A SHOW marking the 40th anniversary of the Smile Jamaica peace concert will be held in 2017. Details of the event will be announced December 3 by Stephen Marley at the Marley Museum in St Andrew.

Marley’s father, reggae king Bob Marley, headlined the December 5, 1976 concert which was organised by the Jamaican government to stem fighting between gangs affiliated to the ruling People’s National Party (PNP) and Opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).

Two days before the show at National Heroes Park in Kingston, Marley, his wife Rita, manager Don Taylor and colleague Lewis Griffiths, were shot by gunmen at his home which is now the Marley Museum.

No date or venue have been set for next year’s show, but it will likely take place in February. Marley, who died in 1981, was born that month which is also celebrated in Jamaica as Reggae Month.

Marley’s career was on a high in 1976. He went on a successful three-month world tour promoting his Rastaman Vibration album which was released that year by Island Records.

He returned to Jamaica in late 1976 and found it in political turmoil. The country was under ‘house arrest’ by a State of Emergency called by prime minister Michael Manley in June.

It was widely believed that Marley, 31 at the time, supported the PNP. The JLP claimed Smile Jamaica was being used by the government to boost their chances of winning the December 20 general election.

A wounded Marley performed at the show with his Wailers band, but left soon after for The Bahamas, then England, where he recorded the epic Exodus album.

— Howard Campbell