Euphoria over Bob Marley jammed to charitable tune

The soul of reggae fans across the world came through as music lovers from different ethnic, national and cultural backgrounds gathered on 6 February in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, for a celebration of African solidarity and music. Organisers said around 250,000 people attended the show, which was held under the theme of ‘Africa Unite’ and resulted from the joint efforts of the widow of late Jamaican reggae icon Bob Marley, a UN agency and a continental inter-governmental organization, the African Union (AU). Rita Marley organised the event in collaboration with the AU and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in memory of the late reggae star’s birthday. It featured an all-star line-up with Rita, four Marley sons, and Lauryn Hill, formerly of the rap group, the Fugees, taking the stage to spread the spirit of Africanism and humanitarianism. "We’ve got to unite our brothers and sisters and work together, Africa," Rita said to the massive crowd. "Bob’s real home was right here, in Ethiopia, and we have to carry on the legacy of his words and music." UNICEF country director for Ethiopia, Bjorn Ljungquist, said the festival helped to emphasise the strength of young people. "We have mobilised our youth ambassadors - through programme activities, the ‘Africa Unite’ symposiums and here at the show - and have given them a chance to discuss key issues like development, which is extremely important," he said. "We also have taken the opportunity to do fundraising on UNICEF’s part with the Bob Marley Foundation and the Sheraton Hotel in order to build a youth centre here in Addis Ababa, from which we raised about US $35,000," he added. Ljungquist said half the proceeds from the show were going to the Somali tsunami relief effort. Other donations from the event would go to the fight against HIV/AIDS, and would be distributed throughout the continent as funds allowed. UNICEF goodwill ambassador Danny Glover touched on a binding element of Bob Marley and popular culture. "Many of Bob Marley’s songs have touched young people throughout the years," he told reporters backstage. "He’s touched us all. We want to reach out to the African youth through his music." Entry to the show was free but some seats close to the stage were set aside for paying patrons. The $100 they each paid for their tickets went directly to a donation pool. The Bob Marley Foundation, based in Kingston, Jamaica, had worked in concert with event organisers to bring about awareness on poverty alleviation and youth education not only in Ethiopia, but across Africa as well. The foundation’s managing director, Dr Desta Meghoo-Peddie, said she was "overwhelmed" at the response the celebrations had generated. "It’s been great," she said by telephone on Friday while driving to Sheshemene, the Rastafarian enclave 350 km south of Addis Ababa, that was given to the followers of the spiritual movement by the late Ethiopian ruler, Haile Selassie. [For the Rastafarians and many other people of African origin, Selassie symbolises African pride and independence due to the fact that Ethiopia was never colonised.] "There have not been any incidents," Meghoo-Peddie said, "and our goals of raising awareness on certain issues and raising funds have worked out well. We have done this in harmony and with a fire of love." Meghoo-Peddie said the main messages of the celebrations had gotten through to fans. They wanted to spread the word of love and peace, she added, and to promote the end of violence and war throughout Africa. "The challenge is now with the NGOs, the governments and activists," she said. "The Ethiopian government has been very helpful through this and we thank them." The final celebrations began on Friday 11 February in Sheshemene. UNICEF communication officer, Indrias Getachew, told IRIN that several thousand people had gathered for the last lap of the commemoration, which included a football game at the newly renamed Bob Marley Stadium, films and a final concert on Sunday 13 February.