Marcus Garvey

In 1975, Burning Spear severed their relationship with producer Coxsone Dodd and linked up with Jack Ruby. Ruby owned the Ochos Rios sound system, and Spear's first cut, "Marcus Garvey," was intended exclusively for system play. Winston Rodney was born in St. Ann's Bay, also home to Garvey himself. Founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Society, a pioneering organization in its day, Garvey advocated a program of black self-improvement and repatriation to Africa. An eloquent speaker, his fiery speeches were equalled by his actions, especially in regards in setting up numerous black-run businesses. Although his reputation has faded amongst Afro-Americans, he remains revered in Jamaica, and over time, his words have taken on the aura of prophesy. It is the prophetic Garvey that Spear pays homage to, quoting this great philosopher and leader in a sublime convergence of sufferer's song and call to betterment. In one swoop, the group combines reverence, a melancholy aura, and a militant message, backed by a sublime arrangement that itself punctuates the hope and despair of the song. The public's reaction to "Marcus Garvey" was so overwhelming that Ruby quickly released the song as a single. The song would also title Spear's new album, which appeared later that year.