RADiCAL BOOGiE

Marley is a small thin man against the background of a huge soundstage, but from the first moment he, his two-and-a-half foot dread locks and his dozen-or-so band members walk on stage, 15-20 thousand people focus on him. The concert is billed as a festival of unity, and at this first moment Marley and his crew seem to be successful. All eyes see a man who is both a genius and so stoned he seems about ready to fall over. He sings "Rastaman Vibration." The audience, which was seated until Marley walked on stage, is now on its feet, many are dancing, and others jumping over a fence supposed to protect Marley from the crowd.

The groups that have played before Marley were heavy on the consciousness raising: talk of our brothers in Africa, talk of unity which is beyond race, talk of the end of opression. Marley talked little, sang much. Marley holds his hand to his head when he sings; he occasionally points to the friend or the opressor he sees in his mind. He is conscious of the crowd in an indirect way, his music and not his eyes communicate with them.

The crowd that heard Marley was varied: Harvard students, black and white high school kids, and some older folk who ranged from burnt out dead-heads to people in African garb. The crowd was controlled not by Harvard, Boston and MBC police, although there were some present. It was controlled by the "People's Security". They were dressed in black pants and red shirts with a fist on the back. Some wore berets or military fatigue hats. They were like South American guerillas, but badly organized. The gates to the concert were opened later than even the organizers expected, causing a massive pileup of people who arrived early hoping to get the best of the general admission seats. "People's Security" was much better at protecting Marley.

Marley was once shot and wounded for his political activity in Jamaica. Consequently, at this concert everyone was checked by a metal detector on entering the stadium. Fifty security men surrounded Marley as they escorted him to and from his post-performance press conference. When Marley is on stage, there is unity, but when he is offstage there is fear. When he starts playing, he is bigger than life, when he stops he is again vulnerable, and those around him seem to know this. There is a customary search before many rock concerts, but at Marley's the search was more than routine.

Dick Gregory, who introduced Marley and who was present at the press conference, also seemed to sense Marley's vulnerability. The singer was slow to respond to questions, and when he did so his words were almost inaudible. He was silent for very difficult questions and the articulate Gregory spoke for him almost every time he could not answer.

Marley's face does not betray the fear that those around him feel, neither do his words. Marley is aware that his people are oppressed, his music does not lament; he is only optimistic. Marley's "positive vibration," is what causes the fear in those around him.

Marley's music gives them hope in a struggle which is long and difficult and this precious ability must be guarded carefully.