Sifelani Tsiko, Harare Bureau
For the few days legendary reggae icon Bob Marley was in Zimbabwe for the country’s independence celebrations in 1980, he was never far from football.
He loved his cotton tracksuits which he tucked into his socks before getting fully immersed in the game of football. One of his memorable moments was the showcasing of Marley’s association with the game of football at a field outside Rufaro Stadium in Mbare, where he played with some locals including radio personalities such as John “The Boss” Matinde, Mike Mhundwa and a few others, as well as the band members.
The musical legend’s passion for the game of football has a history. There are numerous available photographs of the reggae icon playing the sport than those of some current professional footballers.
“Bob Marley’s love for the game of football was obvious even when he came here in Zimbabwe in 1980,” said John Matinde, a veteran broadcaster who interviewed and interacted with Bob Marley in 1980.
“He loved his tracksuits. I can still see him in my mind’s eye – three striped track-suits, dreads tied up somewhat but still flying all about, as he was running around that grass pitch near Rufaro Stadium and having a whale of a time dribbling us all!”
“He was actually more of himself on the pitch than you guys ever saw him on the world stage!”
Bob Marley was invited to play at Zimbabwe’s independence celebrations in April 1980. He held two concerts at Rufaro Stadium, at the first independence celebration which saw Prince Charles hoisting Zimbabwe’s flag to mark the country’s birth. And, on the next, in which he sang before 100 000 people belting out tunes that included the anthem Zimbabwe, which had inspired black guerrillas in their fight against Ian Smith’s white minority Rhodesian government.
There are many photographs depicting the musician either at play or just juggling a football for fun. By many accounts the global reggae superstar was a well-rounded footballer before he struggled with cancer that would eventually take the musician’s life in 1981 at the age of 36.
“That’s the treasured side most people never got to see or know! What they know is his stage persona, if you know what I mean, not the REAL Bob Marley! I don’t think many people can claim that I watched him light up his cigarettes,” recalls Matinde, remembering his interaction with Marley in 1980.
“You know it’s so humbling to realise that I was part of all that history then – the Rufaro Concert and his everyday people – like interaction with us all. The full impact of it all is only hitting me now. Then I was just having fun, doing my 9 to 5 job. Not glory-seeking, if you know what I mean? Hence never bothered with too many pictures and so on! I just wish ZBCtv had kept those SOS archives instead of reportedly erasing them by re-recording on the master tapes!”
Bob Marley always had his own way of doing things. When touring, Marley would use football and music to connect with ordinary people he met. He is said to have idolised the Brazilian and global football legend Pelé.
“If you want to get to know me, you will have to play football against me and the Wailers,” he once remarked in an interview. “Football is freedom.”
Marley strongly identified with football and his musical performance. Music was the fabric of his life but football stitched it together. Football was a powerful means of freeing up his mind.
“Perhaps this is an overview of my interaction with Bob Marley. It was one of those real moments when we thought, here we are meeting a larger than life character. It was extremely intimidating to know that Bob Marley, the larger than life character. I remember the 1980 concert with Bob Marley and of course my interaction with Bob Marley was one of those real moments when we thought here we are meeting a larger than life character.
“As you know it was extremely intimidating just to know that Bob Marley had landed in Harare and came to John and my friend Mike Mhundwa and that we were going to be doing XYZ and they turned up. It was something unbelievable.
“I cannot remember if he came to our studios or we went to meet up. But we did meet up, and it was more than once now. For the two or three days they were here we actually hung out. In between press and whatever briefing they were having, we were actually socialising with them and hanging out with them, chatting about this and that and the other.”
Matinde went down memory lane, detailing his encounter with Bob Marley.
“And the one big photo that actually went viral was the one I had with them at number 9 Union Avenue (now Kwame Nkrumah Avenue) when they came to our studios. It was when I was interviewing Bob Marley with Tyrone Downie, the keyboard guy and that was a formal interview.
“I think I also interviewed them on television if I can recall. He was a very, very, very genuine person. That’s what I can tell you. And all these airs and graces you expect to get from people who are at top were non-existent. That is what was so sobering and shocking to me.
“He had genuine interest in whatever subject we were chatting about and I remember chatting with him and asking him why Zimbabwe, why did you record the song Zimbabwe – of course this was informal, away from the microphone. Bob Marley was mad about soccer. When we were playing social football at a field near Rufaro Stadium, he briefly said: ‘What I felt about Zimbabwe, that song Zimbabwe is that it contained the hope for the future.’ I said ooh, that’s interesting. He was obviously so concerned and worried about us brothers here in Zimbabwe and our independence.”
Matinde went to ask the reggae legend further.
“I then asked him – is Jamaica free? What’s the issue there? And he said it was a very complicated one in Jamaica. What I can say is that we had an intense discussion and three hours later we were still discussing the issue. There was a lot of exchange of views and laughter, joking, this and that.
“There was a lot of education and analysis of what freedom meant and what challenges it had, and the hopes for the future. So, this was that. It sealed my passion for reggae, you know. It sort of crowned it, if you like, because I was already into reggae years before. I was way into reggae before Bob Marley came.”
The true power of Bob Marley’s voice shone through his songs. But football freed up his soul to churn out powerful lyrics that connected him to his legion of fans.
His historic performance in Zimbabwe opened the doors to reggae music in Africa. His signature tunes found a place in the hearts and minds of the people in Africa. Apart from football, humour too was an important part of the reggae icon.
“One more anecdote Sif! We shared a particular passion for cars with Bob Marley, a particular brand of car. That car was a BMW and during my interactions with him in 1980, I said: ‘Bob, why? You are all for easy living and simplicity but you drive a BMW like I do. At that time, I had a BMW and I said can you justify what it means to you?
“Bob Marley said: ‘Yes John, cause BMW stands for Bob Marley and the Wailers — that’s the only brand I can identify with.’ So there you are, I got it from the horses’ mouth.”
In many ways, in as much as football was appealing to Marley’s competitive streak, it also helped him to connect with the masses and show his characteristic humility.
As memories of his music, the Rastafari movement and his performance in Zimbabwe in 1980 linger, the beautiful game gave him a release from his music and a powerful time in his life to be part of something he was so passionate about: Zimbabwe’s freedom and homecoming.