Bob Marley 65th Birthday Celebration

Store Vega, Enghavevej 40, Cph V; Saturday 20:00; 270kr; 3325 7011

Travel to any tropical place in the world and there’s a good chance you’ll hear some Bob Marley. Stay close to the beach there and it’s almost a certainty. Entire sub-cultures are now devoted to reggae and generations of people have been inspired by Marley’s message of peace and hope. Although the great man himself died nearly 30 years ago, his music endures, continuing to turn people on to the style of music he helped define. He is, rightfully, the godfather of the genre, responsible for bringing reggae to the world. This week, in celebration of what would be his 65th birthday, Vega will be hosting a tribute to Bob Marley. Featuring a host of performers, workshops, as well as film screenings, the event is designed to pay homage to Marley as well as discuss his legacy, exploring the direction of reggae today.

Few people can deny that Bob Marley deserves his hero status. Born in Jamaica in 1945, Marley grew up in the village of Nine Mile in Jamaica, the son of a white father and a black mother. By the time he was 18 he had met up with other musicians, including Peter Tosh and the band that would later become The Wailers was formed. Their first album Catch a Fire sold well for the still relatively unknown band and after Eric Clapton covered ‘I shot the Sheriff’ in 1974, Marley’s place was confirmed. The rest is history.

As well as helping to bring reggae to wider audiences, Marley is credited as being an ambassador for the Rastafari religion, a movement that would have a huge influence on his life. It was from here that he gained his trademark dreadlocks and the religion’s ideology would help to shape some of his best-known lyrics. Although many of his songs are catchy and well written, it is the lyrics that attract many people’s attention. Deep and often profound, Marley had the ability to describe the world and our place in it, reminding us in his humble and non-assuming way of our responsibility to one another.

But why has his music endured? Why are so many people today still inspired by him? The event seeks to answer these questions, and a workshop on Bob Marley will explore his life and the influence he’s had on musicians throughout the world and on Danish musicians in particular. There will also be speeches given by a range of people, including Black Gold, who will give their own take on the man and his legacy.

Lending some credibility to the evening is the presence of the legendary reggae and dub producer Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry. A talented musician in his own right, Perry worked with Bob Marley and The Wailers, helping to produce what many consider to be their finest work. Perry is as much a performance artist now as anything else and has been enjoying increased interest in his career. At 72 he still knows how to play to a crowd and watching one of his performances is anything but dull.

Perry will be joined by other acts including the up and coming UK artist Gappy Ranks as well as an acoustic performance by Simba Charles, among others. There will also be African drumming, Jamaican food, craft and more.

Few musicians are as well loved, and his message is as relevant today as ever. There continues to be ‘so much trouble in the world’ and perhaps it’s time we stopped and wondered what Bob Marley would have to say about it. More of a festival than a concert, the event on Saturday promises a feast of Jamaican and reggae culture and a look at the man who made it famous.