A tribute to Bob Marley

By Kelly Bacon
Western Herald

He was a global music-making sensation who stood for peace and offered the world a message of tolerance. He once said “My music will go on forever,” and now, almost 30 years after his death, Bob Marley’s influence has persisted on that journey of “forever.”

A tribute to Bob Marley sweeps the Kalamazoo area at a time near the birth date of this legendary reggae star. Set to rock the State Theatre on Saturday is “Bob Marley Birthday Bash 2009.”

(Photos courtesy of Ambassador David Productions LLC) Bands Gizzae (left) and Zion Lion (right) will perform hit songs from the legendary musician Bob Marley on Saturday at 8 p.m. at the State Theatre.

Headliner bands Gizzae and Zion Lion will perform live from 8 p.m. to midnight, playing Bob Marley favorites like “Mellow Mood,” “No Woman No Cry,” “Jamming,” “Lively Up Yourself,” “Caution,” and “Three Little Birds.”

“It’ll be a big dance party,” said Zion Lion vocalist Sista Myra Atkinson. Zion Lion is an established Kalamazoo reggae band that was inspired by Bob Marley so much that the band name itself screams echoes of Marley; his song “Iron, Lion, Zion” claimed the attention of listeners in the 1970s.

“Zion Lion are very high energy,” said David Bauman, owner of Ambassador. “They have a great stage presence.”

It has to be true: keyboard player “Junior” Preston Kizer usually break dances on stage. “And there’ll be a very large dance floor at State Theatre,” Bauman said. The avid reggae music and Bob Marley fans in the audience will be able to dance non-stop to soul-moving tunes.

“Usually 1,000 people come out to the show,” Bauman said. “It’s a celebration of Bob’s life.”

Aside from his timeless, message-centered music, the reggae icon earned the Peace Medal of the Third World in 1978.

Gizzae was nominated for  Best Reggae Album of 2008 by Chicago Music Awards, and will be showcasing their reggae soca music at the Bash. “They have very danceable music,” said Bauman.

“People have said, ‘you know, I didn’t like reggae but now I’m converted,’” said Sista Myra Atkinson. The bands will play songs that varying age groups can enjoy.

“I would go to it for sure,” said  Western Michigan University freshman Alex Freeman. “It’s a good way t honor a great musician,” said WMU senior Nick Leonowicz.

The Kalamazoo State Theatre is located at 4065 Burdick Street in Kalamazoo. Tickets to the event run at $16, $20, and $35 for VIP tickets. The tribute to Bob Marley will include a half hour intermission and will conclude with an after party at Papa Pete’s that goes until 2 a.m.

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Posted by HeraldAdmin on Jan 29 2009. Filed under Weekend Scene. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

Cody Kimball
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