A Jamaican legislator is asking the country's parliament to name reggae legend Bob Marley a national hero, an effort that comes amid rising nationalism in English-speaking Caribbean countries that are distancing themselves from their colonial past.

The proposal by lawmaker Lisa Hanna would make the iconic singer a national hero, a title already held by seven Jamaicans including Black nationalist leader Marcus Garvey and the nation's first prime minister Alexander Bustamante.

It comes months after Barbados bestowed a similar honor on pop singer Rihanna during a November ceremony in which the island severed its ties to the British monarchy and created a republic - a process Jamaica is also considering.

"Bob Marley deserves that recognition because he lived a very short life that transformed the thinking of people around the world," Hanna told Reuters in an interview at her Kingston office.

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It is not immediately evident when parliament will vote on the measure. Hanna hopes it will be approved in time for the 60th anniversary of the country's independence on Aug 6.

Marley was born in 1945 in the rural parish of St. Ann to a white English father and a Black Jamaican mother.

When he was 12, he moved to Trench Town in Kingston, where he and musicians Bunny Wailer and Peter Tosh developed what would become a globally recognized reggae sound. Marley died in 1981 of melanoma, a form of skin cancer.

His rise to fame helped create a positive image for Jamaica, which at the time was beset by a deep political division that played out in violent street confrontations and shootouts between gangs of opposing ideologies.

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"It was the possibility that Jamaica could actually have a superstar in the middle of the poverty and the violence," said Matthew Smith, a Jamaican historian at the University College of London.

Marcia Griffiths, who sang for years with Marley, including on classic tracks such as "No Woman, No Cry," also supports Hanna`s proposal.

"Bob is a legend and an icon who has done so much for the entire world," she said in an interview.

"The power and the force of music can change the world, and that is why God gave us a man like Bob." 
&nbsp;

A Jamaican legislator is asking the country's parliament to name reggae legend Bob Marley a national hero, an effort that comes amid rising nationalism in English-speaking Caribbean countries that are distancing themselves from their colonial past.

A Jamaican legislator is asking the country's parliament to name reggae legend Bob Marley a national hero, an effort that comes amid rising nationalism in English-speaking Caribbean countries that are distancing themselves from their colonial past. The proposal by lawmaker Lisa Hanna would make the iconic singer a national hero, a title already held by seven Jamaicans including Black nationalist leader Marcus Garvey and the nation's first prime minister Alexander Bustamante. It comes months after Barbados bestowed a similar honor on pop singer Rihanna during a November ceremony in which the island severed its ties to the British monarchy and created a republic - a process Jamaica is also considering. "Bob Marley deserves that recognition because he lived a very short life that transformed the thinking of people around the world," Hanna told Reuters in an interview at her Kingston office. Also Read: Actor Damian Lewis and former Northern Ireland leader honoured by Queen Elizabeth It is not immediately evident when parliament will vote on the measure. Hanna hopes it will be approved in time for the 60th anniversary of the country's independence on Aug 6. Marley was born in 1945 in the rural parish of St. Ann to a white English father and a Black Jamaican mother. When he was 12, he moved to Trench Town in Kingston, where he and musicians Bunny Wailer and Peter Tosh developed what would become a globally recognized reggae sound. Marley died in 1981 of melanoma, a form of skin cancer. His rise to fame helped create a positive image for Jamaica, which at the time was beset by a deep political division that played out in violent street confrontations and shootouts between gangs of opposing ideologies. Also Read:Chris Pratt on his onscreen chemistry with Bryce Dallas Howard: Such an extraordinary partner "It was the possibility that Jamaica could actually have a superstar in the middle of the poverty and the violence," said Matthew Smith, a Jamaican historian at the University College of London. Marcia Griffiths, who sang for years with Marley, including on classic tracks such as "No Woman, No Cry," also supports Hanna`s proposal. "Bob is a legend and an icon who has done so much for the entire world," she said in an interview. "The power and the force of music can change the world, and that is why God gave us a man like Bob."

Make reggae legend Bob Marley a national hero, proposes Jamaican legislator

Reggae legend Bunny Wailer, who was the last surviving founding member of the legendary group The Wailers, died at the age of 73 on Tuesday. He died in Jamaica.&nbsp;

Born as Neville Livingston, Bunny Wailer had founded The Wailers in 1963 with late superstars Bob Marley and Peter Tosh when they lived in a slum in the capital of Kingston. They rose to fame with the album titled ‘Catch a Fire’.&nbsp;

They also promoted Rastafarian culture as they grew in name and fame.&nbsp;

As soon as news of Bunny Wailer’s death spread, Jamaica’s Prime Minister, Andrew Holness paid tribute to Wailer, calling him “a respected elder statesman of the Jamaican music scene,” among others.&nbsp;

“This is a great loss for Jamaica and for Reggae, undoubtedly Bunny Wailer will always be remembered for his sterling contribution to the music industry and Jamaica’s culture,” he further wrote.

Meanwhile, the other Wailers, Bob Marley died in 1981 of a brain tumor at 36 and Peter Tosh was fatally shot in Jamaica in 1987 at the age of 42.

Reggae legend Bunny Wailer, who was the last surviving founding member of the legendary group The Wailers, died at the age of 73 on Tuesday. He died in Jamaica. Born as Neville Livingston, Bunny Wailer had founded The Wailers in 1963 with late superstars Bob Marley and Peter Tosh when they lived in a slum in the capital of Kingston.

Reggae legend Bunny Wailer, who was the last surviving founding member of the legendary group The Wailers, died at the age of 73 on Tuesday. He died in Jamaica. Born as Neville Livingston, Bunny Wailer had founded The Wailers in 1963 with late superstars Bob Marley and Peter Tosh when they lived in a slum in the capital of Kingston. They rose to fame with the album titled ‘Catch a Fire’. They also promoted Rastafarian culture as they grew in name and fame. As soon as news of Bunny Wailer’s death spread, Jamaica’s Prime Minister, Andrew Holness paid tribute to Wailer, calling him “a respected elder statesman of the Jamaican music scene,” among others. “This is a great loss for Jamaica and for Reggae, undoubtedly Bunny Wailer will always be remembered for his sterling contribution to the music industry and Jamaica’s culture,” he further wrote. Meanwhile, the other Wailers, Bob Marley died in 1981 of a brain tumor at 36 and Peter Tosh was fatally shot in Jamaica in 1987 at the age of 42.

Reggae legend Bunny Wailer of The Wailers no more

Reggae music, whose chill, lilting grooves found international fame thanks to artists like Bob Marley, on Thursday won a spot on the United Nations' list of global cultural treasures.

UNESCO, the world body's cultural and scientific agency, added the genre that originated in Jamaica to its collection of 'intangible cultural heritage' deemed worthy of protection and promotion.

Reggae music's ''contribution to international discourse on issues of injustice, resistance, love and humanity underscores the dynamics of the element as being at once cerebral, socio-political, sensual and spiritual," UNESCO said.

"While in its embryonic state Reggae music was the voice of the marginalized, the music is now played and embraced by a wide cross-section of society, including various genders, ethnic and religious groups."

The musical style joined a list of cultural traditions that includes the horsemanship of the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, a Mongolian camel-coaxing ritual and Czech puppetry, and more than 300 other traditional practices spanning from boat-building and pilgrimages to cooking and dance.

Jamaica applied for reggae's inclusion on the list this year at a meeting of the UN agency on the island of Mauritius, where 40 proposals were under consideration.

Reggae was competing for inclusion alongside Bahamian strawcraft, South Korean wrestling, Irish hurling and perfume making in the southern French city of Grasse.

- Hope to the oppressed - 
Reggae emerged in the late 1960s out of Jamaica's ska and rocksteady styles, also drawing influence from American jazz and blues.

It quickly became popular in the United States as well as in Britain, where many Jamaican immigrants had moved in the post-WWII years.&nbsp;

The style is often championed as a music of the oppressed, with lyrics addressing sociopolitical issues, imprisonment and inequality.

Reggae also became associated with Rastafarianism, which deified the former Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie and promoted the sacramental use of ganja, or marijuana.

The 1968 single&nbsp;'Do the Reggay' by Toots and the Maytals was the first popular song to use the name.

Marley and his group the Wailers then soared to fame on classic hits like 'No Woman, No Cry' and 'Stir It Up.'

Peter Tosh, a core member of the Wailers, established a successful solo career with hits including 'Legalize It,' while Desmond Dekker also enjoyed international success with the song 'Israelites.'

Toots and the Maytals rose to prominence with 'Pressure Drop' and Jimmy Cliff became an international sensation with 'The Harder They Come,' also the title of a 1972 movie he starred in. &nbsp;

The reggae sound, with its heavy bass lines and drums, has influenced countless artists and inspired many genres including reggaeton, dub and dancehall.

The steady beats and smooth grooves have also proven key to hip-hop: Sister Nancy's anthem 'Bam Bam,' for example, has been heavily sampled by superstars like Kanye West, Lauryn Hill, Chris Brown and Jay-Z.

While largely symbolic, inclusion on the UNESCO cultural heritage list can serve to raise the profile of the country and the practice.&nbsp;

"Reggae is uniquely Jamaican," said Olivia Grange, the Caribbean island nation's culture minister, before the vote.

"It is a music that we have created that has penetrated all corners of the world".

Reggae music, whose chill, lilting grooves found international fame thanks to artists like Bob Marley, on Thursday won a spot on the United Nations' list of global cultural treasures.

Reggae music, whose chill, lilting grooves found international fame thanks to artists like Bob Marley, on Thursday won a spot on the United Nations' list of global cultural treasures. UNESCO, the world body's cultural and scientific agency, added the genre that originated in Jamaica to its collection of 'intangible cultural heritage' deemed worthy of protection and promotion. Reggae music's ''contribution to international discourse on issues of injustice, resistance, love and humanity underscores the dynamics of the element as being at once cerebral, socio-political, sensual and spiritual," UNESCO said. "While in its embryonic state Reggae music was the voice of the marginalized, the music is now played and embraced by a wide cross-section of society, including various genders, ethnic and religious groups." The musical style joined a list of cultural traditions that includes the horsemanship of the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, a Mongolian camel-coaxing ritual and Czech puppetry, and more than 300 other traditional practices spanning from boat-building and pilgrimages to cooking and dance. Jamaica applied for reggae's inclusion on the list this year at a meeting of the UN agency on the island of Mauritius, where 40 proposals were under consideration. Reggae was competing for inclusion alongside Bahamian strawcraft, South Korean wrestling, Irish hurling and perfume making in the southern French city of Grasse. - Hope to the oppressed - Reggae emerged in the late 1960s out of Jamaica's ska and rocksteady styles, also drawing influence from American jazz and blues. It quickly became popular in the United States as well as in Britain, where many Jamaican immigrants had moved in the post-WWII years. The style is often championed as a music of the oppressed, with lyrics addressing sociopolitical issues, imprisonment and inequality. Reggae also became associated with Rastafarianism, which deified the former Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie and promoted the sacramental use of ganja, or marijuana. The 1968 single 'Do the Reggay' by Toots and the Maytals was the first popular song to use the name. Marley and his group the Wailers then soared to fame on classic hits like 'No Woman, No Cry' and 'Stir It Up.' Peter Tosh, a core member of the Wailers, established a successful solo career with hits including 'Legalize It,' while Desmond Dekker also enjoyed international success with the song 'Israelites.' Toots and the Maytals rose to prominence with 'Pressure Drop' and Jimmy Cliff became an international sensation with 'The Harder They Come,' also the title of a 1972 movie he starred in. The reggae sound, with its heavy bass lines and drums, has influenced countless artists and inspired many genres including reggaeton, dub and dancehall. The steady beats and smooth grooves have also proven key to hip-hop: Sister Nancy's anthem 'Bam Bam,' for example, has been heavily sampled by superstars like Kanye West, Lauryn Hill, Chris Brown and Jay-Z. While largely symbolic, inclusion on the UNESCO cultural heritage list can serve to raise the profile of the country and the practice. "Reggae is uniquely Jamaican," said Olivia Grange, the Caribbean island nation's culture minister, before the vote. "It is a music that we have created that has penetrated all corners of the world".

UNESCO adds reggae music to global cultural heritage list

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