Going to Bob Marley’s Country By Okey Ndibe

Posted: September 7, 2010 - 14:08

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caption: Okey Ndibe

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Okey Ndibe

It was for me a dream fulfilled when my family and I arrived in Montego Bay, Jamaica on August 17 for a weeklong vacation. Ever since my secondary school days, I had sustained an endearing long distance relationship with that Caribbean island nation.

It was Jamaica’s rich reggae roots that first drew me to that country. Jimmy Cliff’s mellifluent voice was my first introduction to reggae. I was enthralled by Cliff’s rendition of such classics as “I Can See Clearly Now,” “The Harder They Come,” “Vietnam,” “Under the Sun, Moon, And Stars,” “Reggae Nights,” and “Many Rivers To Cross.”

My interest in Jimmy Cliff inevitably led me to such other reggae stars as U-Roy (who deserves credit as a chief originator of what came to be known as rap), Peter Tosh and – the ultimate maestro – Bob Marley.

As a college student in the early 1980s, part of my political consciousness and cultural outlook was shaped by the music of Bob Marley and Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. What I learned from Marley’s art and the broad tradition of reggae – as well as from Fela’s afrobeat – was the viability of integrating historical memory and political agitation into captivating music.

The more I fell in love with Marley’s extraordinary musicianship, the more I yearned to physically touch the land whose history formed him and other purveyors of reggae. For years I fantasized about visiting Marley’s country.

My enchantment with Jamaica was far from limited to its music. As a student of great figures in black history, I had also encountered the story of Marcus Mosiah Garvey – easily the most visible, significant and dramatic figure in Jamaica’s pantheon of remarkable political personages.

Marcus Garvey is hardly given his due today, but he was once arguably the most well known black leader, at once flamboyant, enterprising, verbally inventive and an agitator par excellence. A founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association in 1914, Garvey led a controversial crusade for a Pan African collectivity that he envisaged as bringing all people of African descent together.

Garvey’s activism inspired millions of followers in the US, the Caribbean and Europe, but did not endear him to all – neither in his time nor in ours. The highly cerebral W.E.B. Du Bois was no fan of Garvey’s. He famously described Garvey as “a little, fat black man; ugly, but with intelligent eyes and a big head.” For Du Bois, the Jamaican rabble-rouser was “the most dangerous enemy of the Negro race in America and in the world.” Du Bois carped Garvey as “either a lunatic or a traitor.” Garvey, ever quick in ripostes, grumbled that his assailer was “a little Dutch, a little French, a little Negro…a mulatto. Why in fact, he is a monstrosity.”

After much consultation with some Jamaican friends, we had decided to spend most of our visit in Ocho Rios, a bustling tourist town in the northern ranges of the island. Our choice of location ended up yielding a fortuitous boon.

The driver we hired to drive us from Montego Bay to Ocho Rios was a chatty and gregarious man who, after telling us his name, asked that we call him “Oneness.”

Oneness turned out to be highly informed about Jamaica – and, as a welcome bonus, to know a few things about Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, Ethiopia and some other African countries. But I was particularly impressed by his grasp of Jamaican history and culture. He was adept at answering my questions about Jamaica’s economy (the island’s economy was in a slide before the global financial tsunami) and its musical heritage.

I inquired about the month-long bloody gun battle in Kingston between the Jamaican police and supporters of alleged drug kingpin, Christopher Dudus Coke, who was wanted for extradition to the US to face drug trafficking and other charges. After offering some background to explain the dynamics of the drug subculture in the capital city, Oneness assured us that Jamaica was safe. “It’s Kingston gives us a bad name sometimes,” he said, roaring in big laughter.

In Oneness’s company, the trip from Montego Bay to Ocho Rios became a quick excursion into Jamaica’s political and cultural history. He showed us Discovery Bay where Christopher Columbus and his band of explorers made a stop, and Runaway Bay, a town whose name immortalizes the African captives who fled from their enslavers, often taking refuge in caves.

Oneness pointed out the secondary school where Usain Bolt, the world’s fastest man, received his early education. He proudly told us about the wealthy athlete’s investments in improving the school’s facilities and appearance.

Bolt, who currently holds the Olympic and World records in the 100 and 200 meters, is a cult hero in Jamaica. His image is ubiquitous on billboards. And Jamaicans seemed to take his recent loss to the American sprinter, Tyson Gay, as a calamity. Many of them were quick to brag that their superstar would humiliate Gay at their next meet.

“Do you know about Marcus Garvey?” Oneness asked me. When I answered yes, he told me that we had arrived on Garvey’s birthday. He then made my day by promising to make a detour into Garvey’s hometown of Saint Ann’s Bay to show us some of the festivities to celebrate the Jamaican hero who was born on August 17, 1887, died in England on June 10, 1940, and was on November 15, 1964 officially proclaimed Jamaica’s “first national hero.”

Garvey’s hometown was bedecked in cheerful colors. Oneness pulled up at the local library where a crowd had gathered to play music, dance, and reminisce about their hero. Garvey’s larger than life bust, which dominates the front of the library, loomed like a concrete ancestor basking in the gushing attention of hometown admirers. For me, spending a few minutes in the midst of the celebrants was an unexpected and deeply treasured gift.

Much of our time in Jamaica was taken up with water-related activities. My wife (who once represented Nigeria as a swimmer) and our children – graceful swimmers, all – thrived in these arenas. My swimming skills are hardly better than a stone’s, but I was so charmed by Jamaica that I participated in all the aquatic events. We fished, snorkeled, climbed the famous Dunn’s River waterfalls, and rafted down the Rio Grande River.

I am an enthusiast of Jamaican cuisine, and cherished the opportunity to sample a range of it. Knolly Moses, a Trinidadian friend and journalist who once worked for Newsweek and Emerge, gave my wife and me a culinary treat. He and his wife Petrine drove up from Kingston to Ocho Rios, and took us out to a restaurant called Scotchies. The restaurant, which is hidden behind a canopy of trees, served the tastiest food I ate in Jamaica.

Above all, one felt at home in Jamaica. I imagine that most tourists travel to be bewitched by the landscape. There’s no question: Jamaica is a picturesque place, a canvas that reveals nature at the height of its beatific powers. But I went to Jamaica to meet Cliff’s, Marley’s, Tosh’s, U-Roy’s and Garvey’s people. I went to luxuriate in the island’s rich musical heritage. I wanted to be surrounded by the cadence of the people’s speech, and to sample their spicy cuisine.

The trip was the fulfillment of a long dream. And here’s my short answer for friends and acquaintances who ask if Jamaica had met my expectations: “I’ll go again. And again.”

(okeyndibe@gmail.com)

Comments

29 comment(s)

VERY VERY VERY STUPID NDIBE

Submitted by Saulawa Katsina (not verified) on September 21, 2010 - 00:18.

I swear to God that somebody once told that Okey Ndibe is suffering from mental retardation.I told no but d man is only a promoter a sentiment,hatred,tribalism and religion dichotomy among Nigerians.But with this disease call article i totally agree that the man is lunatic!.How can Ndibe just say jamaica is Bob Marley's land and afterwards made mention of so many names?.Marley was'nt ex president,neither was he founder nor Idol for Jamaicans.Besides music is not the Holy Bible and d love for music and raggaenism reveals that Ndibe is not a Christian but Rastafarian.Ndibe has really committed treasonable offence for Jamaicans.One funny thing was that no Jamaican cares to visit SR.
With this write up i come to the conclusion that SR is confused and don't have reasonable things to post.Since the demise of UMYA Sahara runs short of what to criticize.The team of fake journalists.
Ndibe should also tell us how many prostitutes he slept with while in his love nest at Montego bay resort.Be careful of HIV...NACA WARNS.

WHO CARES?

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on September 16, 2010 - 18:16.

shld i tell you how many countries 'ave been?
what kind of joke is this writting rubbish
are you a villager or what?

DESERVING HOLIDAY

Submitted by General Rommel (not verified) on September 16, 2010 - 08:16.

THE MAN IS SIMPLY TIRED OF DISCUSSING NIGERIA ALL THE TIME, ESPECIALLY WHEN NIGERIANS ARE NOT EVEN HUNGRY FOR A CHANGE. THIS IS JUST TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT EVEN IF NIGERIANS DECIDE TO BURN THEIR COUNTRY SOME OF US WILL STILL ENJOY LIFE & MOVE ON. I HOPE YOU HAD A SWELL TIME MY BROTHER. OCHO RIOS IS A NICE PLACE TO VISIT & JAMAICA IS POSITIVE TOO. IRIE!

I am not Igbo.

Submitted by osa E. (not verified) on September 16, 2010 - 05:17.

Hey pere,why do you have to bring your tribal sentiment to this forum?I enjoyed the article and i have enjoyed every trip i have taken to Jamaica. You need to open your eyes to the problem of Nigeria.Even before 1960, our leaders have always succeeded in making us believe that tribal differences is the problem. the real problem is that too few people looting the treasury while the masses are left with nothing.
So pere, the fight should be between those robbing our country blind and those who are left with nothing.If Nigeria is to move forward,every marginalised and disenfranchised Nigerian must hold hands together irrespective of their tribe and stand up to the oppressors.

Don't mind them!

Submitted by Amoniseni (not verified) on September 14, 2010 - 14:44.

@Okey Ndibe, please forgive the character assassins. That is their highest 'mouth education' degree. It maybe why why Nigeria is behind time.

Jamaica is so beautiful that my brother and his European wife went on holidays twice.

@Okey Ndibe, please forgive

Submitted by Amoniseni (not verified) on September 14, 2010 - 14:43.

@Okey Ndibe, please forgive the character assassins. That is their highest 'mouth education' degree. It maybe why why Nigeria is behind time.

Jamaica is so beautiful that my brother and his European wife went on holidays twice.

A man is just a man

Submitted by Ogogoro Master (not verified) on September 10, 2010 - 21:00.

What has Mr Ndibe done 2 deserve this diatribe of condemnation.
This man has just shared his private live with us to enjoy and muses over. Through his clear and beautiful writing he took us on his journey through jamaica and introduce us to some his historical legends such as Bob Marley, U-roy, Jimmy Cliff and of course the greatest (in my opinion) black man that ever grace the earth - Marcus Mosiah Garvey and his black-liner crusade.
Through Mr Ndibe's writing we were informed, educated and transposed to a beautiful island.
So my people what has all this got to do with Mr Ndibe's tribe and what difference does it make whether Mr Ndibe is ibo, yoruba, hausa or ijaw.
Let's try and divorce away from tribal sentiments cause underneath it makes no difference what tribe you are - a man is just a man.
Thanks you Mr Ndibe for introducing us to your family and Jamaica.

http://www.saharareporters.com/column/going-bob-marley%E2%80%99s

Submitted by dave obiora (not verified) on September 10, 2010 - 02:34.

PEOPLE WHY ARE YOU GUYS EVEN WASTING YOUR ENERGY ON THIS PERE GUY, IGNORE HIM, SILENCE IS THE BEST ANSWER TO A FOOL. IT IS BECAUSE OF HIS TYPE OF ATTITUDE THAT NIGERIA IS IN A MESS, INSTEAD OF COMING TOGETHER AS ONE TO BUILD UP ONE ANOTHER ALL HIS COMMENT IS FILLED WITH BITTERNESS. AM SORRY FOR YOU PERE BECAUSE YOUR COMMENT SHOWS THAT YOU HAVE A VERY BITTER AND DARK SOUL, AND YOU LIVE A MISERABLE LIFE. IN FACT YOU ARE A PAUPER, AM NOT SURE YOU CAN EVEN AFFORD THE BASIC THINGS OF LIFE, POOR THING.

LET ME WARN YOU- JONATHAN NEEDS EVERY SUPPORT HE CAN GET FROM ALL OF US SUPPORTING HIM BECAUSE THE NORTHERN ELITE SEE HIS POLICIES AS AGAINST THEM AND DONT EVEN THINK THEY WILL NOT PUT UP A SERIOUS FIGHT, BUT YOU ARE BUSY HERE TRYING TO STIR UP TRIBAL HATRED AND SENTIMENTS.

LOL!

Submitted by Nwa Naija (not verified) on September 9, 2010 - 23:00.

Pere Rain-beaten Creek Rat,

Are you hungry? Is that the problem? You wan chop kilishi? Write Ibori, I'm sure Dubai has mail service for inmates. Or try your cross-dressing ex-governor, he's free and chopping your patrimony creekside. Tell him you're hungry and can't think straight.

I wish you could hear the music in my ears right now...joy dey kill me o. You could use a dose of happiness on top of common sense.

Oh, and I'm STILL overjoyed to be Igbo. Are you going to kill yourself? God bless you in case you decide to end it all today ;)

@Nwa Naija , if travelling to

Submitted by Pere (not verified) on September 9, 2010 - 21:05.

@Nwa Naija , if travelling to Jamaica is equivalent to success, then I should not be responding to you. Igbos are very noisy as depicted by Okey and you. We are this, we are that yet you people are bunch of criminals, kidnappers, armed robbers, 419ners, fraudsters,name it. Of course, in those areas, you folks excelled more than any Nigerian and more successful at it.

I LOVE being Igbo

Submitted by Nwa Naija (not verified) on September 9, 2010 - 20:09.

@PERE - drowning creek rat:

It's good to know you are eating yourself alive with anger and onuma just because of our existence, success and well-being.

Can you imagine? You just hand victory to those you hate simply by always being unhappy. You might as well stop giving yourself an ulcer o - you can't take anything away from Igbos and we ain't going nowhere, son.

Why not make the best of our national diversity? I go chop kilishi and listen to Fati Nijar, all while loving my Igboness. Yes o, I love being Igbo and Nigerian all at once.

Your new prayer: Lord, help me, a rain-beaten creek rat, to accept the things I cannot change, so that my hatred doesn't kill me.

RE

Submitted by TONY ILES (not verified) on September 9, 2010 - 13:36.

NIGERIANS NEVER CEASE TO AMAZE ME. WHY CAN'T YOU JUST LET IT BE ?
THE MAN IN SHARING HIS VACATION JOY WITH US AND NOW YOU ARE SPOILING THE FUN BY CRITICIZING HIM.
ME I LIKE ENJOYMENT LIKE MR. NDIBE OHH.
DON'T KNOW YOU THAT EDUCATIONJ IS PART OF EXPOSURE ?

RELAX AND LET PEOPLE BE....

INSENSITIVE PERE

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on September 9, 2010 - 07:03.

Okey has given us a beautiful story of his family`s holiday in Jamaica and this stupid Pere is here talking about insecurity in the southeast.I am sure the Pere`s anger is why it should be Okey telling the story instead of one Deltan.He has foolishly forgotten that the kidnapping saga we have today was a product of his ijaw stock..Today,Bayelsa remains the most insecure,disorganized and politically volatile State in Nigeria with gangsters and cultists having a field day.Please tell this Pere of whatever kingdom to mind his business and try to remove the log in his eyes before looking out for others to remove..

If I talk now, the igbos will

Submitted by Pere (not verified) on September 8, 2010 - 23:17.

If I talk now, the igbos will attack me. However, for Mr Okey Ndibe, you will not be the first and the last to go to Jamaica. The country is not free of violent crimes like we have in Nigeria and in South East in particular. Moreso, I would have loved to read that you went to the space with your family for holiday not Jamaica.You have just wasted precious SR space and giving us pain to read your blab you call article.

Nigeria is burning and Ndibe

Submitted by Ramses Osiris (not verified) on September 8, 2010 - 09:45.

Nigeria is burning and Ndibe is "fiddling" and swimming in Jamaica! Not that I begrudge him his holidays, but I couldn´t care less.

Lester is right! There are more important and relevant issues than Ndibe´s swimming skills. His holidays are a totally private matter!

Okey we need more from you on the reggae music revolution

Submitted by Dennis Gong on September 8, 2010 - 01:53.

Okey Ndibe,Thank you for that wonderful experience in Jamaica during your holidays in that carribean island state.We want more of this kind of stuff from your stable .Infact when next you want to delve into your holidays in Jamaica.as a reggea entusiast which you are that likes the music of Bob Marley,Peter Tosh,Jimmy Cliff,U-Roy and I-Roy etc I am very sure that as a great writer you must have done a geat investigation and research during your holiday in jamaica on the evolution of Reggae music over the years which has methaphosized into so many genre ranging from Style to Roots Rock,Calypso Reggae,Lovers Rock,Dance Hall,Rumba Dub Raggae,Raga as well as R and B reggae/Hop pop.Please write more of this kind of stuff as we really enjoyed it.It is not every story on SR should be about the dirty politics of Nigeria.Sometimes we will like to see stories on entertainment,sports,style,life etc.

Mi bredrin

Submitted by Nwa Naija (not verified) on September 7, 2010 - 20:37.

@Lester Kester

Learn to swear properly. The word is "bomboclat" in Jamdown parlance (or, put another way bombocloth.) Apparently you are having your monthly visitor and need to change yours. There's plenty of bad news out there, Ndibe obviously took a break from it all.

Ndibe, thank you for sharing your joy. Kester is just jealous you didn't bring him any jerk chicken :)

I love the story.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on September 7, 2010 - 19:09.

I love the story. I relish the humour. I share your joy. It was a well-deserved holiday with your happy family.
Please, check the use of the word "celebrants". I think you mean "celebrators". A celebrant is a priest who celebrates Mass. A celebrator is a person who celebrates a feast.

It's splendid to once in a

Submitted by pee (not verified) on September 7, 2010 - 18:56.

It's splendid to once in a while take leave of the heat generated by events in Nigeria. Okey, no doubt you enjoyed the holidays.

sahara reporters cannot be

Submitted by paquito bites (not verified) on September 7, 2010 - 18:37.

sahara reporters cannot be just about nigerian politics and all that jazz.even in nigeria people live the best they can ,travel entertain etc so it is refreshing to read about okeys sojourn to jamaica.lets have more of this.discussing the legislooters is becoming a tad boring.

Welcome

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on September 7, 2010 - 18:20.

Oga
welcome back
you should have told us
we would have been waiting at the airport
but please educate us on Marcus Garvin
thank you
must have been a trip of a life time
and here some people are afraid to even go to Edo state for NYSC

Just a brief addition

Submitted by Ekaabor Ogiso (not verified) on September 7, 2010 - 18:15.

@Lester Kester, this is good important information, just because we come from a screwed up country does not mean we are condemned to discuss it all the time.
BTW W.E.B. Dubois greatly regretted his attitude towards Marcus Garvey and his views in his later years, In fact, he outright accepted the Back to Africa doctrine of Garvey. He died in Accra, Ghana.

Okey Could Upgrade Us On A Cocktail Of Issues ,Mr Jude.

Submitted by Lester Kester (not verified) on September 7, 2010 - 17:00.

@Jude,issues Like Halliburton,like Nigerians immigrating to the so called greener pastures,Like nigerians sufferiing Unoticed in Libya and South Africa, like the qualities we need in our next President instead of crap like zoning and shit, like Anemic power supply in Nigeria, Like all sorts of assorted corruption in Nigeria,Like Hospitals without Medicineand decaying Infracstructures....that is why our corrupt leaders come Aboard......sorry Abroad when they get a small Headache, like E.F.C.C loosing it's fire in Nigeria,Maybe write about Inyang and Arik airlines because in my yrs in Sahara Blog, this topic attracted most comments compared to other National topics. I can go on for ever Mr Jude.
Okey is an articulate and Intelligent writer and reading his article is something we cherish and greatly look forward to. He is the Master in the use of words.Rather chill in Cuba than Jamo though!Safe Trip.

Jamaica, I no go go!

Submitted by Okwuchukwu Ezeanyika, PA, USA (not verified) on September 7, 2010 - 16:59.

Okey, I understand your salivating over your holiday in Jamaica and according to you, 'you'll go again and again.' Good luck. But I have a different memory of Jamaica and it revolves around an assignment I worked for a British company in that country in 2003. A Briton went there in 2003, a tourist just like you, but he ended up dead, in the hands of armed robbers in the same Montego Bay resort. Recently, I was invited to attend a wedding of a Nigerian couple holding in the same Montego Bay, I quickly bailed out. The place is a 'no go area' for me. But I do not begrudge you one bit for enjoying the trip. After all, one man's meat is another's poison!

For the commentator here who asked whether you saw our klepto-politicians, I want to assert that they do not go to Jamaica. Their destinations used to be the Caribbean countries that offer 'CITIZENSHIP BY INVESTMENT' such as St. Lucia where Mr. Chargoury (the Lebanese-Nigerian Abacha proxy) is the Ambassador Extraordinaire, and St. Kitts and Nevis. They dump their loot in those countries and in exchange they are granted citizenship of the country. But they have no intention of going there to live and only travel to ensure that their loot is safe.

But some of our politicians are now realizing that these countries do the necessary due diligence so they now direct their gaze towards United Arab Emirates and Iran. The Caribbean countries now distance themselves from these 'politically exposed persons' because they are gradually finding out that the monies they dump in their economies are ill-gotten wealth.

Pleasant

Submitted by Jude N (not verified) on September 7, 2010 - 16:26.

Lester kester, what better things should Okey be writing about? Okey, thank you for sharing this pleasant experience.

Nigeria could learn from Jamaica

Submitted by AUCitizen (not verified) on September 7, 2010 - 15:36.

I love the way they utilise their natural resources for good. Shame Nigeria has allowed the Delta to be polluted when it could be a tourist haven. And lots of savannah parks in Northern Nigeria could be wonderful tourist attractions if properly developed.
And like Anon @ sept 7 14:18, I wish to learn a lot about Marcus Garvey in your next article. In Nigeria in secondary school, I learnt a bit about him - his pan African views, like Nkrumah. If only his views were universally accepted, we would have had a solid market like the EU and been more economically and politically advanced. I share Garvey's disdain for du Bois, who did a lot to contribute to the feelings of victim-hood amongst African Americans and West Indians. And yes, do tell us about your holidays. It's a valid topic to discuss especially as you took an educational trip away from the usual tourist traps. My best wishes to you & your family.