Open London. At the opening of Festival Jamaica 2012 tonight in Stratford, east London, with members of The League of Rebels, probably the youngest reggae band in the country.
This portrait of Mr. Neville Garrick was taken at 56 Hope Road, Kingston, in 1978, and will feature prominently in the book, Portrait of a Legend and other Folks. Mr Garrick was responsible for the design of the famous Bob Marley album cover, Catch a Fire, subsequent Bob Marley album covers and the stage design and lighting at Bob's concerts. Mr. Garrick celebrates his Earthday this day. Big Up Neville Garrick!
Neville Garrick, a graduate of the UCLA College of Fine Arts (and disciple of Angela Davis) who had returned to Jamaica in 1973 to be an art director for the Jamaican Daily News, but met Bob and became Tuff Gong Records' resident designer.
Fact:
I was to photograph the Gong discussing the Rastafarian newspaper SURVIVAL.
It is somewhat odd that many Marleyites are not aware that the Gong published
three editions of the first Rastafarian newspaper, Survival, in 1980.
Somehow, I was blessed to have photographed all three cover photographs.
I
can remember whilst working with the Gong on the first Rastafarian newspaper,
Survival, I mentioned the word 'magical' to the Skipper and he said, try not to
use that word, as it conjures up aspects of trickery.
He was probably correct.
THE MYSTIQUE OF BOB AND ANANCY There are lots of descriptions of Bob..lots of reasonings on this thought One of the descriptions is that of Anancy..and the Word was made flesh (incarnated)..Bob embodied the magical qualities of Anancy The Anancy stories were brought to Jam in the 1600s by the Akan people of the Gold Coast (Ghana), and they were told and retold in the three Twi Dialects – Ashanti, ...Fanti, Akwapim The art of storytelling is highly regarded in Jamaica and so is personal mystique Bob Marley like Anancy became symbolic, larger-than-live figure for his people..a crucial symbol of courage embodying the concept that a supposedly lowly creature can outwit his formidable adversaries Bob Marley like Anancy is elusive..precious little can be discovered about him and his presence is powerful indeed Ananse spins a web between heaven and earth, and by means of this network god came down to man and man can reach up to god. But man’s separation from god is not completely bridged by this web, for everything depends upon the nature and character of Ananse who can trick both god and man. The messenger of the gods becomes a bringer of both good and evil; he is both a Satan and a savior, a deceiver and a helper; he is a devouring monster catching unsuspecting man within his web as well as a mediator assisting man in his perilous ascent to god. Among the Ashanti, Ananse is represented not merely as a trickster figure but also as a ghosthunter and a washer of souls for Nyankonpon (supreme creator sky-god) He acts as a guardian for man, hunting and warding off the ghosts which oppress him; and he also stands between man and god, washing souls so that they might be worthy to appear before him. Thus the labyrinthine web of the spider is, in a very real sense, a symbol of the sky-gods’ inextricable weaving of man’s pattern of life, and of man’s total inability to avoul the voracity of Nyankonpon. Anancy is both god and man and expresses fully man’s weaknesses as well as his strength and guile Anancy stories would start out like this We do not really mean, we do not really mean that what we are going to say is mean that what we are going to say is true ‘an conclude with this’ this is my story which I have told, and if it be sweet, or if it be not sweet, some you may accept as true and the rest you may praise me for telling it Like Bob Brother Anancy captures Duppy’s..Brother Duppy – a supernatural being: is the enemy of Brother Anancy yet is also evil in his activities, so at times there is little distinction between their actions
I am happy to say that each and everyone of the 200 images that will adorn the book, Portrait of a Legend and other Folks, were photographed by I and I alone.
This portrait of the Gong leading members of Ziggy Marley's football team unto the pitch in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1980, will adorn the book Portrait of a Legend and other Folks.
I mostly do social work...organize youth forces...I try to organize youth...try to help youth them out...BOB MARLEY
Bob Journalist: Do you believe in the words of Jesus? You
adhere pretty strictly to the Bible don’t you?
Marley: yah..but Jesus tell us him must..him comin’ forward
right
Journalist: Comin forward?
Bob Marley: Yah…HIM come again..when HIM come he will be the
KING OF KINGS..LORD OF LORDS..CONQUERING LION OF JUDAH..now we look to see
Jesus
Journalist: An he hasn’t returned yet?
Bob Marley: When HIM come..yes HIM come of course..Haile
Selassie is the Christ whom them speak of…because HIM come as KING OF
KINGS..LORD OF LORDS..CONQUERING LION OF JUDAH..has gone through the Bible
manifest the whole thing..so the Christian now when them look them say..No is
not him..just like when them see Christ the first time..no is not him Journalist: So you believe Haile Selassie is the Christ?
Bob Marley: Is the Christ
Journalist: Is the Christ?
Bob Marley: The Christ..an no other one before or after.
I was to photograph GUITAR LEGEND Junior Marvin (Julian Junior Marvin) in London. Junior Marvin joined The Wailers in 1977. This portrait will be in PORTRAIT OF A LEGEND AND OTHER FOLKS.
Bob Marley: Is roots we deal with..so if one man
get to giddy..another man gettin' giddy
Journalist: What's giddy?
Bob Marley: That mean you gonna get to psychedelic..Al Anderson don't like
that...he a Rootman..everybody have to stay root...because you have root there
like Aston Barrett..Carlton Barrett..you can't return…return to the roots..you
have to be the roots..you can’t…must return to the root..you have to be the
root..cause if you were to return to the root..then you was a leaf..and then
you drop off..you must be the root…be the root
I grew up living opposite The Maxfield Park Children's
Home in Kingston, Jamaica. Three years ago they received a grant of approximately US $3.5 million from the
Japanese Embassy to assist with the renovation of sections of their 90-year-old
property.
The Maxfield Park Children's Home is the oldest co-ed childcare facility in
Jamaica which serves as a permanent dwelling for many children who have been
abandoned or otherwise made homeless.
I have therefore began to make contact with the relevant authorities with
regard to a pledge to donate approximately 10% of sales from the book, Portrait
of a Legend and other Folks, to this proud institution.
I intend to publish this book and I intend to keep this pledge.
Kindly watch my ass.
Them lick Marcus Garvey..them lick Malcolm X..them lick Martin Luther King..them even overthrow HIS MAJESTY during the KAYA time..you unnerstan'..so during all the KAYA time..so you have to take your time an suffer..an cool it a little bit man..an overthrow me too..because it was a thing going on..yah try to topple me too..BLOODCLAAT..a thing that go on..an INTERNATIONAL GERM..yah Ras Dread CONSPIRACY to execute me in a sense..yah man..I just take it easy..you know..people worried now..I say smoke KAYA an thing..yah because too much thing going on..you no need me to come tell you more thing..you need to think it out..cause what them say HIS MAJESTY...BLAH BLAH BOOM..look for yourself..take your head above the water..enjoy yourself...Bob Marley 1979
We go to Nyahbingi..first music..Nyahbingi music..Nyahbingi
Nyahbingi mean death to black and white oppressors..but is a type a music..you know..HEARTICAL..I mean is just like the drums..just like them type a drums..any time you hear the drums you must hear it..the sound frightening sometime..you get familiar with an so on..if we get to unnerstan' it an everything become natural again....Bob Marley 1977
A preview of a work in progress, the photographic book, Portrait of a Legend and other Folks, by Lindsay Donald.
poalaof.com, a crowdfunding website, is currently being constructed and will be used to secure funding for the book Portrait of a Legend and other Folks.
I was to link with the LEGENDARY WIYAH LINDO AND FAMILYMAN BARRETT at Shepherd's Bush Empire last night. I was to photograph these LEGENDS in the Golden Age of Reggae. These photos will be in my forthcoming book PORTRAIT OF A LEGEND AND OTHER FOLKS.
I was to take this photo of Karen and Cedella Marley and 2 of their cousins at Mother Booker's home in Miami, Florida.
I am my children's school man...them must go to school to read to communicate with Babylon to...my children must be smarter than smarter...if me send my youth to school and me never tell them about RASTA...them never know....Bob Marley
RASTA! My work will soon be available at my forthcoming Official webpage, poalaof.com. I was to photograph the Legend Bob Marley being interviewed by Felipe Luciano September 19, 1980 at Madison Square Garden.
BOB MARLEY - Interview with Ron Sinclair 1980-10-XX
3:13 (transposed by Tammy Beveridge January 2008)
Ron Sinclair-Your in New York
Bob? Bob Marley-Yeah RS-Cool We’re live on the radio now Bob on JBC Radio
live and a lot of things have been said here in Jamaica all week long Bob and of
all the things is people sayin’ your dead BM-Me dead a lot of people are dead
believe me you know HEH RS-Hah why Bob is it really its unbelievable the
kinds of rumors gonna around Bob BM-Well what I’m sayin is a lot of people
have to die and leave me everytime anytime the bad news come everybody always
have it but when the good news come nobody never get it here wonder why them
have to try harder than that to kill me an rumors can’t do it
neither RS-People been sayin you have cancer Bob BM-Everybody cancer when
they want someone right RS-You know the tension is in the air and everybody
looking towards October 30 a lotta people still remember that incident in 1976
ya know BM-I remember it myself RS-Yeah mon I remember the man got shot
you know we never know the end of that story BM-Yeah nobody wanna know the
end of that neither RS-Serious thing. Now the news reports have it that
you’re cooling out because on here too hot is that the correct interpretation
BM-Not too really hot ya know that ________might as well______cool off than
me RS-So when we expect you down here in Jamaica? BM-As soon as rumors
stop an everything cool people’s life gotta have some meaning ya know RS-Your
music is preaching love and brotherhood and awareness and yet BM-That is
good RS-True, but yet at the same time what’s happening is kind a contrary to
what your musics sending out ya know BM-Well I mean ya noh let go nobody has
to real stuff is all I deal with Rastafari the God I____ want to read about see
him all ya got to do is live an ya know I want peace I want love down in Jamaica
right now ya know because hear me want thing can go work seen RS-True true I
remember 1975 and I never forget ya know BM-Yeah RS-Yeah man as a matter
of fact I remember the man actually called Michael Manley and Edward Seaga to
shake hands on stage that year ya remember BM-Yeah lots a peace an love I
mean ya know RS-Yeah mon it was very symbolic ya know BM-Was
it? RS-But then that’s 5 years after ya know what I mean BM-5 years after
when ya not go I don’t have much to say what is happenin’ ya know but everyone
down there ____is gonna on soh I’m not even involved in no politics an I defend
noh politician noh politics just Rasta see it RS-Give thanks Bob BM-JAH
live JAH live ya know
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