One of the topics that have seen more views given than the
sands of the Accra (Borla) beach is the position of music in Islam. A large
number of exegetes of the Quran in their exegesis of some verses that talk
about the wheedlings and seductions of Satan in the hearts of men say he does
it through music. Those who hold contrary view also say it is the form and
content of music that determines its good or bad nature and that music in
itself cannot be bad. My view in this
argument was captured well by the Awake
Magazine of the Jehovah Witness of August, 2011.
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| Awake Magazine of August, 2011 |
The opening sentence starts:
“Can you imagine life without music? No soothing lullabies.
No romantic serenades. No lively pop songs. No stirring symphonies. And no
inspirational melodies. Most will consider that a dull and unappealing
prospect.” It continued: “Yes, music appeals to virtually the full range of
human emotions. It soothes and excites us, uplifts and inspires us. It moves us
to ecstasy and reduces us to tears. Moreover, because music speaks straight to
our heart, it has power. Why are we so moved by music? The answer is really
quite simple: music is a beautiful gift from God. (James 1:17)
So I really love good music. The genre of music I like and
really have an affinity for is reggae. I used to loathe reggae music to the
point that I regarded James Amoako as delusional. James was a classmate back in
O’Reilly Senior High School. For our three years stay in school, he has
extolled the qualities of Reggae music ad
nauseam. He always stated that all the genres of music are for the
weak-hearted and that reggae is for real men and the strong-hearted. Personally
I regarded his talks as musings of a confused person.
After Senior High School, I took a personal initiative to
acquire as much knowledge as possible on my own. Those were the days I could
‘buy time’ in the internet cafe and sit for hours researching and reading about
the lives of great men. I read more to the point when I began to read about
porn stars. My mind became like what
Mutabaruka stated in his poem “Dis poem”. It became like a sponge, absorbing
things as I encounter them. And my mind yearned for thought-provoking issues. I
must confess that I argued violently those days. It so happened that a friend
had a music player which he gave me one day. The music that played first began
with the lyrics “until the philosophy which holds one race superior and another
inferior is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned, everywhere is
war.” The lyrics gripped me like death. I had to replay that song to the umpteenth
time. That was the day I started following Reggae Music religiously.
I got inundated with more Reggae songs by my friend Hamza
Hajj Ayub whom I spent most part of the year 2007 with. The man who really
baptized me in Reggae music is Blakk Rasta formally of Hitz fm. His teachings
coupled with my further researches really revealed a whole lot of world issues
to me. I love reggae music now to the point that I once unplugged a DJ’s
electrical socket at a wake-keeping in Frankies, Nima just because he did not
play even one reggae track over that night. That act ended in a real fight
between us.
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| He inundated me with Reggae Music |
Reggae music is different. It is an everlasting music as noted Peter Tosh. He described other genres of music as "music that rises today and dies tomorrow."
When Reggae is mentioned, the name that readily comes to mind
is Bob Marley.
Anytime I visit the Nima-Maamobi Community library, I make sure I find time to read something again about this man from the book Bob Marley: His Musical Legacy by Jeremy Collingwood.
Anytime I visit the Nima-Maamobi Community library, I make sure I find time to read something again about this man from the book Bob Marley: His Musical Legacy by Jeremy Collingwood.
That tiny man from Jamaica sold that genre of music to the world
and beyond. His profound messages against oppression, slavery in whatever from,
sufferation and the subjugation of a part of the world makes him stand out as a
musician with a class.Today happens to be 35 years since he found himself in
the shores of the afterlife from succumbing to a cancer medically known as Acral Lentiginous Malignant Melanoma. I
recommend five songs of his to you. Find them, listen to the lyrics, read about
them and live up to the world.
War
Recorded and released in 1976. The song is a revolt against the phenomenon that precipitated the two greatest crimes the world has ever witnessed, slavery and colonialism. These two crimes have their underpinnings in racism; where one race feels it has the natural right to subjugate other races because of its color. The song has much of its lyrics taken from the speech the Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie gave to the United Nations in 1963. The song ends with a message of hope to the African.
Recorded and released in 1976. The song is a revolt against the phenomenon that precipitated the two greatest crimes the world has ever witnessed, slavery and colonialism. These two crimes have their underpinnings in racism; where one race feels it has the natural right to subjugate other races because of its color. The song has much of its lyrics taken from the speech the Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie gave to the United Nations in 1963. The song ends with a message of hope to the African.
“And until that day, the African continent will not know
peace. We Africans will fight, we find it necessary. And we know we shall win,
as we are confident in the victory of good over evil, good over evil.”
One Love/People Get
Ready
The year 1977 in the Rastafari movement’s calendar was a
prophetic year. It is believed that Marcus Garvey prophesied that there will be
chaos when the two sevens clash (July, 7, 1977). Hence the roots reggae band Culture released their debut album that
year with the name “two sevens clash.” One significant album that was released
in that year also was Bob Marley’s Exodus
which was voted ‘Album of the Century’ by Time Magazine. In that album we
find this powerful track, One Love/People
Get ready. A song that talks about the greatest force on earth, the
harbinger of hope, the purveyor of joy and the greatest force on earth. Love
indeed conquers all. The Anglican church of Jamaica has incorporated this song
in its hymn book and it is sung by all adherents of the church. For thousand
years, the best song that was ever sung was this song as it was voted Song of the Millennium by the British
Broadcasting Corporation.
“Have pity on those
whose chances grow thinner. There ain’t no hiding place from the Father of
Creation. One Love, one heart. Let’s all get together and feel alright.”
Wake up and live
It’s a four minute, fifty-eight seconds track that is found
on the side two of the album that has showed strong disposition to warfare, Survival. The song exhorts the listener
to rise up and live rather than merely existing as most do in the world now. The message sums it all up in the song.
“Life is one big road with lots of signs. So when you riding
through the ruts don’t you complicate your mind. Flee from hate, mischief and jealousy.
Don’t bury your thoughts. Put your vision to reality. Wake up and live”
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| Captan Gh is a Dancehall artist i gave this book to read |
Redemption Song
Largely acclaimed as the Reggae Anthem and
considered by many as Bob Marley’s Magnum Opus, it was released in 1980, a year
before he died. One could feel the pain in the song as he was already diagnosed
with the malignant cancer that forever shut his eyes to the world. Rita Marley
his wife stated “he was already secretly in a lot of pain and dealt with his
own mortality, a feature that is clearly apparent in the album, particularly
this song.”
" Emancipate yourself from mental slavery. None but ourselves can free our minds."
Zimbabwe
On the 26th of September, 2007, Robert Mugabe told the 62nd session of the United Nations Assembly in New York a ferocious truth. He said this “Mr. President, I lost eleven precious years of my life in the jail of a white man whose freedom and well- being I have assured from the first day of Zimbabwe's Independence. I lost a further fifteen years fighting white injustice in my country.
Ian Smith is responsible for the death of well over 50,000 of my people. I bear scars of his tyranny which Britain and America condoned. I meet his victims every day. Yet he walks free. He farms free. He talks freely, associates freely under a black Government. We taught him democracy. We gave him back his humanity.”
On the 26th of September, 2007, Robert Mugabe told the 62nd session of the United Nations Assembly in New York a ferocious truth. He said this “Mr. President, I lost eleven precious years of my life in the jail of a white man whose freedom and well- being I have assured from the first day of Zimbabwe's Independence. I lost a further fifteen years fighting white injustice in my country.
Ian Smith is responsible for the death of well over 50,000 of my people. I bear scars of his tyranny which Britain and America condoned. I meet his victims every day. Yet he walks free. He farms free. He talks freely, associates freely under a black Government. We taught him democracy. We gave him back his humanity.”
When Robert Mugabe won the
war against the imperialist Rhodesian government, he invited Bob Marley to play
a concert in honor of the victory. In a prophetic style and fashion, Bob Marley
had prophesied on this track released in 1979 that Zimbabwe will win the war
against imperialism and he is going to “mash it in Zimbabwe.”
“Mash it up in-a (Zimbabwe);
Natty trash it in-a (Zimbabwe);
Africans a-liberate Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe);
I'n'I a-liberate Zimbabwe.”
Natty trash it in-a (Zimbabwe);
Africans a-liberate Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe);
I'n'I a-liberate Zimbabwe.”
And truly he did it by
personally sponsoring his trip to and fro Jamaica and Zimbabwe. And he played a
free concert too. It is no wonder that this song is the unofficial National Anthem
of Zimbabweans. Legend has it that Zimbabweans know this song more than their
national anthem.
“Every man got the right
to decide his own destiny. And in this judgment there’s no partiality”
There is certainly no
partiality in choosing your favorite Bob Marley song. Which Bob Marley song is
your favorite?
Inusah Mohammed
NB: The writer is a Youth-Activist and a Student of knowledge.
Okoromaazi@gmail.com
