' f (

� }}, \ •j DPAFT FOR PRII:l: =Y, lllH WIY

,> ' > tj pJ . £013 �Lc'j ,.

� I WAS A BOY., I REM:J'iBER WAT., WHEH YOO TALJ<E) AIDJT GDI� TO

1l1E M.JSEl.J'", YOU i·EANT TrlE cr•E AND OOLY PlACE NEAR THE OOTICt1 CF EAST

STREEt AT THE INSTI1U1E OF Jf'i'1AICA.

AND THERE YOU SA�·/ f1N ASSOR"Tm'IT Cf THINGS - FRa1 �..ORLD \�M I . GffiVM �ETS , 11-lROl..Gi HISTORIC PRINTS, TO A METAL YARDSTICK THAT

WPS SAID lD EE EXAffiY 6 FEEf LOOG. M-ID ClJT IN THE YARD WEY HAD A KIND GF ZCX1 WITH IGl..IJV'.lA LIZARDS.

ALLI GATQRS, SNAKES, �O'r£CSE, MID TIHNGS LI � m.T. SCKHJW \-�HEN YOO LOOK PACK 00 IT., YnillEPflJL flS IT WAS TO THE E.YES

OF A CHI l..D., EVERY111 I NG SrnEl SWl.. IN COOCEPT.

Aiill IT WAS t-DT JUST BECAUSE THERE \\'ERE setEWHAT LESS PEOPl£ IN

JAM<\ICA AT THE Tirv£ - IT WflS BECAUSE WE HflD A DIFFERENT CCNCEPT CF

OURSELVES; STILL VERY t·U01 CONDITIONED BY BEING BRITISH SUBJECTS;

STILL OOT YET ABLE TO THINK Cf IJIDERSTANDif'KJ OURSELVES flS A �IQUE

PEOPLE,· AND GIVING FULL CREATIVE EXPRESSIO'J IN THE WIDEST SENSE TO

aJRSELVES.

OF ())URSE PEOPLE viER£ ALL THE Tiri: D�NCING KLMH� MID SINGING

FOLK SCNGS; N!D INDIVIDUALS LIKE CLALIDE rtKAY., TC11 R.ED<:A"1 AND CLARE

. rtFARLANE � WRITING AND BEGINNING TO SAY SO''ffill�G AOOUT OURSELVES.

Af\D TiiEPE \\'ERE CHRISTI·1AS t'ORNING CONCERTS AT 'THE HARD THEATRE -BUT THINGS HAD A PAROCHIAL FEl:.l_ TO Trlffi IN �'TRAST TO 11-IE

EMPIRE DAY HOLIDAYS AND 'THE EMPPASIS UFDN WHAT THE SO-CAU.ED Pa hORLD OUTSIOC WflS OOING.

\£ 'f!ERE LI TTl£ PEOPl£ . CQ\I'fROUfD BY 011-iERS, PfSPO!'ID I NG TO OUT­

SIDE EVEJHS; WAITING FOR ORDERS, WAITING TO BE CNERTAKEN BY EVENTS,

NOT DARU!G TO INITIA1E. OUR CENTRE WflS ELSEWHEPf.

National Library of Jamaica

-2-. �{N f:;oB t�lf:) (}£ (F n£ THINGS �T OWJGED OOR aKB'T (F aJRSELVES ·WAS A

GfD/1� �Al.JZATIOO THAT WE ca.JLD MATrn TIE aJTSIOC mn, JlliD EVEN BEAT IT .

MAROJS GNNF:f lWl BEEN OUT 111ERE OOi EARLY IN TI£ CENTURY., lEf-. T lNG LOOSE HIS PCMERFUL IDEA) a: Tif: \()Rl..D - AND WE CllJlD SAY - lHAT

� Is A JtltV1.I CAN I

SPORTS ALSO PLAYED A SIGHFICJWT ROLE IN BRit\GHX: OOE TO US 111E FACT

THAT., E.VEJ'� liDJG-t WE LIVE IN A srru ISI.JV'ID., WE ARE f()T LITTLE PEOPLE

WHJSE 001� HAVE NO REAL SHlHFICANCE. OOT JUST CHil.]REN Pll\YING

GtffS A."ID PRETENDING TO Pf REAL GRCMN-UP PEOPLE. IT 1-V\S BEEN SAID BY A LOT OF PEOPL£ BliT I'Ll SAY IT AGAIN.

11\l\T � REALIZATIOO WE \:ffi., 111AT lJffiEIJE.VI� THRILL \·JHEN OUR

REI.J\Y lf.ft1 V.OO THE 4x400 AT THE HELSINKI Ollff>ICS IN �WAS A

SlU�NING REVELATION. ntE HEADLINES SAID: "Jtf!AICA PEAT THE \tml..D"., AND 11-V\T'S �'HAT IT FELT LIKE.

ntE IMA)SSIBL£ HAD H.C\PPENED.

WE PAVEN'T LOOKED PACK SINCE.

ntE \rlJRD IMPOSSIBL£ PS IT RELA1ES TO THE ffiSSIBILITY OF CXJR

PEOPlf f"EASURING-UP AT J\Ll.. LEVELS OF HLNAN ACTIVITY., HAS PR(XjRESSIVEL'(

DIMINISl-ED. MID 'fA1EN BOB mRLEY HIT THE I�TICJW.. BIG TI� IT

WPS GRATIFYING, PS I1 Lll(£ Wl.NY OTHERS � �EYl HH1 WAS A!}JAYS

. CCJ'JFIDENT THJU HE COULD 00 IT I

OOB Mn.RLEY - A TAI..fl{TED JtfLA.I u� WITH ORG I NALITY., D't'N.Pt1 I SV1 AND

FORCE, Bl{)l(£ 11-IROUGH THE BARRIERS BET\flN NATIOOS., OJLTURES, PEOPLES

AND MJSIC.

ro� PECENTLY �IE HAD MIKE r-t:C.All.l..M \� PIOOEERED Jf!MA.ICA'S ENTRY INTO M Top LEAGUE OF BOXING AS OUR FIRST .\()Rl] QW1JI(}J., .AND NCM

TREVOR IIRBICK HAS PEEN ADDED TO GIVE JPfAICA 00 VtGPJ..D OWf>IO'�.

I I .!3

··�

Ll. ..

C1

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t{tJ eot �t-�J PS OOR CXJ.-'CEPT OF cx1RSELVES Dwrm WE CM 10 RE.ALISE lliAT WE

1-V\0 TO CAPlURE AND PRESERVE M SIGUFICfir{L 11£ �IFICENT PROOUC­Tl� 1l£ ';()RI<S OF QlW..IlY� THE BfAUTY AND 11£ \tO'«R OF OOR a:x.tiTRY.

TO RECCJm CLASSIFY� Cll'4SERVE, � :·AND DISPLAY - TO � � -mE SPlENDID THINGS WHICH AROSE. NID f'GI ARISE Am lJS, IN ORDER TO

t'OTIVATE AND INSPIRE, f!ND CAPTIJRE lliE ALLEGIP:KE (F OUR YO\JlG.

�tiD SO FR<Jl TiiAT OLD r1.1Silll 00 EAST STREIT WITH ITS �

HEL.fEJS AND fvUAL YAPDSTIQ<, WE HAVE SPREAD OUf TO CAPTURE, TO FOCUS 00, AND DISPLAY� INCREPSINGLY li�FOLDING ASPECfS (F OUR CULlURE AND

WAY Cf LIFE; Cf THE TIUNGS TMT HJWE BEC� AND AAE BECCJ>UNG, OJR

HERITAC£.

IN AlL HLMI LITY1 I THINK I CAN SAY THAT NOOODY j(J{MS BETTER

� L OOfJ URGENTI DEJo"flNDING AND PERSISIDIT THE DAY-TQ-DAY EcctrniC

CHAl.1£N(B TO OOR EXISTENCE AS A NATI(J4 ARE. WHEN I SPEAK AOOJT Th'E

PRICE CF GAS OR REAL ESTATE, �BODY HAS TO PAUSE TO FIGURE OIJf WHAT

SUBJECf I ft1 TALKING ABOUT I

BUT WHEN I TALK ABOUT QW�GING A CONCEPT (F OURSELVES IT ' S A

DIFFERENT Mt\TTER I

,,

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£ j N 8 Dr3 flA--f1-£Lc A r1.JSELM Is A ro urr a= FOCLS FOR scrrnu t-Il WAT \'.£ nu t\'K I

SPECIAL NID VALUABLE ENam TO BE BROOJHT TO TI£ ATTOOI� CF THE PUBLIc, NID TO BE KEPT THERE I

···-.

TIHS BOB �V\RLEY r1JSEl.M IS A STAID'INT. Cf PRIIE A� REa:rJHTIOO

CF SCJ£THING SPECIAL lHAT HAPPENED IN THE FIElD Cf IWULAR f1JSIC; Cf �E Sff:CIAL WHJ c..tfE OUT Cf THE MIDST Cf US. PND CLIMBED TO THE Sl.M'1IT CF TIE V()Rl..D IN A SPECIAL FIELD. scmJ�E wrlJ CW£ UP WITH

SQYETHit«; UNIQUE, OliT Cf THE PULSATING RHYTWS Cf CXJR POOTS p.s WELL

PS THE CWCERNS OF THE PPST .AND PRESENT Cf THIS COONTRY, M-ID GAVE IT

- TO THE \tmi..D TO LISTEN TQ, TO DANCE TQ, ,AND TO S UK;.

I ft1 HAPPY TO SEE THE INITIATIVE T.AKEN BY RITA f'V\RLEY, THE

MARLEY FA'1ILY1 AND THEIR FRIENDS �'ID SUPPORTERS, IN CREATH-KJ TIHS ·

t1.ISElK \r.,ICH TELLS sav£THING ABOliT � ASPECT OF JPMAICAl� LIFE MID ACH I EVB'HIT, THROUGH THE PERSCtJ AND THE V()RJ<S OF THE HOO. ROBERT

NES1ER �" 0.\Jt� I BELIEVE lHAT., LI� DEVOO !ruSE, IT WILL

BEaM: A PRif'£· ATIRACTIOO FOR VISITORS TO OOR COJ�1"RY, AND lh'US ADD

tnJTHER D I� I 00 TO OUR CUL 1URAL TOUR I� PRCXJRJV1'£.

I \fi!LJ) ALSO LIKE TO � NEVIUE GARRICK, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

AND OOARD MEMBER, WHJ � AN EXCEU.fNT ARTIST IN HIS 00 RIGHT PND

CLOSE FRIEND Cf BOB, HAS ONTINUED TO SI-DIJ DEDICATICX� TO THE LIFE

AND V()RKS Cf BOB f'\l\RLEY. HE WftS A TOfi'ER OF STRENGTl-1 TO Mt\S1ER

SCULPTm ALVIN MC\RRIOTT� 'tKl WAS CCJ'f'1ISSIOOED BY THE CiNERtf:'ENf TO 00

THE OOB KA.RL£Y STATIJE I

THIS STATIJE IS LOCATED IN CELEBRITY PARK wt-IICH IS IN THE PROCESS

OF BEING LANDSCAPED· INTO A BE.AJJTIFUL SEITING.

I I ,/5

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. tiN to& tt ft1:;_t:J LET US REEUILD nE PLACES 111AT �vf. BEEN LAID WASTE, NID GIVE .

LASTif(; REC!:GJITIOO TO THE THINGS CF VALLE lHAT �VE GROO WT CF ct.IR

LIFE NID '.()RI<. I I{)PE niAT TIHS MJSELM WILL BE � EX.m'LE 111AT WILL STir1JLATE

OTHERS TO SUPPORT THE CREATIOO OF OTHER MJS� THROJG� THE NATI� DEDICATED TO OTHER ASftCTS CF OJR LIFE FOR THE BENEFIT OF OJR

PEOPLE - 'nOO IN THEIR HEMTS �CM niAT f'W'4 CA�OOT LIVE BY BREPD �E, BUT riJST BE INSPIRED JlND A.� NID ENERGIZED BY ALL THE FRUITS OF

THE SPIRIT.

FIVE YEARS AOO, OOB'S l.fiTHflY PASSING SADDENED US ALL BUT HIS

MJSIC Ar-ID SPIRIT LIVE 00, REINFORCING A LEGEND lHAT COOINUES lD

GROll S�GER .AND STRONGER EVERYDAY •

.. '