Hay escritos que son más que eso. Son un pedazo de vida. En el año 2013 visité Jamaica por primera vez para dar un curso de liderazgo en seguridad industrial. Mi experiencia se transformó profundamente después de un "Sabes qué, no. Por favor regrésame al Museo de Bob Marley". Esa decisión marcó para siempre mi vida. Regresé a Monterrey determinado a grabar un disco de canciones originales. El primero en mi vida. El estilo reggae estuvo sumamente presente en varios tracks, en mi manera de vestir, de cantar, de relacionarme.
La siguiente carta se la escribí a Rita Marley después de haber terminado de leer su libro sobre la vida de su esposo. Se la envié por correo y un año después, se la entregué impresa a su asistente personal en su oficina en el Museo en Hope Road.
Spoiler: Al año siguiente, sí volví. Grabé cuatro canciones muy crudas solo con una guitarra vieja y alquilada en los estudios Tuff Gong, terminé el disco -Viajemos Más- con Las Historias del Carbono, y en aquel viaje le regalé mi chamarra de mezclilla Levi's a Georgie (eso queda para contarlo en otra ocasión).
En mi primer Pingüino Rodríguez aclaré que en este espacio no hablaría de la música, sino de su mundo. Este es el ejemplo más claro (y largo) después de ya casi 10 artículos.
Date: Wed, July 24, 2013 12:23 am
Dear Rita,
My job, my love for music, my visit to the Hope Road Museum, Georgie, Brenton, Marie from Tuff Gong, your book. Every little detail has led me to write this mail… to share these words with you.
I've just finished reading your book "No woman No cry", and I don't know where to start to share the feelings I have for you, for Bob, for your large family… for Jamaica.
My name is Hugo (my name means intelligence and spirit) Hugo Lopez, I am Mexican, I have been married for 11 wild years, and I have two daughters, Paula and Luciana, 10 and 5.
How did I run into your book? Or how did you run into my life? How did part of your family find me?
I could write pages and pages, but to keep it kind of short and not waste much of your time (which I know you won't consider it a waste after all), for the last 10 years I have been a training consultant. In other words, I have been designing educational efforts for organizations and companies.
One of the clients we have has operations in Jamaica because it bought Rugby (maybe you have heard of this name). Pretty Babylonian I must say.
I went to Kingston to give a training course regarding safety, which makes me proud. I have always been a musician since I was 8 years old (I am 38 now), but ended up majoring in economics, then mastered in psychology, but always, not only deep within me, but anywhere I go and do my training job, the musician floats and finds me and reaches others. So, after a quick visit to the museum and after a client "kidnapped" me from there to kindly take me for lunch I said "I don't wanna do this... I want to go back to Hope Road and live the experience, be there, live the place with no rush."
So I asked him to take me back and everything changed from there.
All of a sudden I was talking with Ricardo the ping pong teacher. I was surprised when I realized that the old man arriving riding his bike was Georgie himself (when Ricardo told me if I wanted a picture with Georgie I refused because I thought he meant the painting on the wall!) So I sat with the real Georgie! Shared my Skittles candy with him, sang "Redemption Song" right next to him. And he stayed. He stayed there by my side for a while. And he asked me questions, and looked at me, and smiled at me. That legendary man who is beyond good and evil, smiled at me, and asked when I was coming back.
Then I met Brenton Clarke. We talked about everything. Bob, Jamaica, capitalism, music industry, anything. I must tell you the truth, I still don't know if Brenton does this with every "tourist" he runs into, but I am sure I felt his good intentions with me, and that my experience and that these words to you Rita won't compare to any other Brenton-friend's words.
I told him how much I admired Bob (right then I was talking about the worldwide known Bob, yes.) and Brenton invited me to go to Nine Mile right that night. To be honest I hesitated. I didn't know this guy. He seemed like good intentions, it was Saturday and my plane was leaving back to Mexico on Monday. I refused, and also I had a "business" dinner in a few hours. So we hung out more, and when I asked him to take me to my hotel, not before we failed to pick up some ice cream from Devon House, I then invited him a beer there, and he said… "No, let's go somewhere else".
Summarizing. We went to "Jo Jo's", I met the manager, and the band, and after a while I was up there with them singing Piano Man and Redemption Song. The crowd loved us. Yeah, not as much as they loved you when the I-Three performed improvising for the first time in public. Anyway, I shared the translated lyrics of one of my original song to Brenton, and sang it to him at the bar, and he thought it would be a good idea to meet Marie (Cedella's right hand as I understand) from Tuff Gong on Monday. Yes I changed my flight. And yes, I didn't go to that dinner that night.
Sunday morning he picked me up at the hotel and the surprise destination was now Nine Mile. After a 3-hour drive, a coconut purchase stop, meeting "Natural" the herbal doctor at a handball game right before we reached Bob's hometown, finally I was embraced by Sledge, the Mausoleum, Sledge's son, and Bob's presence in every single step I took. Once again, I don't know if Sledge does this with everyone Brenton brings to him, but he literally made me feel at home. His final words "Bring your wife, your daughters. You are part of our family… for life."
On my way back, we stopped at the cricket field you guys have up there, met Breton's sister by coincidence, sat by the banjo player, sang whatever came right out from our hearts, watched the babies cry, the boys play soccer, the families united, a blessed any given Sunday at Nine Mile I guess.
Where am I going here Rita? A day before I facilitated my workshop for the limestone company in Kingston I was walking around New Kingston and I ran into a bookstore called Bookland if I am not mistaken. And your book found me. And it remained in my bag until I came back home.
Rita, I gave you all this background so you can understand my following words. First of all, my biggest and main conclusion after reading the respectful, blessed and personal information you decided to share in that book is: every woman, that was close enough to a man that left a legacy in the world such as your husband's, such as many religious leaders, political leaders, philosophical teachers, prophets, rebels, "celebrities"… should write a book like yours.
I just watched Kevin McDonald's documentary, and it is nothing compared to the warmth, the credibility and the love your book transmits. If you want the real man, ask the real woman that stood beside him, whether that is, his wife, his mother, his partner, his daughter…
Humankind… we tend to distort every good intention. Even Bob got some of that, you know it more than anyone. And the more transparent the history is inherited through generations, the better off we people will be. More free, sooner, stronger. Wiser.
TV shows, magazines, institutions, and even disciples, tend to bias and tell a different story of great men. Great women help there. Just as you help with your loving anecdotes of your life with Bob Marley. Just as you help just by being around us.
Dear Rita, as I read about your past, your Aunty, your struggles, your fears, your stand ups, and Bob's fears and weaknesses, I saw so much about my wife (Itzel) and myself. For now I want to say THANK YOU. I know you have received many thanks yours in your life, but this one comes from a 38-year-old Mexican, married with children, that admires your husband's life and legacy, but now admires you above. Because I know what it feels like to lose it in your own arena, like Bob many sometimes, and then to scream for help. I know what it is like to lose hope and cry, and feel alone, and to disappoint at home, and at the same time feel infinite love for all human kind, and an urge to share it and spread it throughout the world.
Bob Marley is a Legend, and will always be, without a doubt. A greater one every day. But you made that legend possible Rita. Without a doubt. You believed in his essence, in his message, in his mission, in his origins, which are yours also. God (Jah) put you both together.
So these words are to THANK YOU from the deepest part of me (I and I!... I have read some about the Rastas yes!), for being there for him, for your children, for your thirty-something grandchildren, and for all of us all around the world.
I feel like I know you. Like Brenton used to say in those days we spent together "You are Family. And the most important thing is to take care of your Family". I brought that back home.
I might get to go back to Jamaica to do some training projects soon… or maybe to record some songs at Tuff Gong. Who knows.
God Bless Rita, and I hope to see you someday very soon.
One Love,
Hugo
