The King of Reggae, Bob Marley

Recently all the hype has been about the death of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Fans across the globe mourn his loss, and have dubbed him "the world's greatest superstar." Taking nothing away from MJ, I would like to remind people about another legend; the King of Reggae: Robert Nesta Marley.

Bob Marley represents everything that is roots, rock, reggae and rasta. The latter being Rastafarianism, one of the quickest growing religions in the world today. Though not popular in North America, it is a way of life that many inhabitants of the Caribbean have adopted. Bob was a forefather of reggae music and the largest reggae icon to date. He is responsible for bringing both reggae music and Rastafarianism to an international stage, and was a superstar in his own right. Such a superstar that it has been 28 years since his death in 1981, and younger generations the world over still listen to his music on their ipods. And yet he was only on this earth for 36 years. No other individual, besides the likes of Jesus Christ (who lived 33 years), has made such an impact in such a short span of time.

His most popular songs include:
No woman no cry,
Buffalo soldier,
Is this love,
Waiting in Vain,
Turn your lights down low,
Roots, rock, reggae
I know a place,
One love

And these are just to name a few. Bob Marley has paved the way for artists such as Buju Banton. Jah Cure, Anthony B, Sizzla Kalonji, and Beres Hammond to grace todays airwaves. Music seems to run thick in his bloodline as well, for his legacy is carried forth by all his sons; the most successful of whom are Damian and Stephen Marley.

Those who are interested in reggae music will be able to relate to many of Bob's songs. He sings about love, oppression, and hope; things which we have all experienced. His brand of reggae is widely regarded to be "roots reggae," because it is considered to be the foundation of today's reggae.
Below I have left an interview and song from Bob Marley. I have also posted a video from Jah Cure, one of the biggest reggae artists today. Readers will be able to see how reggae music has developed through the passage of time.

Dwight Yorke, The Smiling Assassin

If you grew up in the Caribbean and once had dreams of being a professional footballer, then he was surely one of your childhood idols. Dwight Yorke, affectionately known to many football fans as "The Smiling Assassin," is now nearing the end of his football career. Due to the recent poor performance of the Trinidad and Tobago national football team, the hopes of qualification for South Africa 2010 are almost dead. It also means the end of the road for Yorke, whose career has reached the better part of two decades. He can still hold his head high, however, as football fans around the world will not soon forget the illustrious journey of this small island boy from Tobago, who managed to climb to the pinnacle of the footballing world and become the star striker of Manchester United. For those of us who have forgotten, or never knew in the first place, here is a brief recap of his career.

Born Nov 3rd, 1971
Scouted in 1988 by Aston Villa (who luckily were vacationing in Tobago)
Top scorer for Aston Villa 94-95 season, 96-97 season,
Player of the Year 96-97
Joined Manchester United for 12.6 million pounds.
Top Scorer for Manchester United 98-99 season
Won the treble with Manchester United 98-99
Joined Blackburn Rovers in 2002
Joined Birmingham City in 2004
Joined Syndney FC in 2005
Joined Sunderland in 2006
Captained Trinidad and Tobago in World Cup in Germany 2006

As for myself, I have met Dwight twice in my life. And both times, I was filled with nothing but admiration. Scouted when he was only 17 years old. At 17 I was worried about homework assignments for my grade 12 English class. He was worried about facing the best players in the world.
When I was younger, my football team went to Tobago and had the pleasure of meeting his old high school coach, Bertile St. Clair. When asked of Dwight Yorke, he told us, "Dwight was the hardest worker I have ever seen. When he was a teenager, he used to practice corner kicks everyday for hours at a time. He would kick the ball, have to run it down himself and take it back to the corner flag. He did this hundreds of times everyday. Hundreds. That is how hard he worked to get where he is now."