Bob Marley: One Love

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Lawd Gad, mi neva wah do it. 

Yet, as we bid Black History month adieu and for the Jamaican culture gone abroad, here we go.

Bob Marley: One Love was giving Jamaican. 

Yes, many of us Jamaicans have our logistical issues with the film; which is fine. However, for Big Screen purposes it was giving. It was giving vibes, culture, language, country, socioeconomic insight, political, religious/spiritual, history, even Jamaican daily life - man and woman struggles, and more. It was giving so many things that we needed - as Jamaicans - on the Big Screen especially. 

Bob Marley: One Love has [and will continue to] paved the way for a future that I envision stepping into, and creating an even greater space for. It was well needed and well, in terms of orchestrated, it was definitely orchestrated. Some say well, some say otherwise. My experience watching the movie is what we are gonna talk about in this article. (For your very own experience, please support Bob Marley: One Love in theatres near you.)  Please note we are not reviewing the elements of film or storytelling, just my perspective/experience. 

Slight Geek [and lengthy read] Alert.

The truth is I wanted to rewatch the movie at least once before writing. Give it a second digest before I start claiming this and claiming that, but correct me (in the comments) where I am wrong, and thank you in advance. 

What is even vibes? 

The Oxford Languages defines vibes as to “transmit or give out (a feeling or atmosphere). E.g. "he vibed pure hate in my direction"”. 

Hence, it is safe to say it was like everybody on the screen just did a “hol' a vibes”. 

Let us start with visuals of the minute Bob enters his community, the response from the extras in the scene where a crowd of community members literally start to run behind his car ushering him home. We get both on-the-ground and aerial shots where the people are running beside his car all the way until he makes it to his encampment. This is the vibe of Jamaicans in a community. We love to surround ourselves with and cheer on those who embody the vision we have for ourselves. That may be a universal thing, but it is rare - maybe Jamaican/Caribbean only - for us to literally crowd around and engulf that individual with our physical presence on any random given day. That was what Bob had in that represented moment - support that wants to be in your presence, experiencing your vibe. 

Other random examples I recall include background extras in different scenes just further enhancing the script being played out on screen. In light of the history and persecution of Rastafarians it was fitting too to have a sample of the vibe of a Rastaman being stopped at police roadblock by the cops on his way home (and potentially harassed - which wasn’t portrayed in this movie only referenced). Or even the eerie vibes surrounding the encampment on the night when Bob’s house was broken into and shot up. These all encapsulate different kinds of vibes in the Jamaican landscape/culture. All of which I appreciate experiencing on screen as a reminder of where I am from and the thread that makes my heart beat Jamaican. I have been a part of different vibes while at home and I can say that I felt the portrayal on screen to be fittingly accurate in the above noted and other instances. 

In terms of culture, let the summary be that I was happy to be visually (and audibly) reminded of Jamaica’s stance on the loc, its wearers [Rastafarians and Non-Rastafarians, remember “Yuh doan affi dread fi be Rasta, this is not a dreadlock thing” - (You don’t have to wear the loc to be a Rastafarian and vice versa, it is not about the hair)], the rich, middle class and poor, the self-believer, the hustler, footballer, music and musician specifically Reggae as focused on by this film. It is all a part of the culture. One love, Jamaica.  

Language. Now, it is pretty fair to admit that Patois/Jamaican Creole is an extremely easy/hard language to interact with based on your level of exposure. That being said, they did give Patois a very good run for its money. A friend of mine said he thought they would have watered it down but as a Cultural Preservationist my view is sorry not sorry. The language was interspersed as best as could be, spoken as slowly as possible - ‘cause trust me, Jamaican Patois is a fast paced language and can fly over the head of even the most native speaker at times - but thankfully that slow pace coupled with clearly enunciated words allowed for clearer understanding and minimal confusion of non-Jamaican/Black audiences. I could hear the audience around me - not only singing the lyrics of Reggae songs which tend to lean more on Standard English for universality - but also chiming in to repeat Patois words and phrases that they may have heard elsewhere or were learning as they went along with the film. 

Socioeconomic - Jamaicans are a naturally poor and oppressed set of people. We are a country made primarily of slave immigrants (then), their descendants (now), and neglected by the colonizers that transported us to this foreign island. We have innately developed certain traits that quizzically both enhance and mitigate our socioeconomic plight. This includes the act of aggregating with each other in close-knit communities (seen in overcrowding situations as exemplified by the massive entourage supporting Bob specifically at his encampment) and offering their specific help to lighten the load. Bob’s entourage included any number of individuals serving a specific role for example who is not providing security is providing chef skills or musical backup, acting as confidante/advisor, you name it a community member exists to provide it. And this helps us survive a tumultuous economic climate because we depend on each other in ways that we would have suffered had we only been able to depend on money to provide those things for us. Because in truth, we ain’t got no money. You research the financial situation of Jamaica and Jamaicans, I’m on to the next point.

There is not much interest in recording the political aspects portrayed in this movie, however, this factor served in the overall goal and advancement of the plot and characters, so minimal words will be offered here in that regard. The political event/leader(s) portrayed in this film are of paramount significance to the formation and perpetuation of politics as known, experienced, and practiced in Jamaica today. Politics today, even though uncannily similar to that moment in Jamaican political history, is somewhat not as gruesome, but the fact remains that the people now are not fighting for the same reasons as back then. As a recently independent nation I can assume the stakes then were a bit higher. However, that is not to say that politicians don’t practice the same undermining tactics to have an edge over their political counterpart, it is just that life and priorities have changed since then and not everyone is united under political banners in the same way anymore. People are now more able to demand of and receive from their leaders and such a widespread divide based on the two leading political parties is less domineering than it was before. My opinion. Politics in Jamaica still has a long way to go, but we are still much better today than the days portrayed on screen in which Bob needed to do a whole unity concert to alleviate the political tension and bloodshed. 

Religious/Spiritual. Oh my gosh. I have been a Rastafarian fanatic all my life. I have sat in the presence of these men, women, and children, and listened to their knowledge of nation, history, self, positionality in this world, and unwavering belief in self and the help of Selassie - and in my heart and spirit I am a member under that banner; hence my hair currently being loc’d 7 time’s the charm! The movie portrayed almost nothing but Rastafarianism and we got to get a very good up close and personal look at them and some (albeit few) of their beliefs broken down in simple terms e.g. Rita Marley’s most sublime explanation of “I and I : Inity”. In short, removing pronouns such as you, they, them, she, him which acts as agents of separation among humanity we can stand connected to our fellow brethren. This message comes at no time better than the present. Especially when today almost every conversation leads with “how do you identify/what are your preferred pronouns?” and when a misspeak in addressing someone by their correct pronoun can lead to an identity crisis. I couldn’t be prouder of having learned this from “my fellow men” on the Big Screen just three days ago - February 19, 2024 - as I write this line on the 22nd after I had my first encounter helping a transgender individual today at work who was furious that “the system” had recorded them by the gender identification of their past. I was and continue to be proud of me as I continue to learn about my community in all its multiplicity. One love, one heart. 

Locs: Of course, I would separately talk about locs again. After all, it was my primary concern in my article rant titled “Who Are We?” and initially directed at the country of Jamaica - at least its leadership then, who may I just say has finally revealed that his sons are Rastafarians, but was adamant that poor people’s children should not be or show up to school in that fashion, however, we will address that later. But what else is left to say except that I loved loved loved loved seeing it - locs - on screen especially the characters portrayed by Sheldon Shepherd who I always loved and the unflinching Spiritual Leader with the most amazingly unkempt naturally fluffy, lengthy locs (his hair was the lengthiest in the movie), but I do not know who he was. It is a shame that I have been unable to name this character or the actor and IMDB or Google has not been much help but I loved him. I am also fascinated by how nowadays women are wearing their locs out although I appreciate the religious sacredness in a covered woman’s head and Rita - in real life - definitely had and still has that discipline to date in 2024. Can I just say here, too - look how mi mix up Lawd - that after writing “Who Are We” - laughs hehe wooii - it has come to my attention that the current Prime Minister of Jamaica has dreadlocked children! Mr Sir, please tell the schools to let poor people pitney go to school how they can afford to show up - with dem locs just like your sons. Thank you, Sir. 

Jamaican daily life - man and woman struggles

Ah bwoy, Bob and Rita’s love story was (almost) enough for us to forgive the absence of Cindy Breakspeare despite the lack of/intentionality behind it. Imagine it, a young woman (Rita) falling in love with a young boy (Bob) and wanting to start a family, build a life together and support him however she can. Only that Rita hit the jackpot with the upside being that he turned out to be Bob Marley a once in a lifetime genius who would represent a nation in music, spirituality/religion, hairstyle/fashion (the Rastafarian dreadlock, hat/turban, and colors - red, green, and gold - are synonymously Bob Marley), unite a nation and quell political divide, as well as die way too early such that everything he did in his life was done right on time. I am sure he never truly ever felt like that, though. We all have to choose to be here in the now because we never know what tomorrow brings. Bob has been a true champion of that, “Baby don’t worry about a thing, ‘cause every little thing is gonna be alright”. Just walk good, my friend. 

History - every single aspect of this movie was littered with history that reminded us, Jamaicans, of where we have been so we can know where we are going. Take for example the representation of politics and our ability to see instances of those traits of political vengeance/turmoil/pitting against each other today, Reggae that can unite people across time and space - now and forever, that one man can change a nation and the world, and that we have come a long long way in how we view freedom - the ability to vote freely, in how we view a sacred people:  Rastafarians and Rastafarianism (religion/spiritual practice/state of being), the exploitation of people, of causes, of music, and the chastisement of what else does not fit in the image - even Bob in many cases. He had to flee his homeland. Our history defines us, but under no circumstances should it ever limit us.

Thank the heavens we got a chance to see Jamaica - in a way that was giving so many things that we needed as Jamaicans - on the Big Screen especially. 

In terms of orchestration - however individuals may view it - I loved the overtones and undertones, the messaging and subliminal messaging. There were bits you had to decipher by yourself. For example the voracious appetite that the Rastaman has for knowledge of self as depicted in Bob’s constant reading on screen. There were messaging in the kinds of books he read (e.g. Bible, Marcus Garvey, Rastafarianism), the number of children he had even though we never really got to see any of the ones outside of his relationship with Rita, and especially the widely frowned upon hide and seek peek a boo at Cindy Breakspeare - mother to Damian "Jr Gong" Marley and the spokesperson behind many social media video renditions proclaiming her love for Bob and their beautiful affair and child - whom many people missed if they don’t know what they were looking for. There is also the transition from being chased as a young boy in a burning field by an image that could have turned out to be his horse-riding white father who left Bob’s mother claiming “he is not my son” and whom Bob never got to meet, which instead turned out to be Haile Selassie, King of Kings - who also gifted him a ring in the movie and who, as [the emblem of] a Superior Being of Rastafarianism, is the ultimate father to engulf any Rastafarian youth in the absence of their own. These are all things the viewer had to come to on their own.

The music tracks were beautifully integrated throughout the story and I loved hearing the overseas audience singing along. Bob is always vibing to his craft in every scene. Team No Sleep. There wasn’t a scene where Bob - in his adolescence to adulthood years - was not seen researching, writing, or interacting with his craft in some form. Yet in every one he seemed so in his element, having fun, the nonchalant Rastafarian, knowing Jah will provide a way, but very aware that you have to redeem yourself. Hearing people sing the music, laugh at jokes, appreciate a good movie on screen which although had to make its compromises in some areas (in truth it couldn't give more of his life, it is not a documentary) provided a beautiful rendition of a life well lived. That was my experience watching it and reflecting.

Country - I just wanted to go home, to my holy land: Jamaica. The food, fruits, landscape, trees, mountains, rivers, beaches, kempt and unkempt roadways, everything. I loved the community vibe of his encampment, the aerial shots after the shooting when Bob said they were going on “higher ground”, travelling through the country, travelling the world as a yaadman, it was just so sentimental the only thing I could think of is I cannot wait to “touch dung a yaad” - go home.

As I sit at the library finalizing this article on what would have been the penultimate day of the month - had we not been given an extra in this a blessed leap year - I am reminded of the strength and resilience of the black Rastafarian; Originating from Caribbean/Jamaica/Jamaicans. This strength and resilience I find on the cover of the book The Black Panthers Portraits From An Unfinished Revolution edited by Bryan Shih and Yohuru Williams. The simple reason is that the cover of the book portrays a black Rastafarian man - emblem of the leadership of the American Black Panther Revolution in the 1960s. That’s us! We lead revolutions at home and abroad. That’s Bob Marley. 

And from me to you, that was Bob Marley: One love. 

Happy Black History month, Jamaica.  One love.