Jamaican musician Ziggy Marley has recalled his time in Zimbabwe as the most memorable he had with his dad, Bob Marley.
Bob Marley had a solid connection to Zimbabwe. He wrote a song called Zimbabwe” in 1979, inspired by the liberation struggle against the British colonial rule. The song was part of his album Survival, which focused on themes of African unity and resistance.
In 1980, Bob Marley went to perform at the independence celebrations of Zimbabwe. He flew to Harare, the capital city, with his band, the Wailers. He performed two concerts at the Rufaro Stadium, one on April 17 for the invited dignitaries and guests and another on April 18 for the general public.
The second concert was chaotic, as thousands of people stormed the gates and fences to enter the stadium, which had a capacity of only 40,000. The police fired tear gas to disperse the crowd, but Bob Marley and the Wailers continued to play despite the danger and discomfort. Marley paid for all the expenses associated with the trip, even his band’s, from his own pocket.
Bob Marley’s eldest son, Ziggy Marley, has said the time she spent in Zimbabwe with his father was one of his most memorable. Ziggy, now 55, was 12 at the time.
Speaking on CNN, he reminisced:
“One of the most memorable things is we took trips with him. We went to Zimbabwe, he and my brother Stephen, to celebrate their independence from British rule. During that trip, it was the first time in Africa.
We were in the hotel room, and the guys who were fighting for freedom came to visit him. They brought grenades and guns, and they were showing him. And they were telling him how his music helped and motivated them to fight the colonial powers. and as a kid, that kind of made an impression on me.”