Ethiopia to host ever biggest concert

 By Our Staff Reporter

 India Arie, Angelique Kidjo and the Marley family join a roster of international music stars who are going to perform in Ethiopia next month to celebrate the 60th birthday of the late reggae legend Bob Marley.

It was learned that this is the first time an event related with Bob Marley is to be held outside the singer's native Jamaica.

According to a press release from the Addis Ababa City Government, more than three hundred thousand tourists, residents and high-level guests are expected to participate in a month of festivities starting February 1 dubbed "Africa Unite" in tribute to one of Marley's many famous songs. The highlight is Ethiopia's largest ever concert on Marley's birthday, February 6, in the capital, Addis Ababa.

Marley's wife, Rita, together with the African Union and U.N. Children's Fund, is organizing the $1 million (770,000 Euro) celebrations expected to be broadcast in Africa and beyond.

Ethiopia was chosen as the venue because of the country's holy place in Marley's Rastafarian faith. It is also home to the 53-nation African Union.

“Africa is Bob's spiritual home, and so solidarity among other cultural activists across the continent is important to his family," Rita Marley said in Addis Ababa. "We want to negate the impoverished, dependent and hopeless images of Africa that are beamed around the world every day."

Rita Marley caused a storm of controversy when she announced recently that she was working on taking her late husband's remains from Jamaica to his "spiritual resting place" in Ethiopia after the birthday celebrations here and in Jamaica. Jamaicans protested the proposed reburial would rob the Caribbean island of its national heritage.

The Bob Marley Foundation later issued a statement saying it was a private family matter, but there were no immediate plans to exhume the body of the singer, who died of cancer in 1981 at age 36.

Rita Marley will sing with Marcia Griffiths and Judy Mowatt as the I-Threes, Bob Marley's former backing group, on February 6. Joining them on stage will be Senegal's Baaba Maal and Youssou N'Dour, Benin's Kidjo, Reggae rapper Shaggy, soul singer India Arie and Marley's children.

Other events include a film festival, an exhibition of African art, the Ethiopian launch of Rita Marley's autobiography "No Woman No Cry -- My Life with Bob Marley," and conferences on the themes of African unity, women and youth.

A devout Rastafarian, Marley's lyrics were laden with references to the faith, whose followers preach a oneness with nature, grow their hair uncombed into dreadlocks and smoke marijuana as a sacrament.

Born in 1945, Marley grew up in the gritty shantytowns of Kingston and later shot to global stardom with hits like "I Shot the Sheriff" and "No Woman, No Cry." His poignant lyrics promoting social justice and African unity made him an icon throughout the world.

The organizers of next month's commemoration hope to highlight issues like HIV/AIDS, war and poverty, while raising funds for Tsunami relief in Somalia, the Shashemane Medical Center and a Bob Marley Youth Development Center in downtown Addis Ababa.

"The Marley family is committed to progressing Bob's legacy as a champion for human rights," said Desta Meghoo-Peddie, managing director of the Bob Marley Foundation. "We invite the world to celebrate with us in refueling the spirit that will unify Africa, her sons and daughters in the Diaspora and work toward ending violence, poverty, injustice and discrimination."

The City government in addition pronounced to the public that due to the concert that would take place for a month relevant road routes will be closed and issued a statement to the public for usual cooperation, details of the road closures and alternative roads will be announced on the broadcast media.