s Jamaica situation”7.

But some students indeed saw quite a bit of relevance in studying Bob

Marley. They recognized the role of colonial Europe in creating the social

conditions in the Third World and felt that Europeans would do well to pay

attention to his message: “As an artist belonging to the downtrodden colonized people,

Bob Marley has a lot to teach us about our history and European relationship with the world. He is a

"postcolonial" artist –not only in the geographical sense, but above all in the political one”8.

LEARNING ABOUT JAMAICA

6 Etienne Leterrier, Sciences Po. Is Bob Marley relevant to people in Europe today? In what way(s)? Why not?” April 2009.7 Samir Souidi, Sciences Po. (same topic) December 2008.8 Marie Palluel, Sciences Po, January 2008 (on relevance)


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At the same time, and very gradually, as the course went on, the students

began to appreciate the wider picture, that of a society, a culture and a

country at a particular moment in its history. And they eventually were

able to see Bob Marley as the embodiment of that turning-point, those years

between 1945 and 1981 – roughly those twenty years before Independence and

twenty years afterwards – those crucial years during which Jamaica was to

emerge as a political and cultural entity.

JAMAICAN MUSIC

Since the course was essentially about a musician, the first aspect of

Jamaican culture that the students would learn about had to be our music.

According to one student, “Jamaica was really important for him, that's why the evolution of

his songs is the same as Jamaican music. First he made SKA, Rocksteady ,and then Reggae”.9 Bob

Marley’s music indeed reflects the birth and development of Jamaican music.

The first song recorded by the artist, “Judge Not”, starts with a short

introduction during which a fife can be heard. This instrument is used in

mento. So this afforded me the opportunity to introduce my students to

that earlier style of music, and its acoustic nature, in contrast to the

electronic (and urban) basis for reggae. “Judge Not” also gave them an

introduction to the typical syncopated style of our music, as well as the

jazz-like improvisation performed by the horn section in the middle of the

song, which became one of the features of ska.

9 Steeve Fekoua, NEGOCIA : Is Bob Marley's message relevant to people in Europe? In what way(s)/ Why not? January 2008.


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“Simmer Down”, Bob Marley’s first hit song, taught the students about ska.

They didn’t just listen to the song. They didn’t just study the lyrics. I

made them get up and dance. I taught them how to ska. As expected, they

enjoyed the experience, but soon became rather tired. That physical

experience helped them to understand one of the reasons why the frenzied

ska rhythm was eventually toned down during that hot summer of 1966, to

give way to the more stately rock steady. Bob Marley actually sang about

the newer rhythm in “Nice Time”: “This is my heart, to rock you steady”. And I

demonstrated the dance, explaining how to “rock” then stay “steady”. And

in 1968 when Jamaican music became Reggae, Bob Marley sang about this

newest rhythm: “Roots, rock, reggae: dis a reggae music”. Finally, the song “One

Drop”, from the Survival album, helped the students understand one of the

more technical aspects of roots reggae, that accented third drum beat.

“Feel it in the one drop; And we'll still find time to rap; We're makin' the one stop, The generation

gap; Now feel this drumbeat; As it beats within; Playin' a riddim; Resisting against the system”.

And with those words Bob Marley anchored the notion in the students’ minds

that reggae music is also an expression of protest and resistance. So Bob

Marley’s works represent an exciting time in the making of our music, as

well as its meaning. As one student stated: “His music gave voice to the day-to-day

struggles of the Jamaican experience, capturing the plight of the country's impoverished and

oppressed population as well as the remarkable modes of resistance that remain their sources of

strength”.10

JAMAICAN HISTORY

10 David Rukos, Sciences Po : Explain Bob Marley’s appeal to young people today. March 2008.


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“The first interesting aspect of Bob’s life, that can also be found in his work, is his relationship to the

past, whether it is Black people’s past, Jamaican people’s fight for independence and against racism or

his personal past and childhood” 11. Beyond his music, Bob Marley’s lessons on

Jamaican history were some of the most obvious for the students to learn.

References to Jamaica’s history abound in his lyrics.

The period of slavery is frequently dealt with first of all, and one can

easily cite a number of songs that refer to it: Redemption Song, Slave Driver, 400

Years, Concrete Jungle and Buffalo Soldier, just to name a few. I always showed the

students the cover of the Survival album, asking them whether they could

identify the illustration of the hold of a slave ship that is found at the

top. Few of them were able to provide an answer. I took that as my cue to

remind (or inform) them of the Triangular Trade, by showing maps and giving

them the figures of the large numbers of Africans transported to the

Americas. They would of course eventually “get the message”, as can be

seen in this extract from an essay : “First, as regards Black people’s past and, more

precisely, their fight against slavery, it is well known that Bob transformed some of his songs into a

call against slavery and all the bad treatments that were linked to it. For instance, the Redemption

Song deals with the story of a slave who has been traveling in very harsh conditions and has been sold

just like an animal.”12 Another student continues on the same theme of slavery: “It is

legitimate to think that Marley’s description of the deportation, recreating the atmosphere of the slave

trade is very important aimed at making his listeners aware of the horrors of their history. The Buffalo

soldier Bob Marley sang about “was stolen”, “brought”, “driven” as merchandise. The slave drivers

11 Heloise Picard, Sciences Po, 2005. “ What aspect(s) of Bob Marley’slife and works do you find the most interesting?”12 Op Cit.


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“brutalized their souls”, on those slave ships (Slave driver). The “old pirates rob” them, “sold” them to

those “merchant ships” (Redemption song)13.

If at first the students were unable to identify the hold of a slave ship,

I was convinced they would know even less about one of the most important

figures of Black history, Marcus Garvey. But I either underestimated them,

or they took the task of researching the background of Marley’s lyrics very

seriously, as quite a few of them “discovered” Garvey and were able to

highlight his contribution to Black intellectual thought, as well as his

influence on Bob Marley. As one wrote: “I find it interesting that Marley, as a follower

of the black activist Marcus Garvey, stated that the repossession of historical facts is a milestone in the

construction of an individual identity. The sentence ‘If you know your history, then you would know

where you’re coming from’, resonates in my mind as a celebration of the power of knowledge” 14. As

previously stated in this paper, it’s the students themselves who “teach

each other” about Bob Marley. I wanted them to discover him for themselves

by doing the necessary background research. Their ability to come to such

an important conclusion was one of the more rewarding aspects of teaching

this course on Bob Marley.

RURAL MIGRATION AND LIFE IN KINGSTON’S GHETTOS

Bob Marley’s early life reflects that of so many people living in rural

areas in the 1950s and who decided to try their luck in Kingston, as his

13 Maria Wadjinny, Sciences-Po: “The theme of slavery in Bob Marley’s songs”. May 2007.14 Virgile Demoustier, Sciences-Po: “What aspect(s) of Bob Marley’s life andworks do you find the most interesting?” January 2008.


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mother Cedella Marley did. So the phenomenon of rural migration was an

interesting aspect of the social history of Jamaica that the students

discovered through Bob Marley. And his life in the ghetto became one of

the main themes of the singer’s early songs, as one student remarks : “...

in 1959, Bob Marley and his mother moved to Trench Town, looking for a better future in the nation’s

capital. However, life was really hard in the slums: unemployment, violence, hunger... Difficult

moments that Bob Marley kept in mind while he wrote some of his songs. It is through the eyes (and

the lyrics) of Bob Marley that we can make ourselves a certain impression of how life was like in this

ghetto called Trench Town”15.

THE JAMAICAN LANGUAGE

The students particularly appreciated “No Woman No cry” as being one of the

most lyrical, romantic and beautiful songs ever written by Marley to depict

life in the ghetto. But the song’s title proved to be difficult for the

students to interpret. Indeed when I asked them to tell me what they

thought it meant, they offered a range of possible explanations. Some

thought it meant that if a man did not have a girlfriend he could never get

hurt, and therefore would never cry. Others thought it could mean that

women never cried. So this misunderstanding provided me with the perfect

opportunity to explain the intricacies of our language. The language used

in Bob Marley’s lyrics is quite varied, ranging from standard English to

the language of Rastafari. So the students were made aware of the way in

which language is used by Jamaicans, in a free and unfettered way,

15 Miguel Soler Gomis, Sciences Po: “Analyse the theme of the ghetto in BobMarley’s work”. April 2006.


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reflecting our refusal to be tied down to any linguistic norms dictated

from beyond our shores.

“In his writing, the singer uses the popular wisdom, the local proverbs and the Jamaican language to

make his message stronger. His song “Them belly full but we hungry” is a subtle mix of Marley’s

words and proverbs: “the pot a hot but the yood no nough”.16 Many of Bob Marley’s early

songs contain Jamaican proverbs - basic principles and truths that all

Jamaicans share. This was probably one of the reasons why Bob Marley

appealed to so many Jamaicans. In “Simmer Down” we can find the words

“What sweet nanny goat a go run him belly”, as well as “Chicken merry, hawk deh near”.

Proverbs are the reflection of a mindset, of a collective vision and

interpretation of reality, and learning Jamaican proverbs allowed the

French students to begin to understand the Jamaican mentality, and even

think about proverbs in their own language, in order to see the role of

these figures of speech in shaping the consciousness of a people.

Other songs by Marley were lessons in Jamaican linguistics. The song “Dem

Belly Full” is one example. “Dem belly full” shows the pronunciation and usage

of the object pronoun (THEM) as a demonstrative, the fact that plurals in

Jamaica don’t necessarily take an S, and also the fact that some verbs are

sometimes unnecessary (the verb “ARE” is implied in the line). With the

line “pot a cook but the food no 'nough” the French students also learned the

Jamaican progressive verbal form (A + VERB) to replace the verb TO BE

followed by the –ING (a cook = is cooking). Finally, discovering the language of

16 Kanelle Valton, Sciences-Po, Paris. End-of-semester essay. February 2007.


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Rastafari fascinated the students. They appreciated the way in which this

language embodied the political and philosophical views of the Rasta. To

them it seemed quite logical that the word “oppressor” be changed to

“downpressor”.

RELIGION IN JAMAICA

Studying Bob Marley made the students realize that Jamaica really is a

unique place which has created its own music, its own language, and also

its own religion. Few countries in the world can boast this triple feat.

The students acknowledged it too: “Even if the rasta message was based in Jamaica it

quickly grew throughout the world. The opening to the world allowed the rastas to be recognized and

understood. This is to me one of the most interesting yet mysterious sides to Bob Marley”. 17 So the

topic of Rastafari was necessarily a very interesting part of the course.

According to one student, “Nowadays, it is impossible to refer to Bob Marley without

referring to Rasta ideology. And his leading role in worldwide presence of Rasta culture remains

undeniable.”18

The topic of religion proved a delicate one however, as France declared

itself to be a secular state over a hundred years ago, and religion is not

taught in public schools. But the topic of religion cannot be avoided when

dealing with Bob Marley. Indeed, his songs contain numerous references

from the King James version of the Bible, which the students had real

difficulties in understanding as they had never been exposed to it. Some

17 Guillaume AMROUCHE, NEGOCIA : What aspect of Bob Marley’s life do youfind the most interesting?18 Cristina Martinez, Sciences-Po : Analyse the theme of religion in Bob Marley’s works. December 2008.


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of Bob Marley’s lines are taken directly from the Bible. “Why boasteth thyself

Oh, evil men”, the first lines of “Small Axe”, refer to Psalm 52:1. The

entire song proved to be drawn from different books of the Bible, as

revealed in a website19 dedicated to matching Reggae song lyrics to Biblical

quotations. So the students discovered the predominance of religion in the

Jamaican culture thanks to a study of Bob Marley’s lyrics.

JAMAICAN POLITICS

The students at Sciences Po explored Bob Marley’s political songs with a

great deal of relish. As students in an institute of political science,

Jamaican politics emerged as one of their favorite topics. What seemed to

fascinate them was the extent to which an artist, a musician, managed to

wield so much political clout. Has any other musician, in Jamaica or

elsewhere, ever succeeded in having so much influence? The students

themselves admit it: “But Bob doesn’t content himself with hidden allusions to the deplorable

situation in Jamaica- he also criticises directly the politicians and their way of governing. 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!”20 A study of Bob Marley’s life and the political lyrics he wrote

ultimately led the students to learn about the main political leaders of

the period and the way in which the singer impacted Jamaica’s political

life. One student recognized Marley’s influence on Jamaican politics when

he wrote about the One Love Peace Concert held in 1978, describing the19 http://homepage.ntlworld.com/davebulow/wow/lyrics_bob_marley_-_small_axe.htm

20 Annie-Claire Geisinger, Sciences Po: Religion in Bob Marley’s work.December 2006.


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artist as : “active and influent in Jamaican politics as when he managed to make the two

opposite Jamaican leaders, Michael Manley and Edward Seaga, shake hands in front of the audience

at the 1978 “One love concert” in Kingston”21.

The students also recognized Bob Marley’s ability to speak to the main

social issues that divided his people at that time : “Marley describes the bad

living conditions of the major part of the Jamaicans. Moreover, in Guiltiness”, Marley depicts a society

divided between haves and have-nots, “big fishes” and “small fishes”, and wish the worse to the

followers of the mass consumption society. To him, “big fishes” try to oppress small fishes”.22 One

student considered Bob Marley’s political message to be the most important

one : “To my opinion, the most important message delivered by Bob Marley is the political one

since it contributed to rise up the consciousness of an identity, the Jamaican identity, and to denounce

injustices in a really efficient and kind way”.23

Finally, another student even went as far as attributing the creation of a

“new political model” to the singer: “In a more pragmatic way, Bob Marley also

showed in his songs the poverty that existed in Jamaica: a new political model would allow the entire

population to eat enough. As said with strength in the beautiful song Them belly full, “cost of livin’ gets

so high, rich and poor they start to cry, now the weak must get strong”. Material and down-to-earth

political and social concerns are omnipresent in Bob Marley’s lyrics. ... Bob Marley did not do

21 Quirec de Kersauson, Sciences Po: The theme of politics in Bob Marley’s music. April 2009.22 Samir Souidi: Sciences Po: Analyze the theme of politics in Bob Marley’s music. March 2009.23 Pauline Greco, Sciences-Po: “What do you consider to be Bob Marley’smost important message?” April 2009.


22

politics but simply demanded the respect of basic human rights in Jamaica. He therefore managed to

do politics without being a politician, which is a great success.24

CONCLUSION

I am convinced of the success of the course “Bob Marley, the Musical Legend

of Jamaica”, as Bob Marley indeed proved to be the ideal teaching tool.

Not only did the course meet the objectives originally set out, of learning

about the man and his music, but it also led the students to discover a

wealth of information about our tiny island, our history and politics, our

culture and our identity. It was also used as a language tool, in the

teaching of English as a foreign language, in order for students to use the

language in a particular context. They also learned a new variety of

English, the one used in Jamaica, or, more precisely, the varieties used in

Jamaica.

The conclusion to this paper will be given by a student : “Bob Marley has been

the greatest “ambassador” of Jamaican music throughout the world, he wrote down in words the

social issues of Jamaican people, but, what is even more decisive, he has been the main voice in

Jamaican music able to express their dreams and hopes.”25 I firmly believe that

students in the Caribbean, and even in Jamaica, would also benefit from

this type of in-depth study of a person whom I consider to be a historical

figure, one who embodied a distinct period in modern Jamaican history. I

24 Quirec de Kersauson, Sciences Po : Analyse the theme of politics in Bob Marley’s music. April 2009. 25 Heloise Picard, Sciences Po : “What aspects of Bob Marley’s life andwork do you find the most interesting?” January 2005.


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thank my two schools for having given me the opportunity to explore Bob

Marley’s life and works with the students, and on a more personal level, I

am grateful to have had the chance to actually learn so much about my own

country.

BOB MARLEY : THE MUSICAL LEGEND OF JAMAICA.


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APPENDIX ONE : Main handout for Sciences Po

WEEK BOB MARLEY’S LIFE AND CAREER SONGS1 Overview of Bob Marley, Jamaica

The academic essay / The oral presentation

1. Redemption Song

2 Historical backgroundMarley’s rural childhood (1945 – 1958)Move to Kingston / Bob’s first songs

2. Judge Not3. One cup of coffee

3 Jamaican independence / The emergence of Jamaican music (early 1960s)

4. Simmer Down5. Nice Time6. Roots Rock Reggae

4 Bob’s life in Trench TownThe birth of the WailersEarly career of the Wailers (Joe Higgs, Clement Dodd, Lee Scratch Perry, Johnny Nash)

7. No Woman No Cry8. Small Axe9. Johnny Was10. Trench Town

Rock5 The contract with Island Records (1970s)

A new group, a new sound. Marketing Bob MarleyThe album “Catch a Fire” (concept album)

11. Concrete Jungle12. Slave driver

6 POLITICSa) Bob’s Militancy, the impact of

Jamaican politics on Bob Marley

13. I shot the Sheriff

14. Buffalo Soldier15. Burning and

Looting16. Rebel Music17. Dem belly full

7 POLITICSb) Bob Marley’s impact on Jamaican politics

18. Get Up Stand Up19. Babylon System20. Smile Jamaica

8 Exile. The Exodus Album 21. Ambush in the night

22. Running Away 23. Exodus

9 Romantic Bob Marley: his relationships with women, his children.

24. Waiting in Vain25. Turn your

lights down low10 Rastafari: origins, ideas, way of life

Bob as a Rasta messenger26. Rastaman Chant27. One Love

11 Bob Marley’s attachment to and involvement in Africa

28. Africa Unite29. Zimbabwe30. War

12 END OF SEMESTER EXAMS

13 Bob’s failing health. His death and funeralThe impact of Bob Marley (survey or

31. Natural Mystic


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research)

14 Bob’s children as musiciansThe Bob Marley foundation. Tuff Gong. The museum Bob Marley “industry”.

32. Welcome to Jamrock

EACH STUDENT WILL MAKE TWO ORAL PRESENTATIONS :

ONE WILL BE ON ONE OF THE TOPICS ABOVE

THE OTHER PRESENTATION WILL BE BASED ON ONE OF BOB MARLEY’s SONGS


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SONG PRESENTATION: Include the following elements :

Date of release (or) album it was released on

Context in which the song was written

What the song is about (theme, message, story)

The music / the tempo / the beat (if significant)

The language used (Standard English, Jamaican, Rasta language, Biblical

language)

References, symbols, metaphors

Your opinion / the song’s success / the value of the song

THREE WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS TWO ESSAYS :

ONE ESSAY ABOUT HIS MESSAGE

1. Analyse the theme of oppression in Bob Marley’s music.

2. Analyse the theme of love in Bob Marley’s music.

3. Analyse the theme of politics in Bob Marley’s music.

4. Analyse the theme of religion in Bob Marley’s music.

5. Analyse the theme of Africa in Bob Marley’s music.

6. What do you consider to be Bob Marley’s most important message?

ONE ESSAY ABOUT HIS LIFE

7. What aspect(s) of Bob Marley’s life and works do you find the most

interesting?

8. How did the events of December 1976 affect Bob Marley?

9. What elements of his own life did Bob Marley reveal in his songs ?

10. Is Bob Marley relevant to people in Europe today? In what way(s) ?/

Why not?

11. Bob Marley was just another rock star. Do you agree? Why? / Why not?

12. If Bob Marley were alive today what do you think he would he sing

about ?

FOR ESSAYS : Include a Bibliography and footnotes.

DO NOT PLAGIARIZE. ALL SOURCES MUST BE CITED.

Typed essays MUST be double-spaced.


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Number of words: MINIMUM of 300 words.

ONE READING COMPREHENSION :

1. Surf the Net and find an article on Bob Marley. 2. Write a SUMMARY of the article. Include a PHOTOCOPY or PRINTOUT of

the article.Length = 2/3 length of the original article. Use your own words as far as

possible.

FINAL EXAM ESSAY TOPIC (not given on the handout)

Bob Marley was a son of Jamaica. What aspects of Jamaica are revealed in

his songs?

APPENTIX TWO: Main handout for NEGOCIA

WEEK TOPICS SONGS1 Course objectives

How to write a researched essayHow to make an oral presentation Historical context of JamaicaOverview of Bob Marley

Redemption Song

2 Marley’s rural childhood (1945 – 1958)End of colonial rule in JamaicaMove to Kingston / Bob’s first songsJamaican independence / The emergence of Jamaican music (early 1960s)The Rude Boys

Judge NotOne cup of coffeeSimmer DownNice timeRoots Rock Reggae

3 The Wailing Wailers (Bob, Peter, Bunny) (late 1960s)Bob’s life in Trench Town, his early struggles to make it on the music sceneThe influence of Joe Higgs, Clement Dodd, Lee “Scratch” PerrySongs about the ghetto

Concrete JungleNo Woman No CrySmall AxeJohnny Was

4 The influence of Chris Blackwell The contract with Island Records (1973-)End of the WailersA new group, a new sound. Marketing Bob MarleyBob Marley’s growing international appeal

One love (compare twoversions)Buffalo SoldierI shot the sheriffGet up Stand up


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5 Bob’s militant stanceThe Jamaican political scene and its impact on Marley’s output Bob Marley’s impact on Jamaican politicsThe Smile Jamaica concertThe One Love Peace Concert

Babylon SystemDem belly fullRebel Music Burning and LootingAmbush in the night

6 His exile from Jamaica The “Exodus” album

Romantic Bob Marley: his relationships with womenBob Marley’s love life

Running AwayExodusWaiting in VainTurn your lights downlow

7 Rastafari, origins, ideas, way of lifeBob as a RastafarianThe importance of Africa to Bob Marley The Survival album

Rastaman ChantNatural Mystic Africa UniteWarZimbabwe

8 Bob Marley’s death His children as musicians (Ziggy, Steven, Damian)Bob Marley group of companiesBob Marley Museum

Songs and albums produced by Bob’s children


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APPENDIX THREE: Reading list

1. Boot, Adrian and Vivien Goldman. Bob Marley, Soul Rebel- Natural Mystic. Hutchsinson 1981.

2. Bordowitz, Hank et al.. The Bob Marley Reader. Cambridge MA: Da Capo Press, 2000.

3. Collingwood, Jeremy. Bob Marley: His Musical Legacy. London: Cassell Illustrated, 2005.

4. Constant, Denis. Aux Sources du Reggae. Editions Parenthèses, 1982.

5. Davis, Stephen. Bob Marley, Conquering Lion of Reggae. London: Plexus Publishing Limited, 1994.

6. Dawes, Kwame. Bob Marley, Lyrical Genius. London: Sanctuary Publishing Limited, 2002.

7. Farley, Christopher John. Before the Legend, the Rise of Bob Marley.New York: Amistad/Harper Collins, 2006.

8. Marley, Cedella and Gerald Hausman. The Boy from Nine Miles. Charlottesville, VA: Hampton Roads Publishing Company Inc., 2002.

9. Marley, Rita and Hettie Jones. No Woman, No Cry: My Life with Bob Marley. Hyperion, 2004.

10. McCann, Ian and Harry Hawke. Bob Marley, The complete Guide to his Music. London: Omnibus Press, 2004.

11. McCann Ian. Bob Marley Talking. London: Omnibus Press, 1993.

12. Moskiwitz, David. The Words and Music of Bob Marley. Westport Conn: Praeger Publishers, 2007.

13. O’Brien Chang, Kevin and Wayne Chen. Reggae Routes, the Story of Jamaican Music. Kingston: Ian Randle Publishers, 1998.

14. Sherlock, Philip and Hazel Bennet. The Story of the Jamaican People.Kingston: Ian Randle Publishers, 1998.

15. Steckles, Garry. Bob Marley, A Life. Massachusetts: Interlink Books, 2009.

16. Taylor, Don. Marley and Me. Kingston: LMH Publishing Ltd, 2001.

17. White, Timothy. Catch a Fire, The Life of Bob Marley. London: Omnibus Press, 2000 Edition.


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18. Whitney, Malika Lee and Dermot Hussey. Bob Marley, Reggae King of the World. San Francisco: Pomegranate Communications, 1982.

Suggested Websites:

www.bobmarley.com

www.rasta-man-vibration.com


WALLACE BOB MARLEY THE IDEAL TEACHING TOOL

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