It was the twentieth anniversary yesterday of the death of the legendary reggae singer and composer Bob Marley, who died from cancer during his prime at the tender age of 36 years.

Along with his group the Wailers Marley throughout his short life became one of the most popular and influential reggae musicians, who over two decades inspired many people and gave the world brilliant and evocative music which will always remain timeless and universal.

I will never forget attending the Bob Marley and the Wailers live concert with the I-Threes girl backing singers revealing the powerful, unique three voices behind Marley's music, which was held here on the island in the old Bullring (Plaza de Toros) in Ibiza town one sizzling summer night on Wednesday 28th June 1978. The admission ticket was one price only a thousand pesetas. The band scheduled to begin their live performance at around 8 o'clock that evening but were late arriving at the venue and they didn't appear on stage until gone 10 o'clock that night.

During the two-hour wait for the concert to begin the whole of the newly released album earlier that month, Live and Dangerous by Thin Lizzy, was continuously played throughout leading up to the beginning of the night's live event. The stage was built high with huge, tall banks of sound speaker at one end of the Bullring and as the bright summer evening gradually darkened to night hundreds of hippies, Rastafarians and families with children was dancing in the middle of the Bullring. Much of the full house had green luminous beaded braceled bangles and necklaces, which were being sold for a hundred pesetas each on enterering the stadium. There was a vast sea of radiant flashing green light surrrounding the entire Bullring as people were waving in the night air these glowing green glittering jewellery trinkets,

I am sure you can imagine the psychedelic scene where the warm summer night air, which was saturated with the smell of marijuana on that colourful and wonderful night as the Wailers with the I-Threes eventually appeared on stage. It took a couple of numbers played by the Wailers accompanied with the I-Tthrees before Marley made his stage entrance. On first sight Bob didn't look or sound too good,  but after his his first song the Masetro continued regardless to complete a dsuperb memorable performance on the night. Earlier that year Bob Marley and the Wailers had released their album, Kaya, which was number four in the UK charts the week of its release in March 1978. Kaya is an album of love songs and homage to the power of ganja, which Marley the 'Rasta Prophet' often refereed to as his 'wisdomweed'.

There was no Café del Mar or sunset strip during those heady days of 1978, which didn't open until the summer of 1980. However, Es Paradís Terrenal in Sant Antoni de Portmany  first opened late in the summer during August 1975. The renowned contemporary artist from Banyoles, Catalonia, Lluís Güell, created the Café del Mar decor for the three partner owners, Ramòn Guira, José Les and Carlos Andres and for Es Paradís Terrenal proprietor, Pepe Aguirre. Both  these two popular music venues without doubt were the number one seashore sunset bar and open-air discothèque night club for atmosphere on the island of Ibiza.

The most popular music bar in Sant Antoni during 1978 was Bar Utopia, which could then to be found at the top of Calle Sant Mateu as the famous Tapas Bar, El Rincón de Pepe at the bottom end of the Calle. Bar Utopia was run by el caballero, Miguel Cano and his sidekick Andalusian bartender, Miguel Ángel Exposito. Bar Utopia on the night of the Bob Marley and the Wailers concert like most bars that extra special night was closed, simply because, everybody wanted to go along and witness one of the most charismatic and challenging performers of our time live in the old Bullring.

The Bullring in Ibiza town was located directly opposite the current Hotel Royal Plaza, which was not there at the time and built two years later in 1980. The Bullring was demolished, and a single storey round circular shopping centre was built where the Bullring had stood but for whatever reason remained empty never to be used to this day.

Bob Marley was born on Tuesday 6th February 1945 at the farm of his maternal grandfather in Nine Mile, Saint Ann Parish, Colony of Jamacia. His father was a white British naval captain named, Norvak Sinclair Marley, who was almost 60 at the time. His mother, Cedella, was a 19-year-old country village girl. Because of his mixed racial makeup, Bob was bullied and derogatorily nicknamed "White Boy" by his neighbours. However, he later said the experience helped him develop this philosophy: "I'm not on the white man's side, or on the Black man's side. I'm on God's side."

In July 1977, Marley was diagnosed with a type of malignant melenoma under his toenail. By late 1980, the cancer had spead to his brain, lungs, and liver, and he played his final concert in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US, on Tuesday 23rd September 1980.

The reggae icon died at age 36, at the University of Miami Hospital, Florida, US, Monday 11th May 1981. Thursday 23rd May 1981 the Honourable Nesta Robert Marley was givem an official funeral by the people of Jamaica. Following the funeral service, Bob's body was taken to his birthplace north of the island of Jamaica where it now rests in the Saint Ann Parish Mausoleum and his legend as a visionary and a revolutionary artist will always live forever.

Bob Marley was the father of twelve children. He had his three oldest children, Cadella Marley in 1967, Ziggy Marley in 1968, and Sptephen Marley in 1972, with his widow, Rita Marley.

Bob Marley also adopted two of her kids, Sharon Marley, whom Rita Marly had in 1964 before marrying the reggae musician, and Stephanie Marley, born in 1974. Rital Marley's sixth child, Serita Stewart, was born in 1985, after Bob Marley's death.

Bob Marley also had Rohan Marley with Janet Hunt and Robbie Marley with Pat Williams in 1972. The reggae legend had Karen Marley the next year with Janet Boen and Julian Marley in 1975 with Lucy Pounder.

In 1976, Ky-Mani Marley was born to the singer and Anita Belnavis, a table tennis champion in Jamacia. Two years later, in 1978, Damian Marley was born to Cindy Breakspeare, a jazz musician and model who was crowned Miss World in 1976.

Lastly, Bob Marley had Makeda Jahnesta in 1981 with Yvette Crichton.

Reggae's most iconic figure, Bob Marley was the first Jamaican artist to achieve international stardom. His music gave voice to the day-to-day struggles of the Jamaican experience, vividly capturing not only the plight of the country's impoverished and oppressed but also the devout spirituality that remains their source of strenght.

In April 1981 the Jamaican government awarded Marley the Order of Merit. A month later he died of cancer

U2 Bono inducts Marley with a speech for the ages into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.

The Ibiza Bullring was the only venue in Spain where Bob Marley and the Wailers with the  I-Threes played a live gig.

Amen

Gary Hardy

garyhardy@ibizahistoryculture.com