Africa is a totem pole in Bob Marley, who died 40 years ago.
However, the prophet of reggae will have played there only twice, the first time invited to Gabon by a daughter of Omar Bongo, one of his girlfriends, tells the book
Bob Marley and the daughter of the dictator
of Anne-Sophie Jahn, recently released by Grasset.
Africa, of course, always ... because on the cover of his
Survival
album
(1979), we saw 48 African flags, as if to appeal for African unity, a haunting idea developed in
Africa Unite
.
As for the famous,
Zimbabwe
, he returned to the theme of decolonization which the Jamaican singer will have been the herald during his short but legendary life.
Read also: Bob Marley died 40 years ago
Marley will play in this country on April 17, 1980 as part of the independence ceremonies of the former Southern Rhodesia (previously under British supervision).
"
When I met him for the last time, in May 1980, there was the Zimbabwe flag at 56 Hope Road (the singer's house in Kingston, Jamaica, editor's note),
" Francis Dordor recalls for AFP, journalist who became a reference on the star.
Read also: Bob Marley: unreleased recordings found 40 years later
But the first concert (two in reality, the 4 in January 6, 1980) that he gave in Africa took place in Libreville and the birthday of Omar Bongo (who will remain in power for 41 years in Gabon).
How did the name of Marley come to be associated with this symbol of "
Françafrique
"?
The link is called Pascaline Bongo, daughter of the leader, who had a love affair with Marley, a ladies' man.
From myth to romantic
“
The reality is totally romantic: if it was a novel, it looks like
'it's cliché'
. It's a myth between a young
African
“princess”
who meets the king of reggae in the United States, it's a story that crystallizes many other stories, a part of History, in a very short period of time
”, exhibits to AFP Anne-Sophie Jahn, author of
Bob Marley and the Dictator's Daughter
(Grasset).
In November 1979, Pascaline and one of her sisters entered backstage at the Marley concert through Charles Bobbit, ex-manager of James Brown, close to the Bongo family, who knew Don Taylor, manager of the reggae star.
Pascaline suggests that she come and play in Gabon for her father's birthday. "
Touching the land of our land of origin, four hundred years after being extracted from it, but without our chains, it was already an accomplishment in itself
”, confides to the author of the book“
Natty Wailer
”, one of the musicians from Marley.
Those around Marley don't know where he's going.
"
We had not done any research, we were so happy to be invited to Africa that we did not think more than that
", explains to journalist Junior Marvin, another musician.
The emperor of Ethiopia seen as a messiah
Pascaline Bongo assures us in the book that Bob Marley had his reasons: “
When we met, he taught me that my father was the only one to suggest that Haile Sélassié move to Gabon after he was dethroned. And that, for the rastas ...
”. The Ethiopian emperor was indeed considered by the Rastafari as a messiah.
"
I do not think that Marley was aware of the reality of certain African countries, which moreover was not really broadcast at the time,
decrypts Francis Dordor
. It makes you smile, but it is a hundred times less cruel as irony than Zimbabwe, where he accompanied the emergence of Robert Mugabe who will be one of the worst predators and sack his country
”.
For the record, Omar Bongo will refuse to meet Bob Marley. No wonder for Francis Dordor: "
In Africa, many authoritarian regimes were not really ready to welcome this shaggy, rebellious character, smoking ganja
". The other anecdote is that the prince of reggae will separate from his manager Don Taylor, when he finds out that the latter overcharged the concert in Libreville to pocket the difference.
Including a brief stay in Ethiopia in 1978, on a personal basis, Marley only visited three African countries. "
He would have loved to travel more on the African continent, develops Francis Dordor. But at the time there were few structures to host his concerts and his career was short, because he only took off in the mid-1970s
”. Fate will play its part in this story, Bob Marley will die on May 11, 1981 from cancer. He was only 36 years old.
