By Arwa Haider
BBC
Bob Marley's album Exodus was released 45 years ago. As a new exhibition about the reggae star opens in London, Arwa Haider explores how his music reverberated around the world.
The spirit of Exodus is multi-layered; its title track evokes the Old Testament tale of Moses leading his people to safety, and its parallels with Marley's Rastafarian faith. It also reflects Marley's own flight to London, amid the brutal turbulence of Jamaica's elections, and in the wake of a December 1976 assassination attempt that wounded him and his wife, vocalist Rita Marley. He would spend more than a year in the UK capital, during which Exodus (and its relatively breezy 1978 follow-up Kaya) were created.
Exodus was named the 20th Century's most important album by Time magazine, which hailed it as "a political and cultural nexus, drawing inspiration from the Third World and then giving voice to it the world over". In the 21st Century, the term "Third World" should be relegated to history, but this album's power certainly endures. Exodus songs infuse the One Love Experience, including the uplifting anthem that lends this exhibition its name.
Exodus has been reissued at various stages, including a 40th-anniversary version mixed by Cedella's brother (and sometime bandmate) Ziggy Marley. It remains a captivating listen; on vinyl, the album's distinct halves are particularly pronounced: the political and spiritual forces of side A (from the mesmerising groove of opener Natural Mystic to the rousing title track with its "movement of Jah people!" refrain); the romance and optimism of side B (comprising several smash hits, such as Jamming; Waiting In Vain – a rumoured dedication to Marley's girlfriend, Cindy Breakspeare; Three Little Birds and the ubiquitous One Love/People Get Ready, which entwines Marley's songwriting with US progressive soul artist Curtis Mayfield). In digital form, it transports the listener through relatable emotions: anguish; defiance; ultimately peace and hope.