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Africa unite: A vision realisedBy Donisha PrendergastSunday, May 01, 2005 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - As soon as I stepped off the almost 18-hour flight from Jamaica to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (via England), I almost kissed the ground in joy. I was so exhausted but anxious and excited to be in this majestic part of the Motherland Africa I had always heard about as a child. Donisha PrendergastMy first conversation with an Ethiopian came as I was going through customs. A lady came over to me and began speaking to me in her native tongue, Amharic. I then told her I didn't speak her language. She apologised in English, saying that she was asking me which part of Ethiopia I was from because I looked so much like them. Right away I knew I had a deeper connection than I had originally thought and I definitely would be able to get a truer experience of Ethiopia because I would fit right in with the locals. We got to the hotel and finally got settled at about 4:30 in the morning, but I just couldn't sleep. All I could think was, I'm actually in Ethiopia to see this brilliant vision from my grandmother come to fruition. WOW!! To be half the woman she is, is all I could have hoped to have been in that moment when I realised that if there was no Rita Marley, today, 24 years after the death of The 'Honour Rebel' Robert 'Nesta' Marley OM, these celebrations might never have happened. Her tribute to this man, her husband gone too soon, was to invite family and strangers alike to a big Earthday Bash with a meaning, 'Africa Unite'. Lions in the Den The Royal Palace of His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie is off limits to all, but for this once-in-a-lifetime occasion, the doors of the palace were opened to us, the Marley family. Words cannot express the emotions in the air. We were viewing the home, The Royal Palace of HIM, the man people all over the world who lived Rasta revered so much. Unbelievable! We could feel a different presence in the air as we saw where he thought, where he ate, where he kept his gold, where he rested his head. WOW! We saw his throne, the animal skins and gifts that had been given to him by other great leaders of the world. We learnt His Story as a man, about his family and what he did for fun. We enjoyed the full experience of being guests in this magnificent place. We were entertained by the prime minister's wife and daughter who served us traditional coffee, and tea and biscuits. The children had soda. Outside we saw the descendants of the lions that had protected His Majesty in his time. The baboons that entertained him, the birds that sang him sweet songs and just open land to roam for as far as the eyes could see. What was even more beautiful to witness, however, was the sight of all seven of the Marley boys, all seven Marley Lions standing huddled together looking at the lions in the cage all huddled together looking back at them. My grandmother shone so brightly and beautifully that evening as she revelled in our joy. A true matriarch and queen in her own right, she fit right into the palace, because to her, she was home. Three Little Birds It was such a beautiful thing to see four generations of Marleys in the same place at the same time. It was even more beautiful that we all met in the Motherland. We all arrived at Meskel Square where the concert was being held in anticipation of the powers and wonders of the night. Before my grandmother did her set, she welcomed on-stage my great-grandmother, Mother Booker, who recited a poem she had written for grandpa, which had us all in a very reflective mood. Then my grandmother produced a box containing 60 doves to be released. And as with each year with the releasing of the doves in grandpa's memory, as soon as the birds were released they flew right back. But this time, three little birds landed right in front of Mother Booker and rested for a while. The man might not have been there in the physical, but his spirit was speaking loud and clear. A beautiful start to this historic gathering. The I-Three performed, with the exception of Sister Judy who was caught in England and didn't make the flight in time for the show. Grandma and Sister Marcia were accompanied by longtime melody maker Erica Newell. Their performance was breathtaking, as was expected, and well appreciated. Then it was on to the fire of the Marley boys, with backing from the Melody Makers (Sharon Marley - mommy, Cedella Marley - auntie, and Erica Newell.) I was particularly excited to see Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers perform together for the first time in over seven years in Ethiopia! And when that time came, I was ecstatic! When Serita (my grandma's youngest child, my aunt) and I were children, we were the official 'sidestage, backstage, background dancers' for Ziggy Marley & the Melody Makers. Tears came to my eyes to see my younger cousins dancing just the way we did years ago. Serita ran across from the other side of the stage to be beside me and we danced together, laughing and singing for old times' sake. My uncle Ziggy saw us at the side of the stage and then looked over and saw my younger cousins and just laughed! I guess he was remembering those days too. Africa Unite The climax of the night came with the last song performed, Africa Unite. Uncle Ziggy called on the children and then Mother Booker and my grandma who in turn pulled Serita and me on-stage, until finally everybody who was on the sides of the stage and nearby all found a place on-stage and a hand to hold. When I looked out from where I stood rocking and singing, all I could see was people huddled together, crowded but happy to be there. The BBC estimated about 300,000. Well, I'm sure I saw close to 700,000 people. Imagine 700,000 mouths singing the words of Africa Unite resonating all across the world. Who said world peace was impossible? Everybody was together and it felt like my grandfather's message of one love and unity had finally broken down the walls, because standing before me were thousands of people from all parts of Africa and the rest of the world in unity. Everything was 'ishi' as the Ethiopians say, which means everything's okay. 'Everything Alright Man. Everything Irie!!'. Africa had United!! The Message in the Music My last night in Ethiopia was a bitter-sweet one for many reasons. I was sad to be leaving this beautiful place that now held such wonderful memories, but I was glad to be coming back home with an experience to share with all who wanted to hear. On our last night in Ethiopia we went into the streets of Addis Ababa with the people while getting a few souvenirs. When the lady accompanying us told me how overpopulated this small city was, I was blown away. I thought surely, the number of murders, thefts and crime generally must be amazingly high! Addis Ababa is home to over seven million people, the majority of whom live in mud huts with zinc roofing and have to scrape to make a living. Most of the children roam the streets during the day when they should be at school. Poverty and war are two words Ethiopians are too familiar with, but THEY ARE HAPPY!! Murders, she told me, are usually a result of domestic quarrels between man and woman, or tribal wars on the outskirts of the city. As for theft, occasionally a man might snatch a cell phone, or a purse, but gunplay or the use of other weapons is unheard of. I was so embarrassed to tell her about the crime rate in Jamaica and how many people are killed weekly. So how is it that we Jamaicans have nothing to fight about, but so many die daily over trivialities? Jamaica, is JAH MEK YA so. Mek we stop fighting and unite!! We are some of the most blessed people in the world! People all over the world look to us for a getaway. We are paradise! The world identifies Jamaica with Bob Marley who lived for irie vibes, unity and one love. So when the news comes that Jamaica is the murder capital of the world, it seems that this man, whom we call ours, lived in vain. Let us try and give truth to these words and show the youths, just like my grandmother showed the world on February 6, 2005 at the celebrations, that the vision of unity can be realised! "Reggae is a music that has plenty of fight, but is the music should fight, not the people!" - Bob Marley Donisha Prendergast is a granddaughter of Reggae superstar Bob Marley Go to SOURCE of article |