It seemed only appropriate that the organisers of this year’s Grounation should dedicate the final week of its annual Reggae Month symposia to the African continent, since the man at the centre of the discussions had done an entire album on it.

‘Africa Unite! Marley’s Vision For A United Africa’ — the week’s central theme — saw a near full room at the Institute of Jamaica Lecture Theatre, much to the delight of organiser, Jamaica Music Museum (JaMM) Director/Curator Herbie Miller.

Setting the tone for the discussions on ‘Bob Marley at 80: His Life, Music and Legacy’, moderator Professor Rosalea Hamilton noted that too often events of this kind ended with much talk but little follow-up or action. She challenged attendees to reflect on an area in which they would further the message, unite Africa, and take Marley’s vision to the next generation.

Conceptualiser of the Centre For Global Africa in Ethiopia, Professor Ezrah Aharone, in a video, shared his country’s progress with Marcus Garvey’s pan-Africanism and their proud history as “one of the African nations that was never colonised”. He went on to express optimism for African Diaspora engagement in the face of the reparation movement and other initiatives underway.

Music producer Dennis Wright, who worked with Marley as a young man, said his music amplified Garvey’s teachings, as his message resonated with the people.

According to Wright, in the late 70s, Marley had made it clear he wanted to do the Survival album, but his team had planned to pitch the reggae singer as a pop artiste.

“Survival [came at] a time when apartheid was the most brutal situation throughout Africa. Bob was affected by this situation and he wanted to make his voice heard… He and Chris Blackwell had a lot of fight about Survival, but Survival was the message he wanted to get out there,” Wright said.

Meanwhile, Professor Ian Boxill said the message in Marley’s Survival album not only fuelled admiration for Marley but also the island, which continues to this day in Ghana where “many aspects of Jamaica” are seen.

Equal reverence is held for Marley in Sierra Leone, the country “literally shutting down” in observance of his birthday, Professor Hamilton noted

The founder and chair of Caribbean Philanthropic Alliance, Hamilton reported that the Sierra Leone Government is currently taking steps to make Bob Marley Day official in that country.

Acknowledging the long-standing friendship between the countries, Professor Ishenkumba Kahwa, honorary consul for Tanzania, also highlighted Marley’s powerful message as a unifying force in Africa’s move to become one in the 60s.

Echoing those sentiments, chair of the UK Caribbean Advisory on Cooperatives Dr Gregory Roberts credited Marley with being a galvanising force in the UK, even among young children.

Hamilton listed the African Union (AU); African Continental Free Trade Area; Africa Caribbean Summit which celebrates African Caribbean Day on September 7; and Permanent Forum On People of African Descent as just a few of the institutional developments geared toward integration and which the Caribbean should keep an eye on. These, she said, would propel the journey and give meaning to ‘Africa Unite’.

She also highlighted the 2063 AU agenda, with the diaspora as the sixth region, which sets out to forge a single African currency and passport, allow for free movement among the nations, and, effectively, bring nearly three billion people together.