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representative of the oppressed, pride of Jamaica, troubadour in difficult times, legend. In
life and death Robert Nesta Marley, better known as Bob Marley, obtained many names
and titles. Not surprisingly, a lot has been said and written about the Jamaican singer and
his music. In the summer of 2010 I published Jamming in Japan. A history of Bob Marley and
reggae, which described the history of reggae in Japan and the role of Bob Marley therein.1
After the project was finished, I realized it was quite strange to have written about Marley's
visit to Japan as there was very little known about the concerts of Marley in my native
country the Netherlands. A search on the Internet for example yielded only a few websites
with scant information, although Marley performed no less than five times in the
Netherlands between 1975 and 1980. Therefore I decided in October 2010 that another
study was needed, this time about the visits of Bob Marley to the Netherlands.
This second document, the last of a two-part study of specific episodes in the career
of Bob Marley in respectively Japan and the Netherlands, was first published on May 11,
2011. This date was chosen on purpose, as exactly thirty years earlier, on May 11, 1981,
Marley died just before noon at the Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Miami. The title of this
work, Babylon by Bus, was also chosen on purpose: it refers to Marley's live album from
1978 as well as to the visits of Marley to the Netherlands. Marley and his band traveled
through €Babylon' (Western Europe) by bus for years to perform in many places, including
the Netherlands. But where does the name €Babylon' come from? In the words of Ilse-Marie
Dorff in an interview with Marley in 1977: €Babylon is the name that the Rasta's give the
imperialist-capitalist society and its culture, which they reject and in which they refuse to
participate€.2
Besides an attempt to chart the (early) history of reggae and Bob Marley's visits to
the Netherlands for the first time, this document is above all intended as a tribute to the
man who made reggae popular and spread the music around the world. A tribute to a man
who after his untimely death has continued to live on in the hearts of people around the
world through his songs of redemption. A man who moreover gave and gives millions of
people around the world hope and inspiration. Above all, I hope this document
contributes to keeping alive the memory of Marley and his music. Moreover, I hope this
document will provide readily available and accessible information about Marley's visits to
the Netherlands.
Before proceeding to the introduction I would like to thank a few people. Without
their help this project would have never become what it is now. In particular I thank Evert
Wilbrink, Jan Smeets, Leon Ramakers and Mike van der Linde for taking the time and effort
to answer my questions. Mike was also kind enough to show me his huge collection of
video and audio material of Bob Marley and other reggae artists. He also provided several
photos for this project. Thanks also go to Buro Pinkpop in Geleen for opening up their
archive and the Jaap Edenhal in Amsterdam for sending me newspaper clippings.
Furthermore, I thank the Volkskrant, Vrij Nederland and the Groene Amsterdammer for
opening up their archives and sending me newspaper and magazine articles. Thanks also
to the helpful people at the Bob Marley Magazine forum, especially Ritesh for sending
photos and a television program about Bob Marley's visit to Amsterdam in 1976. Thank you!
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