Family, UMe, Island Records celebrate 40 yrs of Bob Marley’s Redemption Song

THE Marley family, UMe and Island Records have begun to roll out their year-long MARLEY75 commemorative plans, in celebration of the 75th birthday and 40th anniversary of the timeless classic ‘Redemption Song’ of a legendary cultural icon, Bob Marley.

In honour of Black History Month, now underway, and to mark the beginning of all MARLEY75 celebrations in 2020, the official music video for ‘Redemption Song’ premieres today on Bob Marley’s YouTube channel.

Created by French artists Octave Marsal and Theo De Gueltz, the breathtaking animation, featuring 2,747 original drawings, uses powerful symbols to amplify the magnitude of the song’s timeless lyrics and importance in today’s world.

The video highlights Bob’s contribution to the empowerment of black civilisation, as well as his manifestation of hope and recovery for all mankind.

Inspired by Bob’s homeland of Jamaica, as well as insights received from his family, the artistic approach was to illustrate the imaginary world of Bob Marley in a way that highly stimulates self-reflection.

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“From the history of Slavery and Jamaica, Rastafarian culture, the legacy of prophets (Haile Selassie the 1st, Marcus Garvey, Malcolm X), as well as Bob’s personal life, we take the audience on a journey through allegories and representations,” Marsal reveals.

The opening sequence invites the viewer into Bob’s guitar, a visual metaphor to Bob’s mind and our own, in a quest for Redemption.

Also, drawing from Rastafarian philosophy, another vital element of the video’s narrative is about valuing nature, our Earth and the motherland.

The MARLEY75 celebrations will encompass all things music, fashion, arts, photography, technology, sport and film, providing fans unprecedented access to archives from the legendary artist’s estate in new, thoughtful and innovative ways.

Together with YouTube, new and exciting content is set to be released over the course of the year. The inaugural MARLEY75 music festivities kick off this Spring, the first of many celebrations to come. Ziggy Marley and Stephen Marley’s Bob Marley Celebration will headline ‘The BeachLife Festival’.

This special, collaborative appearance will feature Ziggy Marley and Stephen Marley performing an extensive catalogue of Bob Marley tunes in celebration of their father’s 75th birthday at the three-day immersive music, art, and culinary oceanside event.