Ethiopians celebrate Bob Marley's birthday

Thousands of Ethiopians and Rastafarians were jamming on a hot Sunday in Addis Ababa’s main square as Ethiopia threw a birthday bash for the late reggae star Bob Marley, in what is billed as the country’s largest concert.

It is part of month-long celebrations of the 60th anniversary of Marley’s birth. He died in 1981. This is first time the event was held outside the singer’s native Jamaica and is organised by the Bob Marley Foundation, the UN children’s agency, the African Union and others.

A priest from the Ethiopian Orthodox Church blessed the event and then first on stage was Burundi’s Royal Drummers.

Many of those in Meskel Square for Sunday’s concert wore T-shirts emblazoned with portraits of Bob Marley. Others wore hand-bands, jewellery and T-shirts decorated with the Ethiopian national flag and Rastafarian colours of green, yellow and red.

Organisers said they expected as many as 300,000 people to attend the free event, which is dubbed “Africa Unite” after one of Marley’s many famous songs. There are, however, 2,000 seats for paying guests.

“I think it is incredible that so many years after brother Bob’s death, he still inspires such an amazing show,” said Yohannes, a Rastafarian, who only goes by a single name. Originally from Crystal Palace, south London, he now lives in Addis Ababa and married to an Ethiopian.

The audience had swelled to about 20,000 people early Sunday when the first set was played.

Thousands of policemen patrolled the venue.

Marley’s five sons, widow and former backup singers were expected to perform along with Benin music star Angelique Kidjo, Senegal’s Youssou N’dour and Baaba Maal. Well-known Ethiopians artists were also set to perform.

Ethiopia’s evangelical churches on Saturday objected to the celebrations, saying that Rastafarians are wrong to consider Ethiopia’s last emperor as a living god and they would expose Ethiopian youth to marijuana.

The Ethiopian Orthodox Church, the country’s main church, has, however, supported the celebrations.

Meskel Square, which has been undergoing a facelift over the past month with new paving and streetlights, was fluttering with Ethiopian, Jamaican and other countries’ flags.

Around the main square, bars, hotels and nightclubs were awash with the red, gold and green colours of Ethiopia and Rastafarianism.

“This is a big day for Bob,” said Bisrat Teddesse, an Ethiopian businessman out for a morning walk with his wife. ”I like the Jamaicans,” he said, using a common Ethiopian term for the country’s small Rastafarian community. “And I love Bob. He is Ethiopia’s elder son.”

Sister Betty, a Rastafarian who works for the International Organization for Migration in Addis Ababa, said that she was proud the concert was happening in the city.

“I just can’t explain how much I love Bob, for everything, for whatever he is. I have much respect for his philosophy and message as a Rasta,” said Betty.

“His songs are all about ’Africa Unite’ … if there is no unity there will not be peace in Africa. Bob is a messenger, a spiritual messenger to many people.”

The concert was broadcast live on Ethiopian television.