A Buffalo Soldier

Listening to the BBC this morning, I hear that today is Bob Marley's birthday. If he had lived, he'd be 60 years old (he died of cancer at age 39). 'Free your mind from mental slavery.' This man's life was a 'Redemption Song.' A young kid from the slums of Jamaica becomes an international music star, introducing a completely new form of music to the world: reggae. Bob was a 'Rasta Man,' who smoked large quantities of ganja, sang about 'one love,' and gave people everywhere a reason to smile, to love, to dance. There was also a political message: 'Get up, stand up, stand up for your rights.' The man is gone, but his example stands, and the music endures.