Studio A Audio Recording & Production

By : Robert Reid, Record staff

Bob Marley is coming to Kitchener — sort of.

The legendary Jamaican singer/songwriter who put reggae on the international music map died on May 11, 1981.

But an exhibition celebrating the artist who introduced Jamaican music and Rastafarian spirituality to the world is coming to Themuseum.

David Marskell, Themuseum’s chief executive officer, is announcing the exhibition to coincide with the 68th anniversary of Marley’s birth on Feb. 6, 1945.

The Canadian premiere of One Love: A Bob Marley Exhibition opens Feb. 28 and continues through Sept. 2

The exhibition pays tribute to Marley’s life and legacy, and examines his Jamaican roots and Rastafarian influences, through photographs, stories and artifacts.

Organized by The Grammy Museum at L.A. Live, One Love debuted in Los Angeles before being featured at the Summer Olympics in London, England.

Themuseum will implement its “festival strategy” by working with a variety of community partners to present concerts, speakers, films and interactive children’s programming throughout the spring and summer.

“One Love touches so many cross-generational groups,” Marskell observes.

“It provides memories for those who remember the history and the music and it offers an opportunity of reaching out to younger people with Marley’s message of peace and love through art.”

One Love continues the theme of peace and love affirmed by Added Colour: A Yoko Ono Exhibition, presented last summer at the downtown Kitchener museum.

Lead singer and guitarist for The Wailers and Bob Marley and the Wailers, Marley’s music was heavily influenced by the politics, social issues and culture of his homeland.

His hits included I Shot the Sheriff, Could You Be Loved, Get Up and Stand Up and Redemption Song, in addition toOne Love.

Released three years after his death, Marley’s compilation album Legend has sold more than 25 million copies worldwide, making it the bestselling reggae album of all time.

rreid@therecord.com