However, maybe twenty first nineteen, eighty one and the caribbean island of jamaica comes to a standstill to mark the life of one of the countries. Most famous son, reggae singer bob marley. There was an amazing crowley, massive growth unopposed, went on and on along the streets miles of people on the street young the old from all backgrounds turn out to honour their hero filled her with cross drenched. The prime minister ever was a bob. Marley was just thirty. Six He died ten days earlier in a miami hospital after losing his battle with cancer does wanted to cry cry cry your listening to. molly an extraordinary day on the BBC world

how you come into town run, but it's not hi. I'm benjamin familiar, I'm a writer under point from the uk, understandable postman from barbados and unearth from jamaica. My roots are very much in the caribbean, and I remember hearing the news about bob marley passing the world was still coming to terms with the assassination of John lennon. Just six months earlier, I wrote about me when I was very young it in a few years later I actually met him. I had the pleasure of spending a couple of hours with him in his home in london and what really surprise me about him was that he remembered my letter and was able to quote my poetry back to me. Bob marley life was cut short far too soon, and you make a tone diet in force to remember and celebrate his contribution to the world without pouring of emotion, was unprecedented in jamaica

it would be. The kind of atmosphere that yours im at the funeral of somebody like John f Kennedy or martin luther king. In a jamaican context, reggae musician and friend of bob marley, Michael Ibu cooper, tears wheeling sadness, respect award. It was a world leaders type sooner Really that large and that intense bob marley was born in a small village in the north of jamaica, in nineteen forty five and at the age of twelve move to the district of trench town in kingston, and that's where he developed his love of music in his light teens, he in a group of friends form the band called a wail of two years later in nineteen. Sixty fight, release, the first of them and over the next decade and a half bob marley would introduce the world to reckon

news. Exam is created by rasta people, we music or we don't play for suit. Critics will be what we want when we want to play it over. You want, and whatever reason why we played to the writer and poet call in china grew up in kingston in the nineteen sixties and seventies remembers. First time he saw a bob marley on tv, and I remember seeing bottom singing dopy conqueror. minimal minimum. Seventy two seventy three didn't have locks, yet he had It was called a calm. Some in jamaica mean you call me sometimes, and he was wearing my recollection, a motorcycle jacket like a james dean or a mile and brand aware now. This is jamaica broadcasting corporation. This is the government's tv

and bob marley singing a song in which the figure is boasting about being released. From yeah me. Yes, my good friend, then let me free friend then said anything about the word will change, because this is the government's baby you don't say reggie because reggae was the musical undesirables. Yes, it was becoming. slowly more accepted. But don't forget Everybody on the jamaica broadcasting corporation spoke in a distinctly british or heavily british inflicted accent

not singing the old studio on or treasure. I kind of love songs, the rocks daddy. This is one drop, reggae, they're, not rest as yet the rude boys and there is a line in the sand and I loved. Day says: don't hold me up on that bridge. Now I've got to reach my zion the highest region, but if you upload bucker, let me now move that truly the boy said

stunned by the artistry, I'm stunned by the attitude, and I stand by the very presence of this singer on the government's tv, Bob marley became a controversial figure over his support for the legalization of marijuana. He also supported pan african is in a black pella movement, which was designed to tackle the injustices of colonialism. These fame came into price both when he became the victim of an assassination attempt in jamaica in seventy six I became a writer and a poet, and my work has been heavily influenced by the music of jamaica. I love bob marley music, but sometimes I would take the words away from the music and the word would stand alone leave for yourself. You live in vain,

If one of us and you live again this morning, I woke up in a curfew. Oh god, I was a prisoner too, could not recognize the faces standing over me all dressed in uniforms of brutality. So bob marley helped inspire me throughout my career and he had a similar effect on others to include in jazz musician Courtney pine, whose parents were also from jamaica, born in nineteen sixty four. It was Who was the catalyst for his early interest in music? It's a strange thing because we ve all at the experience of being a teenager and trying to find your voice. Then a molly's music, especially the fact that he had come to the united kingdom to expand on his rare was was like a rope of salvation to me. You know. Was introduced about molly's exodus album and that album really open? My eyes, and is there

he used the instrumentation the rhythms. The lyrics just spoke to my heart at the to say what the fuck but molly had this unique voice, which was jamaican an eu speaking to a lot of peace from different walks of life. I thought that such an honourable thing to do. The music is just about one thing, one aspect, bob marley, importance to me. Wasn't just about the fact that the exodus record we had braille on it and his golden magical. It was the sound it was his energy was I bet he had cut through in an environment that wasn't really ready for an artist like that from Jamaica. He had such a big appeal, not just to me personally but to the whole of the united kingdom

yeah. one day. The word of reggae has begun to mourn the death of its greatest star of molly. He died yesterday of concern in miami own house, but molly had skin cancer, which eventually spread to his lungs. He died on the length of my nineteen eighty one, but we differed been expected. It still came as a huge shock. To everyone calling China again. There were rumours that bob marley was sick. but there were a counter rumours about money, not sick. We understood that he was coming to jamaica. He was destined for jamaica, do demo at from bob marley backing singers, but I freeze, and so we were looking forward to seeing him, but then,

we heard that he got so ill? He would not have been able to make it so he had to go to a hospital in miami when we heard the news that he had passed and it was at one side. Monday morning, daul atmosphere was gloomy. This sperm, a student was walking home after school and said you friend died if his whole bob marley, but marley dead, jamaican stand to be so if you know, but I think we're all crying inside, it was very, very sad for us. You know because this would mean a closure to the experiences that we have had on the road but with bob recordings just being around him, it would mean that it would not have been any more

There's a big square go halfway between kingston and the park there big clock, there is a big record store called aquarius and outside of aquarius and let the rest of the men who would settle. cloth, and I would only ask them: I'm cry when there were being beaten and harassed by the police and it was usually a cry not toward the pain in the butt towards the injustice of it all. But this was a different cry to rest them on walking around with the times off and in those days your hardest to arrest a man with his hair uncovered just weeping.

just crying in these high pitched voices, and many of them took some of the oil, their own fabric that they sold and they tied it around their upper arms in the morning, and I think I was for the next couple of days simply just stunned make an edward williams, was a thirteen year old boy. At a time of bob marley death alleys treat as it is, why is sit? And listen to his music player in the corner shop, and down to us, isn't it It was above and beyond any other. His name was ever we are pretty much almost honey radio, then it's big announcement that he died

as young as I was the effect of his. That was it. It leaves a strong impression on us. It was a bittersweet feeling. It was painful to know that he had passed, but I was happy to know that he was one of the excruciating pain, but he was experiencing in his body. He was more than a single and right up to the people of jamaica. He was a national hero and profit with his believes in peaceful resolution undressed varying culture. Everybody was shot and I think people also felt a sense of guilt. And that Bob marley had to go into exile. They cause political situation, let one on his life think it was also guilt about the big concert,

We brought the prime minister billina opposition together one stage and basically prayed and pleaded with them, How do you make the country even with that symbol when some people miss eyre way, symbolism and practicality are two different things, but I think We felt that we did not listen to him enough. And that if we had We would have been in a better place by the time he died. and that he was no longer there to help to give us direction. We felt we disappointed him, the former prime minister, the light edward, the aga recalled the last time he spoke to Bob marley. He hadn't been expecting it for some time. I have spoken with him last season before that. When advised the net.

The government is going to award him the order of merit after exchanging nice. It is you know, concerning health and so on. He said Anything you oughta do big man go ahead. Tens of thousands of people poured into the street in the days leading up to his funeral kingston almost came to a standstill, jamaican this by the tens of thousands paid tribute to the third world tasted the star. Jamaica, really and truly was united that weak, because for three days there was the viewing at the national arena in kyrgyzstan and people from all walks of life. People from overseas friends, journalists, especially from the uk and from the united states. They were here. Jamaica was but then

I systems, kingston's, omnipresent mobile discos blasted out his songs around the crowds waited outside the national arena to file past the people lined the streets with their corn. I mean it was like how the okey is done, and that is what bob new picks brought to everyone and the same feeling the same emotions that bob gave and people with sea from bob's music area, where bub molly's death was felt really strongly was trends where he grown up from the age of twelve. I was born in sudan's in the north of the island, but in his early teens, see moved here too the ghettos of trench town in kingston, like even the life

The people are only right now who ate it. It is music, even though walk in his music on everything went to sea going on. Do you find it strange that he might trench town a word that sort aerial is now well known even in london, in amerika, we do find is about with especial reminded us, acting by glory luxuriance barbara. That part are changed on from day one. We knew that it was going to be a very big event, we knew that this was going to be the very first event of such magnitude. In our experience it was, I only anticipated, Leading up to the day really was listened. Listen to the radio, get the updates as two of the motorcade from us, I'm precursor to be. standing up the road where the front yard to view, but was hitler due to his international status and fame Bob marley was granted. A state funeral in jamaica, thereby man as you know, the language ready

and good friend, is a very solemn day in jamaica, even if its Sandiest nearly the year, sunlight looks like asked, as is something comes over your eyes and even see differently. It was like that. I remember seeing people dressed up to go on bus And I knew where they were going. I've been speaking to rub, intends low, but BBC reporter and bob marley fan, who covered his funeral for years ago, the national arenas up big cloak concrete block. I'm when I arrived surrounded by people they were crowds in thousands, tens or thousands like a treaty it in. queuing up to get in and all around the outside of the arena. There were sound systems, set up, blasting out bob marley songs, so there was music outside all over the place, but it was a fairly fairly laid back wild scene with people of all sorts, putting all over the place and the the occasional celebrate

you like roberto flight, was only bumped into a lamentable that one or two things. I noticed there was some of the people who am I in their kind of sunday best or a few hold close and there was other people are literally in their rags surrender. A great cross section of jamaican society from europe, people from down the street from across the trench down people, the prime minister, everyone was there absolutely everyone, which is why the whole island came to a halt. I mean the impossible dirty elsa day when the early national arena with horns, twenty thousand people was rampart, not even standing capacity. There was a a great turnout of almost everybody in the jamaican popular music industry and in said the arena. There was an amazing crowed, rigour, musician and friend of bob marley, Michael Abu Cooper. Again he became all dressed in red, green and gold. People, cheered and clapped, and some allow for miles was that kind of thing

I have not seen any jamaican that got the kind of turn out that he got on the roadside. People lined the streets. There was an amazing crowd, a massive growth and the position went on and on the longest, treats all the way to send an I'm literally allow Louie dissent as being miles of people on the street. He family and friends had attended a small firm with earlier. In the day, well. The family were going to have one smaller. I use the word private loosely funeral service in the church in the morning and saw the family asked me to be the organist for the private service. We, you know we attended the next church. We are. We were persons who attended the church tomorrow, myself in a lobby until they got baptized. Eventually everything stopped in jamaica. That week, even the government budget statement was delayed on the direction of

new prime minister, so many of the countries politicians wanted to pay bear respect when his international message is performing. Talent is mystical vibrations. He was the right man in the right place at the right time to interpret the jamaican reggae through the musical works. To the great surprise of many edward for yoga, the prime minister even used rust the references in his speech at the funeral. What what was interesting was Mr Santer speech because

it was interesting for jamaicans that whoever wrote the speech the end of his speech. He said Jah Rastafari, which called me from jamaica, lead at the time, was like what of his many musical creations. It may be said that special places are reserved for for the trench, town rock the symbol of his life. No woman, no cry his comforting hand of compassion the one love his vision of peace and unity underestimate vibrations is deep. Mystical. The end of There was songs from the boy loose and molly signals the eye freeze, including his wife, written

the middle and, later to his sons, were invited to dogs on stage just a few feet from their fathers coffin. Or a free singer. Do dimona says it with a very hard job for the trio thus wanted the cry cry cry. That was my feeling. You know, because this was it. This was, I know, but we love. They were the ones who led the music and down the aisle three we sun and we did that some one bright more.

When my work is over, I will fly away home that that was Bob one. He was that correspond, give everything were very, very hard to do what he did in always see much data would think everything was hunky dory what he had to make a lot of sacrifices, and we would have wanted to give our best. People were hard give everything. You know that to pay our respects to save our approach, we were off him. The funeral was a mixture of rust, ferry and ceremony, and pop concert

so was mix, because there is this wave of emotion in that you would expect in in bereavement, but then there was also do so either jubilee then adhering the songs and seeing the kids perform and the other artists perform. So he was like a rock concert or a regular concert in the middle of a funeral. You know what I'm saying and we tend to relate that for icons, industry, especially because we tend to celebrate as winners beside. We tend to be celebrating, as if it were the rigour concert and as if the person was here in the early hours of the morning. That's british time the body of Bob molly was laid to rest and mausoleum in his birthplace and ends in the north of jamaica. The hearse carrying his body was escorted by a motive aid that are driven the sixty miles north from kingston. Thousands of jamaican line streets to watch. It pass

was a remarkable climax to what was surely the most extraordinary funeral ever given to a pop singer after the ceremony and people were driving. Oh no, you had light truck bosses cars vice and it was a motorcade from the national arena going to faint and which was about three hours dry, but because of the motorcade and it was going slow. I would say for hours the two sides of industry, It was lined with people children in beer uniforms, workers in their uniforms, as as, if work has worked, give them the time off from work to just pay their last respects and say their last farewell into my mind. edward Williams. Again, it was all noise different types of noise, hearers creed,

There are trying their laughter and the police never seen so many police in jamaica on one day and there s a fire by all colors people die in the tree, tops people globally. We lose one could get a glimpse of what was happening It was like nothing ever seen before I ever seen after thousands of people still visit bob marley grave forty years on hearing

The countries most famous son, I remember I've- done command, he went to nigeria and he was trying to make a phone call back to jamaica and the telephone receptionist was not able to understand what he was thing. You said jamaica until he's bed, bob marley birthplace and just about my life, all german Bob marley was the one who put jamaica on the map. Burma is important on the world and its interest. The current from a country that is no known because of my money, endured because of his greatness and the tragedy his early death lowood, but think of it, but would probably take. The humbler dread uproar challenges, I need some music and people love. It

love it tonight. I clear display my music, But insider would be immensely proud because so much of what bob was working for specially the years after he was shot when they were this urgency to produce music, and to the world on this mission was greater dignity for black people. You ve been listening to bob marley an extraordinary day with me, Benjamin Stepanida, it was made in manchester production for the BBC world service. The documentary is. just one of our bbc world service podcast. There are many others, too cheese from hated. You want bbc world service. They made a musical about romance in life, knockdown coveys dumping, sixty m a ban gonna

but his money to buy the ways they even rye is no reason why lands lindsey whenever they went away when all you want is a new beginning, imply an act when you're wild is your room and your music. Coming from the story about men, insurance and home in imagination act as an old renovation, you told me the musical a brand new musical from the BBC world service search for you taught me wherever you get your populists.