Jamaican PM hails ‘timeless’ Bob Marley on what would have been 80th birthday

Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness has led tributes to Bob Marley connected what would person been his 80th birthday, describing him arsenic “timeless”.

The 52-year-old was speaking connected a livestream of the Uprising 80 day performance celebrating the reggae star, an yearly lawsuit which sees a fig of performances and tributes successful his honour.

Speaking up of the event, Mr Holness described Marley arsenic a “legend” and said helium had released “timeless music”.

He said: “Through his music, helium transcended boundaries, uniting radical crossed cultures and nations portion spreading an unyielding connection of peace, emotion and self-reliance.

“This year’s theme, Uprising, carries profound significance, it reflects Marley’s indomitable tone and his courageousness to emergence supra challenges, and animate others to bash the same.

“It is particularly fitting that his timeless song, Could You Be Loved, from the Uprising album, has surpassed 1 cardinal streams connected Spotify.

“This singular milestone affirms the enduring powerfulness of his artistry and the cosmopolitan resonance of his connection arsenic we bespeak connected his unparalleled legacy, fto america gully inspiration from his unwavering committedness to equality, compassion and understanding.

“May his words, ‘get up, basal up, basal up for your rights’, proceed to usher america arsenic we enactment towards a satellite that holds dignity and justness for each today.

“As we honour Bob Marley’s far-reaching impact, I promote each Jamaicans to clasp the values helium championed, of peace, resilience and love.

“By doing so, we guarantee that his bequest endures, inspiring generations yet to come, keeping his airy live successful the hearts of everyone.

“I accidental blessed day to Bob, whitethorn his brilliance everlastingly illuminate the way towards a better, much harmonious world.”

Also paying tribute during the celebrations was erstwhile Big Audio Dynamite subordinate and BBC Radio 6 Music DJ Don Letts, who told a communicative astir erstwhile Marley saw him wearing punk clothes.

The 69-year-old said: “Bob came into my beingness erstwhile I needed him, I was fortunate capable to spot him play his legendary unrecorded amusement astatine the Lyceum successful London successful 1975.

“I walked retired of that gig a changed man, truthful overmuch truthful that I jumped successful my car and followed the band’s manager backmost to their hotel.

“Next happening you know, I’m sitting successful Bob’s surviving country watching him crushed with the UK rasta elders.

“After helium out-reasoned and out-smoked everyone, helium looked astir the country and saw maine sitting determination with a small container of weed, but it was bully weed, truthful we made a connection.

“Fast-forward to London, 1977, I went circular to cod immoderate wealth helium owed maine wearing punk stone clothes, and Bob exclaimed, ‘Don Letts is mode retired dude, you look similar 1 of them nasty bloodclaat punk rocker’.

“Now, Bob had been speechmaking the tabloid press, and they painted a precise antagonistic presumption of the movement, I stood my crushed and defended my friends arsenic like-minded rebels.

“Three months later, a better-informed Bob was moved to constitute the opus Punky Reggae Party.”

Marley’s girl Cedella Marley besides paid tribute arsenic portion of the event, saying her begetter would person been “so overjoyed that his words of freedom, emotion and unity are being sung by truthful galore beauteous young voices 50 years aft helium wrote them”.

The vocalist died aged 36 successful 1981 aft being diagnosed with tegument cancer.

Marley is recognised arsenic 1 of the pioneers of the reggae genre and is credited with playing a cardinal relation successful expanding its popularity extracurricular of its autochthonal Jamaica.

During his lifetime, the creator achieved 8 UK apical 10 singles and 8 UK apical 10 albums, with his best-known tracks including Three Little Birds, Stir It Up and No Woman, No Cry.