Almost 40 years after his death, the world remains fascinated by Bob Marley’s assassination attempt. Marley’s attempted murder has been the subject of notable re-visits with more to come.
French author Loulou Dedola, is the latest to attempt tackling the tale, but this time in the form of a graphic novel.
A few weeks ago, popular streaming platform Netflix premiered Who Shot The Sheriff?, an in-depth investigation into the unsuccessful attempt on the life of the reggae star and his wife and colleagues.
Last year, reggae historian and archivist Roger Steffens published his latest work So Much Things To Say, recently hailed by Rolling Stone Magazine as the “best Bob Marley book ever”.
Steffens’ epigram maintains: “There are no facts in Jamaica, only versions.”
Approximately 500 books have already been published about Marley’s undying reputation, yet French author Loulou Dedola recently visited the island to conduct research on the historic One Love Peace Concert for another.
As with many music history auteurs, it is a passion for the Frenchman. who told The Gleaner that reggae music gave him his first job. “When I was a kid, I just loved reggae music. The music of Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and all those artistes,” he said. After being gifted a bass guitar by a family friend at the age of 13, he taught himself the instrument, and soon decided to write and sing his own songs. He became quite prolific, travelling around the world playing his music, which included reggae. Dedola even had the opportunity to record two albums in Africa.
In addition to music, Dedola made a career as a graphic novelist and screenwriter. He hopes to contribute that particular skill to telling the story of reggae music.
Dedola’s comic/graphic novel will be written in French, as he says that follows his pervasive rule: “Write what you know. At this moment, it’s French. I will write it in French, because I am French,” he told The Gleaner.
Based on the success it will be translated into English, with the inclusion of Patois. “It will be more [acceptable] to include Patois. Through that, there will be more flavour to the comic,” he surmised.
“Of course, it depends on the success, that the publishers will propose an English version,” he added.
Steffens’ Book Unprecedented
Described by Rolling Stone as what may be the “most lovingly Herculean feat of record-collector archaeology ever”, Steffens’ So Much Things To Say has attracted a lot of positive attention.
An excerpt from the book reads: “It was, in my opinion, the most unprecedented and incredible moment in twentieth-century popular music history: Bob standing there with the bullet in his arm singing a cappella in front of eighty thousand people, just days before a pivotal national election, beside his wife who has a bullet lodged in her skull. What can you possibly compare that to?”
From this myriad of perspectives, it can easily be concluded that Marley’s life story may really be the most compelling in pop history.
You must log in to post a comment.