Bob Marley to be exhumed

Stravo · Post by **Stravo** » 2005-01-12 11:12am

Marley to be exhumed, buried in Ethiopia
Wednesday, January 12, 2005 Posted: 10:51 AM EST (1551 GMT)

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) -- The wife of reggae star Bob Marley said Wednesday that she plans to exhume his remains in Jamaica and rebury them in his "spiritual resting place," Ethiopia.

The reburial is set for an unspecified date after monthlong celebrations of the 60th anniversary of Marley's birth to be held next month in Ethiopia. Both the Ethiopian church and government officials have expressed support for the project, Rita Marley told The Associated Press.

"We are working on bringing his remains to Ethiopia," said Rita, a former backing singer for Marley's band, The Wailers. "It is part of Bob's own mission."

Marley was born in St. Ann, Jamaica, in 1945. He died of cancer in 1981.

Rita Marley said her husband would be reburied in Shashemene, 250 kilometers (155 miles) south of Addis Ababa where several hundred Rastafarians have lived since they were given land by Ethiopia's last emperor, Haile Selassie.

Hundreds of thousands of Jamaicans embraced Haile as their living god and head of the Rastafarian religious movement.

Marley was a devout Rastafarian, a faith whose followers preach a oneness with nature, grow their hair into long matted strands called dreadlocks and smoke marijuana as a sacrament.

"Bob's whole life is about Africa, it is not about Jamaica," said Rita, a Cuban-born singer who married Marley in 1966.

"How can you give up a continent for an island? He has a right for his remains to be where he would love them to be. This was his mission. Ethiopia is his spiritual resting place," she said. "With the 60th anniversary this year, the impact is there and the time is right."

Together with the African Union and the U.N. children's agency, Rita Marley has organized celebrations in Ethiopia, including a concert on Marley's birthday, February 6, to be held in Addis Ababa.

The monthlong celebration, dubbed "Africa Unite" after one of Marley's songs, aims to raise funds to help poor families in Ethiopia.

The Marley Family, Senegal's Baaba Maal and Youssou N'Dour, Angelique Kidjo of Benin and other African and reggae artists will perform as part of the US$1 million (euro760,000) program.

The event is expected to be broadcast in Africa and beyond.

I won't say I'm a huge fan but whenever his music comes on I definately jam to it. My issue with this isn't his celebrity its the fact that his wife feels that its OK to exhume the guy and lug him halfway round the world and make a media circus out of it at the same time. Jesus, let me rest in peace when I go wherever it may be.

Stofsk · Post by **Stofsk** » 2005-01-12 11:26am

This is why I am going to be cremated when I die. Have my body exhumed and carted elsewhere? Hah! Then again, I won't exactly be in a position to complain all that much.

Though it's distasteful, in the sense "Let the dead rest", she was his wife, and out of anyone she ought to have a say where he is buried. If she wants him to be buried in a 'spiritual' resting place, what's the harm? Part of what makes a civilisation dignified is it's respect for the dead. Does this count as respect, or disrespect?

SyntaxVorlon · Post by **SyntaxVorlon** » 2005-01-12 02:34pm

If you guys want to split topics, go a head, but this one is more specific to Bob.

I feel bad for him, personally, his family has used his name as credit for their little stunts and to make money. EGADS, my mother's probably going absolutely nuts over this.

Chmee · Post by **Chmee** » 2005-01-12 02:46pm

SyntaxVorlon wrote:If you guys want to split topics, go a head, but this one is more specific to Bob.

I feel bad for him, personally, his family has used his name as credit for their little stunts and to make money. EGADS, my mother's probably going absolutely nuts over this.

In our defense, Marley fans are fairly used to conversations wandering all over the place ......

But yeah, I feel bad for the family. We've had an ugly long-running battle here with the Hendrix family over Jimi's legacy.

salm · Post by **salm** » 2005-01-12 04:32pm

if his reburial manages to raise funds for living people in need of these funds, do it. if it´s only to fill the pockets of some old, rich singers, don´t.
since the money goes to this 1 million dollar fund thingy i guess it´s the former.

Stravo · Post by **Stravo** » 2005-01-12 06:48pm

Wild cremation/burial practice debate tangent split off here

Frank Hipper · Post by **Frank Hipper** » 2005-01-12 11:00pm

Haile Selassie?

God Emperor of the Rastafarians?

Jesus, where's Einy when I need him most?

salm · Post by **salm** » 2005-01-13 07:54am

Frank Hipper wrote:Haile Selassie?

God Emperor of the Rastafarians?

Jesus, where's Einy when I need him most?

einy is haile selassie?

Frank Hipper · Post by **Frank Hipper** » 2005-01-13 08:18am

salm wrote:
Frank Hipper wrote:Haile Selassie?

God Emperor of the Rastafarians?

Jesus, where's Einy when I need him most?

einy is haile selassie?

*slaps salm*
What are Rastafarians known for smoking?

What is Einy known for smoking?

What would it take to entertain the notion that Haile Selassie was a god?

Get it?

salm · Post by **salm** » 2005-01-13 08:49am

Frank Hipper wrote:
salm wrote:
Frank Hipper wrote:Haile Selassie?

God Emperor of the Rastafarians?

Jesus, where's Einy when I need him most?

einy is haile selassie?
*slaps salm*
What are Rastafarians known for smoking?

What is Einy known for smoking?

What would it take to entertain the notion that Haile Selassie was a god?

Get it?

mmmmh.... crack.

Mayabird · Post by **Mayabird** » 2005-01-14 12:24am

Now his wife denies those plans.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4172495.stm

darthdavid · Post by **darthdavid** » 2005-01-14 12:48am

salm wrote:
Frank Hipper wrote:
salm wrote: einy is haile selassie?
*slaps salm*
What are Rastafarians known for smoking?

What is Einy known for smoking?

What would it take to entertain the notion that Haile Selassie was a god?

Get it?
mmmmh.... crack.