Bob Marley & The Wailers ADD

Smile Jamaica - 40th Anniversary Concert with Stephen Marley

09/19/2016

Big news reached us today from the Bob Marley Museum out of Kingston Jamaica:

Celebrate The 40th Anniversary Of Smile Jamaica

2016 marks the fortieth year of the iconic Smile Jamaica Concert first held on December 5, 1976 headlined by Reggae legend Bob Marley. To mark the anniversary celebrations and launch the 2017 staging of the concert, son and seven-time Grammy Award winner Stephen Marley, The Bob Marley Group and partners will stage a free to the public concert, at Bob Marley’s home at 56 Hope Road Kingston Jamaica, on Saturday December 3, 2016. The concert will feature Stephen Marley, The Marley 72nd Ambassadors and a number of other artistes.

Stephen Marley, who will also serve as musical director of Smile Jamaica, noted that the 40 year anniversary of the concert calls for a celebration.

"Smile Jamaica is all about Jamaica; the song was written for Jamaica. We want to feel that from the event… a time for rejoicing for Jamaica that transcends to the world”. Following a nine year hiatus of the concert, the Marley family has joined efforts with Grizzly’s Plantation Cove and PDP Entertainment who will both serve as co-executive producers for the grand return of the concert in 2017.

Pratik Ruparell co-founder of PDP Entertainment stated, “We are elated to be a part of the Smile Jamaica experience, we will release the details of the performance line-up shortly.”

The parish of Bob Marley’s birth and resting place, St. Ann will host the celebration of Peace and Love at the new home of entertainment – the Grizzly’s Plantation Cove.

Smile Jamaica 1976
The first Smile Jamaica concert served as collaborative effort by Bob Marley and the wailers and the then cultural section of the Prime minster’s Office. Marley delivered a passionate 90-minute set, days after being injured in an assassination attempt. The concert was held in a politically charged Jamaica at the National Heroes Circle for a crowd of over 80,000 people.


WATCH THE SMILE JAMAICA CONCERT 1976 BELOW: