Who know that Bob Marley was called names by the Rastafarian elders back in his early days before fame?
Jamaica Weekly understands that Rastafari elders refused to accept iconic singers, Bob Marley, Bunny Wailer, and Peter Tosh before they rose to fame. Instead the tree were called nicknames according to Reggae artist Fred Locks.
They were called names like, “Bob Folly,” “Peter Slush,” and “Bunny Failure” respectively, by the elders, Fred revealed, while returning to the erarlier day of their careers, those days they were not even close to the legendary status the have today.
“Mi rememba going a Binghi outta Bull Bay up a Nine Miles weh dem call Bob Marley Beach, an Bob Marley an Bunny Wailer dem come inna di Binghi and a sing sweet, an a chant enuh. An mi hear some elders a seh ‘bun Bunny Fail-yah’, ‘Peter Slush’ an ‘Bob Folly’. Commercial Rasta dem! Fire fi Reggae Dread!” Fred Locks said in an I Never Knew TV interview after being asked if it “was true that some I-cient Rastafari did not like Reggae music”. Fred continued
“Di man dem bun dem out. Although dem di live outta Nine Mile – Bob did live inna di scheme – mi nuh si him come back to Binghi. And Peter nuh badda. Only Bunny a continue fi come,” the Black Star Liners artist added.
“Wi have Binghi a Portland and Bunny Wailer wear a red, green and gold shoes and tink seh it nice. (Rasta elders said): “Wah? Di likkle commercial dread a walk pan di flag! Fire!” he recalled.
“Suh dem seh Reggae music is a Babylon ting. And dem fight it hard. Di Bobo (Ashanti) now… a seh di same ting, becaw dem a hold a reverence pon di hill an a seh Bobo come fi gather priest and prophet and Reggae is not di music…,” he added.
Reggae musicians, however, have been identified as the ones who single-handedly took the message of Rastafari to the entire world, a feat which, according to Fred Locks, could not have been achieved by Rastafarian elders who were domiciled in Jamaica and had no opportunities for travel.
“Reggae carry Rastafari works to the world. Dem can’t deny it. No ancients caan deny dat, becaw dem neva guh, an dem neva travel an seh ‘man mus only eat dis’…,” he said in providing an example.
Incidentally, Nyahbinghi drumming, which was created by various Rastafarian drummers in the 1950s who developed the style of ritual music and gave it that name, has been incorporated heavily into Reggae music.
Nyahbinghi music has the distinction of birthing the Folkes Brothers hit Oh Carolina, which was produced by Prince Buster in 1958, original version of which, was later interpolated by Shaggy’s for his breakout hit of the same name.
Everybody has their fair share of critics when coming up in any industry, this is how it usually commences before you attain the breakthrough point. No one is celebrated until they become a star.
Who would have though Bob Marley and the crew had to endure such social pressure during their time of ascending?
