This month marks the 40th anniversary of the One Love Peace Concert. The Jamaica Observer presents a series of stories leading up to its April 22 staging.

Bunny Wailer, sole survivor of the three most famous members of The Wailers, says he consistently warned Bob Marley to avoid any political involvement. He adds that Marley’s wife Rita and Rasta leader Mortimo Planno influenced the reggae king’s links to the People’s National Party (PNP).

Wailer, who turned 71 on April 10, told the Jamaica Observer that he refused to participate in the Smile Jamaica Concert in 1976 and the One Love Peace Concert, two years later, because he (Wailer) believed politicians were exploiting people in Jamaica’s marginalised communities.

“The Wailers are first and foremost Rastafari. One love, peace and love are Rastafari philosophies that are founding principles. As we pursued our solo careers, we continued to perform together at the Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder concerts,” he said. “I did not perform at this (One Love) concert because of the political overtones that was building, as the Michael Manley era since 1972 became closely aligned with the Rastafari and roots reggae.”

Wailer spoke to the Observer just days before the 40th anniversary of the historic One Love Peace Concert which took place on April 22, 1978 at the National Stadium in Kingston.

Marley was headliner for the show, initiated by warring political factions aligned to the governing PNP and Opposition Jamaica Labour Party. Peter Tosh, the other key man in The Wailers troika, also performed.

“Wailers had fans and allegiances with all the rude ‘bwoys’. It was more Rita and Planno that were aligned with the PNP and got Bob mixed-up, which led to the Smile Jamaica Concert being taken over by Manley, leading up to the shooting in 1976, as it was perceived Bob was taking sides. The One Love Peace Concert was the culmination of a series of back and forth as Bob tried to present a non-alignment as Rastafari, as the political rivalries tried to determine the influence of Rastafari in their agendas,” Wailer explained.

The ‘shooting’ was an attempt on Marley’s life on December 3, 1976, two days before the Smile Jamaica show. Marley, Rita, his manager Don Taylor, and friend Lewis Griffiths were shot in the incident that has never been resolved.

With violence between PNP and JLP supporters continuing, a second peace concert was scheduled in 1978 with Marley returning to Jamaica for the first time since Smile Jamaica, to headline.

Wailer (born Neville Livingston) learned early to stay away from politics because of his father, Thadeus “Taddy Shut” Livingston, who like Planno was a pivotal figure in west Kingston.

“I am the Wailer that was born in west Kingston before it became political garrisons, and my father, as a man of major influence, was asked to join politics and refused. His refusal was that it was asking him to become partial in relation to matters that were not normal to his knowledge of the community,” he said. “With my upbringing and my Rastafari faith, I had a very principled and cautious approach to political involvement and was always warning Bob about this, as the wave of divisions came over West Kingston.”

Wailer will mark the 40th anniversary on Sunday with the launch of his multi-faceted One Love One Step Walk at Bournemouth Beach Park in east Kingston.

He said it will partially be a tribute to Marley, who died from cancer in 1981, and Tosh who was murdered in 1987.

“It incorporates the hopes and aspirations of the One Love Peace Concert in creating a non-aligned grassroots voice and action of the people that I know was the aspiration of Bob, Peter and myself,” he noted.