ROSE HALL, St James — The 79th birthday celebrations for reggae music icon Bob Marley kicked off in style with an entertaining reggae concert, dubbed People Get Ready One Love 79, at the Main Street, Rose Hall, St James, Wednesday evening.

The live concert featured performances by seasoned reggae acts Nadine Sutherland, Richie Spice, and Queen Ifrica, as well as emerging act Black Am I.

Following his scintillating performance, Richie Spice, who brought the curtains down on the event, told the
Jamaica Observer that he was honoured to perform at the concert staged in honour of the reggae legend who paved the way for himself and others.

“It means a lot to me because Bob set the pace so I and I, as the younger generation, could keep on keeping on and have something that we could look up to likewise,” the
Earth a Run Red singer told the
Observer.

“[I]t was a good vibration; it was a pleasure to have been here, it was a joy. I give thanks for the whole vibration keeping the music up and running,” he added.

Like Richie Spice, the other three performers all lauded Marley for his pioneering work.

The audience could not have enough of the
Black Like Tar singer, who delivered a rendition of Marley’s
Burning and Looting, as well as a host of hits from his extensive catalogue, which includes serenading the ladies with
Grooving My Girl, Brown Skin, Ghetto Girl, among others.

During his roughly one-hour performance, in which he earned two encores, he also reeled off
Johnny You Too Bad, Gideon Boots, Plane Land, and Marijuana Pon the Corner.

Veteran crooner Nadine Sutherland reported in fine form and was also well received during her energetic stint in which she paid tribute with Marley’s
Turn Your Lights Down Low and
Simmer Down, along with selections from her archives such as
Anything For You and
Baby Face, much to the delight of the audience.

The seasoned singer also delivered her versions of the original Toots and the Maytals’
Bam Bam; Sister Nancy’s
Bam Bam, and Chakka Demus and Plyers’
Murder She Wrote.

Queen Ifrica also connected with the audience with songs such as
Lioness on the Rise, Times Like These, and
Proud of Me.

Emerging act Black Am I demonstrated he will be a force to be reckoned with in the reggae industry with a professional set during which he delivered
Me Alone, Edge, Herbs Haffi Burn, and
Mr Hurry Come Up.

Marley was a pioneer reggae singer, songwriter, and musician who died in 1981, aged 36 from a melanoma.