Bob Marley Battles De Blood Clot, Mon

Bob Marley Battles De Blood Clot, Mon

Rob Patterson

Tonight's special program:

ROOTS, Rock, Reggae (KAYA-TV, 8:00-11:00 PM)—In last week's episode, reggae visionary and star Kunte Marley narrowly escaped death at the hands of assassins in his native Jamaica. Undaunted, the injured Marley performed his planned concert a week later, leaving Jamaica soon afterwards.

Marley's self-imposed exile, in England stirred countless exile rumors: Marley waspreparing for an "exodus" to Africa, Marley had cut off his dreadlocks, Marley had sold out his politics in meeting the Royal Family. A soccer injury to Marley's toes caused cancellation of an American concert tour, stirring rumors that the Rastaman would never return to the stage.

We found our hero Marley in New York, having just returned from his first visit to Jamaica in over a year. He was in the midst of planning his show for a Jamaican Peace Concert in support of the brewing Peace Movement, which will also feature Kunte Tosh and Kunte Wailer in a reunion of the original Wailers. In addition, Marley was reviewing plans for a U.S. concert tour, and had just released a new album— Kaya (which means ganja).

In an encounter with an American journalist, Marley explained how the Peace Movement is the beginning of a black unification movement which will be inspired by reggae and guided by the spirit of Jah Rastafari. In the process,

he gave his analysis of the problems facing our troubled world, and their solutions (Cast: Kunte Marley—Rastaman; Kunte "Scratch" Perry—Rasta record producer; Kunte Patterson— bewildered journalist; Kunte Comer— Rasta publicist).

"BLOOD CLOTH!"

The word rang out often from

Marley's mouth, the vowels slowly dripping from between his lips each time he wanted to make a point about our sorry world.

"IS BLOOD'CLOT MON!!"

The words implied something dangerous to the health, impeding progress.,.building. . .festering.. .cutting off the flow of life.

"BLOOD CLOTH" Just what does it mean?

"It expression of anxiety, mon," said Marley. "Blood clot is a word used by slaves, see. When white man beat out the black man culture, when him lick him with rough cloth and it cut, him say 'This is cloth! Say cloth!' And the Kunte v Kinte, he bleeds, and him say to him: 'This is blood! Say blood!'

"So blood clot come from 'dem t'ing —the English language. 'Im broke it down to ABC. 'Dem teachers say K-I-N-G-S-T-O-N, Kingston. That too fuck up. They want to teach us something more... illiterate... quickly. They see blood clot is easier."

Soon it descended into a Rasta revision of a scene from Roots, with all parts played by Marley.

" 'This is cloth. Say cloth.' "

" 'Kunte Kinte...' " v" 'Say cloth!' "

" 'Kunte Kinte...! "

"So you know, the blood come. So him say: 'This is blood, say blood.'

"So as the slavemaster say 'blood, cloth,' and it becomes a t'ing.. .a curse, so when him say 'Blood clot,' him still want to fight it off.

Close Encounters Of The

Third World Kind

■r. Helpful Hints For terviewing Rastas)

1) Bogart that joint, mon: Unlike American social smokers, the Rasta's spliff is a sacrament. That means asking him to pass it over is akin to peeling the communion wafer off some poor Christian's tongue as he kneels at the ahar. If they offer you your own spliff— take it—and consult next hint.

2) A good cigar is just a good cigar, but a spliff is something altogether different: or in other words, don't try to smoke a rasta under the table. They sprinkle more ganja on their cornflakes for breakfast than you could smoke in a month, and besides, there aren't many tables in Trenchtown. Either BYO ganja. making sure it's weak enough to maintain the illusion of keeping up, or sparingly toke on what's offered. And don't be deceived—the more a rasta smokes, the more sense he makes to another rasta. If you can't scratch it at all, you're too stoned.

3} Don't ask about religion: It'll come up anyway, and if you broach the subject, they'll naturally assume a) you're a convert, or b) you're an expert. Usually neither is true, which makes the religious talk twice as long.

4) Don't ask about music: because any Rasta worth his dreadlocks will immediately bring it back to the matter of religion. Keep them preoccupied with unexpected questions: What's your favorite color? Do you have any distinguishing birthmarks? Do you prefer Jamaican or Columbian ganja?

5) Above a//, don't act like you understand what they're saying, even if you do: Every Rasta knows that anyone who isn't a native Trenchtowner will find the patois almost unintelligible. Acting like you know what's happening tells them you're dumb, asking questions (What did you say?) at least signals that you've got the smarts to know that you're lost.

Rob Patterson

"Yeah, mon," says Marley through a mouthful of cosmic giggles, "that's where blood clot come from.

"But nobody remember the history of where blood clot come from. The government lock you up when you say blood clot—this is a bad word and you go to jail, so nobody must use it. Why? Because it take you back t'rough 'istory and show you wicked slavemaster or Spaniard who really beat you wit' the cloth, and chop you up for blood."

As you see, like many Rasta key words and phrases, blood clot has a meaning that is rather.. .well, intangible. But if the patois gets in the way of the message, Marley knows ttfat the music will help get it across.

"Reggae music...it communication, because sweetest communication God could give to man is through music. So God so sweet him don' want to tell you his message from a man up there chatting. The man put music wit' a message, mon. That means you might not like the message, but you love the music. And you might hear music 'til you love it...and hear the words.

"Me jus' say somet'ing. If they hear, it can be beneficial. If them don' hear, it's fpr them business anyhow. I am sure whatever I have to tell these people of Rastafari, it is of benefit to them,, you know? You preach, you couldn't get to so many people,* so music is the key.. .

"I don't know if the white man want to teach himself of the Rasta, see. But what we know as a Rastaman is that His Majesty [Haile Selassie] is the almighty God.

"We see the Peace in Jamaica as a means of the black man redemption, and we know that black man redemption is solution for d' eart' problem. 'Cause when black man unite, the eart' come together, see, but not until the black people accept Rastafari as our own, our own roots, which lead straight to Africa."

A little explanation. The Rasta believes that Haile Selassie, the Lion of Judah, Jah, Rastafari, is the true Lord, descended from the same lineage as Abraham, David, Jesus and Mohammed.

"He make a pledge to the children of Jacob," says Marley, now fondling the Gideon's Bible which producer Lee Perry has handed him. "Within 2,000 years I shall return and set you free. That's why the unity in Jamaica start, and the unity in Jamaica is to unite black people universally. When black people unite, the white man will unite, and Chinaman will unite, but black people must unite first.

"So the first shall be last, and the black people always were last, and so them shall become first. Not in the sense that he give back the wrath the white man put upon him, but he realize I must do the right t'ing, and everyt'ing cool.

"It's just a blood clot in the way, mon. Why must I over-explain it?"

Soon Lee Perry jumped in with his gregarious excitement to engage me in a discussion of the "truth." As Marley sat back with his spliff, Perry posed many questions: Who is God? Who is the richer man—one with truth or money? What does Revelations say about the world? Huh, mon?

But while Perry had a pisser of a time proselytizing (the Rasta way of hazing whitey), Marley remained calm.

"The time is coming nearer and nearer," said Marley of the anticipated African exodus. "So I will live in Africa, mon, 'cause Haile Selassie is our roots. Let me trace my roots, like ol' Kunte Kinte. Trace my roots straight o Africa...straight to Africa, right up to everyt'ing, and go to His Majesty. Those are my roots, and that mean I respect Africa."

Some may say he's stoned, while others might call him crazy, but Marley's parting words had too much sanity to leave me doubting.

"Remember what His Majesty said, it is better to win the peace...and to lose the war.' To win the peace, mon..."