UPRISING: Bob Marley’s 80th birthday celebrations have begun!
KINGSTON, Jamaica—Reggae legend Bob Marley’s 80th birthday celebrations officially kicked off in January with an exclusive preview of the digital tribute concert live on Tuff Gong Radio (channel 19 on SiriusXM).
According to a release from the Bob Marley Group of Companies, this year’s celebration is being championed under the theme ‘Uprising,’ and will include an exciting list of activities to impact audiences in Jamaica all day at the Bob Marley Museum and fans worldwide via a live stream on Tuff Gong TV’s YouTube channel, at 3:00pm ET on Bob Marley Day, February 6.
Among the highlights will be a “Uprising 80″digital concert, featuring a slew of popular and new Jamaican entertainers, including Mortimer, Bugle, Kumar Fyah, Naomi Cowan, Quan Dajai, Kelly Shane, and Alexx A-Game. This will be live-streamed on the Tuff Gong TV YouTube channel. Other features included in the live stream will be a teaser of a new Bob Marley music video, a countdown of the best performances from past birthdays, selected new animations about Bob Marley, school choirs from around the globe and stand-alone performances paying tribute, and a showcase of the ongoing impact of his charitable organisation, Bob Marley Foundation.
“Celebrating Daddy’s 80th birthday under the theme ‘Uprising’ is a special moment for our family and fans worldwide. This album represents so much of his spirit, with powerful songs like “Forever Loving Jah,” “Coming In From The Cold,” “Could You Be Loved,” and “Redemption Song,” which continue to inspire generations,” shared Cedella Marley, chief executive officer (CEO) of the Bob Marley Group of Companies.
“Each year, we honour his legacy in a way that unites our extended family, friends, and fans from all corners of the globe. This 80th milestone is a reminder of his timeless call for love, resilience, and freedom.”
The Bob Marley Museum, the release said, will also come alive on February 6 with a full day of festivities. At noon, “Live At Bob’s” will give attendees a series of intimate acoustic performances on the deck of the new Marley Natural Dispensary at the back of the Bob Marley Museum.
Performers will showcase Bob Marley’s grandchildren Yohan Marley and Mystic Marley and highlight performances from Ras I, Hezron, Christopher Ellis, Janeel Mills, Lymie Murray, Runkus, Amanyea, Hailie Celestial, Black Am I, Shandre Music, Jay Summa, and the Wake Up Jamaica choir.
The day will open at 7:00 am at the Bob Marley Museum with the traditional blowing of the Abeng and Nyabinghi drummers and even a marching band leading into the opening ceremony. This presentation will include tribute performances from schools across the island. Usually a private event, this year the public is invited to participate.
Immediately following the opening ceremony, the entire front of the museum will be transformed into a family-friendly Kid’s Village with fun activities for all ages, from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. It will offer engaging, hands-on experiences for young fans, including the virtual reality and robotics booths, a recording studio that will allow children to explore Marley’s legacy, and sip & paint as well as ceramic art & wewellery-making stations to foster artistic expression and cultural education. The event will also feature a bubble art zone, festive balloon art, a ball pit,
face painting, and a petting zoo in partnership with Hope Zoo for a day of joyful play and celebration. Additionally, there will be storytelling by Amina Blackwood Meeks and the Rox in Sox Festival with Aaron Nigel Smith, who was Grammy-nominated for his recent children’s album, which will round out the vibrant and immersive experience for the children.
Visitors to the Bob Marley Museum will even get to indulge in new digital features. In an unprecedented fusion of Bob Marley’s timeless legacy and cutting-edge innovation, the museum will unveil a revolutionary experience of exhibits and murals that ‘come to life’ and bring fans closer to the legend than ever before.
There will also be a Bob Marley Experience exhibition, featuring the talents of internationally celebrated artist Mr Brainwash, who has mounted similar exhibitions in honour of Marvel Comics legend the late Stan Lee, as well as in the city of Los Angeles, and Movie Nights every Thursday in February, the latter, includes the NAACP Image Award-nominated Bob Marley: One Love.
“We want to say thank you to our partners,” stated Julia Vaz, marketing director of the Bob Marley Group of Companies. “The Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment, and Sports (MCGES), SiriusXM, IRIE FM, CVM TV, S-Hotel Kingston, The Pegasus Hotel, House of Marley, Acoustic Sounds, Walkerswood, Marley Natural USVI, Viking Productions, Berger Paints, Wata, Chas E Ramson, Pepsi, JARIA, Mama Yashi, and Siim. All have come together to help make this truly a milestone celebration.”
Throughout the celebration at the Bob Marley Museum, there will be items on sale by selected local artisans and partners, giveaways, and live TV and radio broadcasts.
Organisers say, to wrap up the day of celebrations, the Government of Jamaica, through the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment, and Sport, will present a Bob Marley tribute concert, live from Kingston’s Emancipation Park, beginning at 7:00 pm on February 6. This will also be broadcast LIVE on Tuff Gong TV’s YouTube channel.