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40 Years on from Bob Marleys Passing KCL have put together this little tribute to the Man known as a Legend.
In the summer of 2008, Cardiff City played Ajax FC in their final pre-season friendly. After the game, Ajax fans were kept seated in the away stand until the Cardiff fans had left the surrounding area.
Ky-Mani Marley Singing 3 Little Birds for Ajax Fans
The announcer at the now-demolished Ninian Park Stadium, Ali Yassine, was instructed to play music to help keep Ajax fans calm, and being a huge reggae fan, chose "Three Little Birds" by Bob Marley..
The story goes that Ajax fans started dancing, clapping, and chanting the songs' lyrics; and it became Ajax's anthem.
In 2018, Bob Marley's son Ky-Mani Marley attended an Ajax game and was given the honour to perform "Three Little Birds" at the Johan Cruyff Arena at half time - with the home crowd fans singing along with him
On the 19th June 1976, Bob Marley & the Wailers took centre stage at Ninian Park, former home of Cardiff City, in what would be a memorable occasion for attendees in the Welsh capital.
Despite his undeniable influence on the world of music, at the time of his gig in Cardiff he was up-and-coming; only just beginning to cross over into the mainstream. In fact, Marley was not a first-choice headliner for the concert, but when Stephen Stills pulled out, the promoters, who weren’t well known in the area, had to work against the clock to find a new headliner. Luckily, Bob Marley was touring the UK, and seemed the perfect choice to fill Ninian Park’s headline slot that night.
Although only around 4000 filled the 20,000 capacity, many who were in the crowd that night spoke of Marley’s brilliance. One attendee, Leigh Bailey, reported his enjoyment at Marley’s show. His experiences were life-changing, ultimately influencing his musical tastes, so much so that he is now the frontman of tribute band ‘Bob Marley And The Jailers’. That inspirational night marked Bob Marley’s first concert in Wales.
Marley’s discography included timeless classics such as ‘Three Little Birds’, ‘Jammin’, and ‘Waiting in Vain’, as well as Marley’s world-renowned album ‘Exodus’; a record that was hugely respected among the alienated punk generation across the UK in the 70s.
Using his music and live performances to spread the notions of Rastafarianism, Marley’s legacy across the world will live on, and that night in 1976 will be celebrated for years to come.
Setlist:
Trenchtown Rock (The Wailers cover)
Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)
Rebel Music (3 O'Clock Roadblock)
I Shot the Sheriff (The Wailers cover)
Crazy Baldhead
Want More
No Woman, No Cry
Lively Up Yourself
Roots, Rock, Reggae
Encore: Get Up, Stand Up
Here are some Quotes from the wise man.
“Don’t trust people whose feelings change with time. Trust people whose feelings remain the same, even when the time changes.”
“Live for yourself and you will live in vain; live for others, and you will live again.”
“Love the life you live, live the life you love.”
“Me only have one ambition, y’know. I only have one thing I really like to see happen. I like to see mankind live together – black, white, Chinese, everyone – that’s all.”
“The trust is, everyone is going to hurt you. You just got to find the ones worth suffering for.”
“Just because you are happy it does not mean that the day is perfect but that you have looked beyond its imperfections.”
“The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively.”
“One good thing about music—when it hits you, you feel no pain.”
“None but ourselves can free our minds.”
