REGGAE TODAY BOB OR ELVIS?

So this will be my miscellaneous article. Going to touch on different things in the old noggin, conversations shared and so on.  My love and pride in Canadian produced reggae music as well as music in general makes me continue to stride forward in a willingness to bring this talent and joy to other folks.  Yes, I become really excitable when I feel the need to step up and to protect it but it is all love.

As a long time Reggae Defender I have had many debates with a friend of mine who is a huge fan of 60s Rock & Roll who is seriously convinced that Elvis ‘The King’ Presley has outsold The King of Reggae, Robert Nestor Marley.  We argued and jeered each other daily.  His most compelling argument points to recorded, record unit sales which says Elvis has sold more music than anyone who has ever lived, including MJ and The Beatles.  He pointed out all the tours to Graceland daily, weekly for the past number of years as another indicator of Elvis’s success and fiscal worth.

My arguments pointed to the lyrical content of Bob’s music.  The message to the disenfranchised, the poor, the weak as well as the rebel spirit within many of us.  What is the price one puts of spiritual awakening as well as mental awareness? From a fiscal standpoint, I also pointed out that Bob was not as aggressively marketed as Elvis was where the Elvis persona was a created thing.  Marley was what he was!  A Rastaman!  Took it up on himself to create his own legacy, which I am sure wasn’t his initial aim but it worked out that way. 

Bob marketed Bob.  Based on cultural differences between the reggae and rock world is the production of mixed tapes and CDs.  Since the 70s to this very day MANY Marley tunes are featured throughout MANY mixed offerings.  MANY of his tunes are sampled in MANY tracks where zero royalties are paid to Bob’s estate.  I wonder if one could possibly calculate that number.  How many millions would that amount to? 

The number of Bob Marley tributes worldwide in February as well as May far exceed any Elvis tributes in Vegas as Marley tributes happen in Africa, South America, Japan, Europe, Australia and so on.  There is a belief that Marley is more popular today than prior to his passing and his face, image, lyrics are as pertinent today as it was yesterday.

Last but not least is the choosing of the song “One Love” as the song of the millennium!  What greater honor could be bestowed upon any person / artist and what are the sales of said tune since it has been announced in this most prestigious position?  Why the necessity for a comparison?  One man is not better than the next in the eyes of the Father, but it was certainly a heated argument (debate) between my friend and myself and made me further appreciate the popularity of reggae music as well as Rastafari. 

Both artists recorded many chart breaking tunes and totally influenced their respective eras as well as generations then, as well as today.  Both were charismatic, magnetic artists with exceptional drawing power in the way of concerts and performances and the world is a better place for having both but my biased nod goes to Robert Nestor Marley.  Debate with a friend or two and let me know the outcome, counter points and results of said debates.  Many Blessings.  You can check out JuLion at:?canadianreggaeworld.com or julion@canadianreggaeworld\.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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