The Smile Jamaica Concert was a

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...

concert A concert is a live music performance in front of an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, choir, or band. Concerts are held in a wide variety a ...

held on 5 December 1976, at the

National Heroes Park National Heroes Park (formerly King George VI Memorial Park) is a botanical garden in Kingston, Jamaica. The largest open space in Kingston at 50 acres in size,

Kingston, Jamaica Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley Inter ...

, aimed at countering

political violence Political violence is violence which is perpetrated in order to achieve political goals. It can include violence which is used by a state against other states (war), violence which is used by a state against civilians and non-state actors (forced ...

Bob Marley Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981; baptised in 1980 as Berhane Selassie) was a Jamaican singer, musician, and songwriter. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, his musical career was marked by fusing elements o ...

had agreed to perform but two days before the concert he was shot in his home. He recovered and with

The Wailers ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

played a 90-minute set for the 80,000 people in attendance.

Background

A general election was due in Jamaica in early 1977, and in 1976 there was an escalation in pre-existing political conflict between supporters of the leftwing

People's National Party The People's National Party (PNP) is a Social democracy, social-democratic List of political parties in Jamaica, political party in Jamaica, founded in 1938 by independence campaigner Osmond Theodore Fairclough. It holds 14 of the 63 seats in ...

(PNP) of

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

Michael Manley Michael Norman Manley (10 December 1924 – 6 March 1997) was a Jamaican politician who served as the fourth Prime Minister of Jamaica from 1972 to 1980 and from 1989 to 1992. Manley championed a democratic socialist program, and has been d ...

and the pro-US opposition

Jamaica Labour Party The Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) is one of the two major political parties in Jamaica, the other being the People's National Party (PNP). While its name might suggest that it is a social democratic party (as is the case for "Labour" parties in seve ...

(JLP). A

state of emergency A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to be able to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state du ...

was declared in June.Salewicz 2010 p. 297 In October the

Ministry of Culture Ministry of Culture may refer to: *Ministry of Tourism, Cultural Affairs, Youth and Sports (Albania) *Ministry of Culture (Algeria) *Ministry of Culture (Argentina) * Minister for the Arts (Australia) *Ministry of Culture (Azerbaijan) * Ministry of ...

planned a free concert to bring people together to defuse tension, and asked Marley to participate. Marley was sympathetic, having played the 1975

Wonder Dream Concert The Wonder Dream Concert was an historic concert held on October 4, 1975, at the National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica. The concert was headlined by Stevie Wonder who was joined on the bill by Bob Marley & The Wailers and his former bandmates Pete ...

. He made several conditions to reduce the apparent link to the PNP, including changing the venue from Jamaica House to National Heroes Park. He wrote the cheery "Smile Jamaica" as a theme song. Although Marley had declared himself politically neutral, and some of his earlier songs had been banned by the government, the JLP now saw his participation as an endorsement of the PNP, especially once Manley, to Marley's chagrin, brought the general election forward to 15 December. While rehearsing with the Wailers at his home studio, Marley, his wife

Rita Rita may refer to: People * Rita (given name) * Rita (Indian singer) (born 1984) * Rita (Israeli singer) (born 1962) * Rita (Japanese singer) * Eliza Humphreys (1850–1938), wrote under the pseudonym Rita Places * Djarrit, also known as Rita, ...

, and two others were shot by assailants, never arrested, but suspected of links to a JLP-affiliated drug gang.

The concert

Besides headliners Bob Marley and the Wailers, others on the bill were

Third World The term "Third World" arose during the Cold War to define countries that remained non-aligned with either NATO or the Warsaw Pact. The United States, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Western European nations and their allies represented the " First ...

Ras Michael Michael George Henry OD (born 1943), better known as Ras Michael, is a Jamaican reggae singer and Nyabinghi specialist. He also performs under the name of Dadawah. Biography Henry was born in Saint Mary Parish, Jamaica, where he was raised in ...

, Kiddus I, and

Bunny Rugs William Alexander Anthony "Bunny Rugs" Clark , OD (6 February 1948 – 2 February 2014), also known as Bunny Scott, was the lead singer of Jamaican reggae band Third World as well as a solo artist. He began his career in the mid-1960s and wa ...

. The emcee was Elaine Wint, a current affairs broadcaster. An unreleased film of the concert was made by Carl Colby, son of former CIA director

William Colby William Egan Colby (January 4, 1920 – May 6, 1996) was an American intelligence officer who served as Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) from September 1973 to January 1976. During World War II Colby served with the Office of Strateg ...

. Despite the shooting, Marley promised to perform one song ("

War War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

") at the concert. The crowd that gathered in National Heroes Park were unsure whether he would turn up until the moment he arrived at the venue. While his injured arm prevented him playing guitar, Marley sang for 90 minutes and rolled up his sleeve at one point to show the crowd his wound, saying "Bang bang, I'm OK".Salewicz 2010 p. 304 Marley had previously asked the original Wailers

Peter Tosh Winston Hubert McIntosh, OM (19 October 1944 – 11 September 1987), professionally known as Peter Tosh, was a Jamaican reggae musician. Along with Bob Marley and Bunny Wailer, he was one of the core members of the band the Wailers (1963� ...

and

Bunny Wailer Neville O'Riley Livingston (10 April 1947 – 2 March 2021), known professionally as Bunny Wailer, was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and percussionist. He was an original member of reggae group The Wailers along with Bob Marley and Peter Tosh. ...

to participate but they refused for political reasons. All musicians present huddled to decide what songs and parts to play. All current Wailers performed, although Cat Coore of Third World stood in for bassist Aston "Family Man" Barrett, who had gone into hiding after the shooting and arrived late. The I Threes sang backup, Rita Marley still wearing the

hospital gown A hospital gown, sometimes called a johnny gown or johnny, especially in Canada and New England, is "a long loose piece of clothing worn in a hospital by someone doing or having an operation". It can be used as clothing for bedridden patients. Ut ...

she had been discharged with hours earlier. Others included the

horn section A horn section is a group of musicians playing horns. In an orchestra or concert band, it refers to the musicians who play the "French" horn, and in a British-style brass band it is the tenor horn players. In many popular music genres, the te ...

from

Zap Pow Zap Pow is a Jamaican reggae band, founded by singer/bassist Michael Williams aka Mikey Zappow and guitarist Dwight Pinkney. Members also included singer Beres Hammond, trumpeter David Madden, saxman Glen DaCosta, and drummer Cornell Marshall. ...

and five

hand drum A hand drum is any type of drum that is typically played with the bare hand rather than a stick, mallet, hammer, or other type of beater. Types The following descriptions allude to traditional versions of the drums. Modern synthetic versions are a ...

mers from the Sons of Negus. There were "over two hundred" people on stage, many providing a

human shield A human shield is a non-combatant (or a group of non-combatants) who either volunteers or is forced to shield a legitimate military target in order to deter the enemy from attacking it. The use of human shields as a resistance measure was popula ...

for Marley. Prime Minister Manley came on stage before watching the performance from the roof of a van. The

set list A set list, or setlist, is typically a handwritten or printed document created as an ordered list of songs, jokes, stories and other elements an artist intends to present during a specific performance. A setlist can be made of nearly any materi ...

was as follows: # "

" / "No More Trouble" / "

Get Up, Stand Up "Get Up, Stand Up" is a song written by Bob Marley and Peter Tosh. It originally appeared on The Wailers' 1973 album '' Burnin. It was recorded and played live in numerous versions by Bob Marley and the Wailers, along with solo versions by P ...

" # " Crazy Baldhead" / " Positive Vibration" # "Smile Jamaica" # "Rat Race" # " Trenchtown Rock" # "Keep on Moving" # "Want More" # " Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)" # "

Jah Live "Jah Live" is a song by Bob Marley & The Wailers, released as a single in 1975. The song was recorded and released within days following the announcement of the death of Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia whom Rastafarians see as the reincarnation of ...

" # "Rastaman Chant" # " Rebel Music (3 O'Clock Roadblock)" # "So Jah Seh"

Legacy

Marley's performance has been credited with helping the PNP to win the ensuing election. After the concert Marley left Jamaica for

Nassau, Bahamas Nassau ( ) is the capital and largest city of the Bahamas. With a population of 274,400 as of 2016, or just over 70% of the entire population of the Bahamas, Nassau is commonly defined as a primate city, dwarfing all other towns in the country. ...

and later

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

where he stayed for 16 months. He returned in 1978 for the

One Love Peace Concert The One Love Concert (OLPC) was a large concert held on 22 April 1978 at The National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica. This concert was held during a political civil war in Jamaica between opposing parties Jamaican Labour Party and the People's ...

, at which he brought Manley and Seaga on stage for an "awkward" embrace.

Television Jamaica Television Jamaica is one of Jamaica's two major television stations. It is a subsidiary of the RJRGleaner Communications Group. Television Jamaica has a number of managers, the general manager being Claire Grant who was appointed the position in ...

has a morning show named Smile Jamaica, an obvious nod to the popularity of the concert series. A "Smile Jamaica Hurricane Appeal" concert was held at the

Dominion Theatre The Dominion Theatre is a West End theatre and former cinema on Tottenham Court Road, close to St Giles Circus and Centre Point, in the London Borough of Camden. Planned as primarily a musical theatre, it opened in 1929, but the following year ...

in London on 16 October 1988, to raise funds for

disaster relief Emergency management or disaster management is the managerial function charged with creating the framework within which communities reduce vulnerability to hazards and cope with disasters. Emergency management, despite its name, does not actuall ...

after

Hurricane Gilbert Hurricane Gilbert was the second most intense tropical cyclone on record in the Atlantic basin in terms of barometric pressure, only behind Hurricane Wilma in 2005. An extremely powerful tropical cyclone that formed during the 1988 Atlantic hurri ...

. It featured U2,

Eddy Grant Edmond Montague Grant (born 5 March 1948) is a Guyanese-British singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known for his genre-blending sound; his music has blended elements of pop, British rock, soul, funk, reggae, electronic music, Afr ...

Boy George George Alan O'Dowd (born 14 June 1961), known professionally as Boy George, is an English singer, songwriter, DJ, author and mixed media artist. Best known for his soulful voice and his androgynous appearance, Boy George has been the lead singe ...

, The Christians,

Aztec Camera Aztec Camera were a Scottish pop/ new wave band founded by Roddy Frame, the group's singer, songwriter, and only consistent member. Formed in 1980, Aztec Camera released a total of six studio albums: ''High Land, Hard Rain'' (1983), ''Knife'' ...

Five Star Five Star (also styled as 5 Star) are a British pop group, formed in 1983 and comprising siblings Stedman, Lorraine, Denise, Doris and Delroy Pearson. Between 1985 and 1988, Five Star had four top 20 albums and 15 top 40 singles in the UK ...

, and

Joan Armatrading Joan Anita Barbara Armatrading, (, born 9 December 1950) is a Kittitian-English singer-songwriter and guitarist. A three-time Grammy Award nominee, Armatrading has also been nominated twice for BRIT Awards as Best Female Artist. She received ...

. "Africa Unite — Smile Jamaica 2008" was a festival organised by Rita Marley and the Bob Marley Foundation, originally scheduled for

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

but moved for financing reasons to Jamaica in February 2008. Performers included

Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...

, Bunny Wailer, and members of Bob Marley's family. ''Stir It Up: The CIA Targets Jamaica, Bob Marley and the Progressive Manley Government'', an alternative historical novel by David Dusty Couples, weaves fact and fiction to dramatize the concert. The novel ''

A Brief History of Seven Killings ''A Brief History of Seven Killings'' is the third novel by Jamaican author Marlon James. It was published in 2014 by Riverhead Books. The novel spans several decades and explores the attempted assassination of Bob Marley in Jamaica in 1976 and ...

'' by Marlon James dramatizes the attempt on Marley's life, including other events leading up to the Smile Jamaica concert.BobMarley.com - Smile Jamaica Concert 1976

Sources

References

External links