The late Robert Nesta “Bob” Marley remains a darling in most parts of the world. The handsome, dreadlocked Reggae musician was known for his spiritual, revolutionary and conscious music that propelled him from his humble roots in Jamaica to the world stage. “Marley”, by Director Kevin MacDonald (Last King of Scotland) delves deeper into the life of the superstar, revealing his family history, assassination scare, and eventual climb to the top.

UP was present at a special screening prior to the official launch this Friday, September 7th at Starflix Cinema. And we are keen to give you a few snippets from the screening. The film opens on ocean waves gently lapping against a shore as the voice of a tour guide in Ghana talks about the caves that thousands of slaves had to pass through before eventually going through the “Doors of No Return”.

The camera then cuts to Bob Marley on stage in the middle of a spirited performance. Since the majority of Jamaicans trace their roots to Ghana, perhaps this is a symbolic representation of how these Ghanaians, left as slaves only to spiritually find their way back home generations later through descendants such as Bob Marley.

“Most people don’t know but Marley, myself--a lot of us--slept hungry. I mean really hungry. There was a saying; ‘drink water and go to bed’”, reveals a close friend of the late Reggae icon as he comments on growing up in the small countryside village of Nine Mile. The story about Bob’s life is told in a colourful and exhaustive manner using interviews, photographs, performances across the globe, and interviews with many of the people Bob interacted with throughout his life.

From his first teacher to the daughter of Omar Bongo (who supposedly fell in love with Bob and inviting him to play in Gabon) to a singer/janitor at Studio One (Bob’s first recording studio) to the nurse who tended to him in his sickly days at a hospital in Bavaria.

He is shown to be a powerful songwriter who often turned his life experiences into moving musical poetry. A poignant moment in the film is when Bob’s cousin and half sister are made to listen to the single, “Cornerstone”. This is after it is revealed that Bob wrote the song when his Caucasian father’s family rejected him, when he reached out to them in his adulthood.

“The stone that the builder refuse/ will always be the head cornerstone.”-Cornerstone. But, he wasn’t a saint either. Bob had a total of 11 children from seven relationships event though he was technically married to his wife Rita (they had three children together). What Director Kevin MacDonald manages to do is paint an unflinching image of a cultural icon in the best and most respectful manner possible. Watch this film to get a sense of the man, his values and why it is such a tragedy at he died at only 36 years of age.

“Marley” debuts on September 7th at Starflix, Prestige Plaza on Ngong Road at 8.30 p.m. for 9:00 p.m. tickets retail at KES 400