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STUDIO: Palm Pictures
MSRP: $24.98
RATED: Not Rated
RUNNING TIME: 89 minutes
SPECIAL FEATURES:
• 50 minutes of additional concert performances
• Interviews with the Marley brothers & Rita Marley
• Excerpts from Africa Unite: Ghana
• Archival Bob Marley footage, NYC 1980
• Photo Gallery

The Pitch

"The message is for all Africans to realize we are better off together, not divided." - Ziggy Marley

The Humans

Danny Glover, Lauryn Hill, Cedella Marley, Rita Marley, Ziggy Marley

The Nutshell

During the summer of 2005 various artists from around the world took part in a concert to celebrate the life and music of Bob Marley that was held in Ethiopia. This documentary chronicles the Marley family as they make their journey to the celebration which coincides with Bob's 60th birthday.

The Lowdown

Bob Marley has been dead for 27 years and his contributions to music  is still as prevalent today, in fact more than ever before. Africa Unite (a song by Marley that encourages Pan-African solidarity) is a yearly concert event that not only celebrates Marley's career but offering a chance for other musicians who want political, economic and social change.



Africa Unite is an enjoyable documentary mainly because of the likable personalities of Marley's family and friends. Watching them get prepared led to some nice moments where they shared some fond memories of Bob. Now don't get too excited because the stories shared are your standard "I remember when" fare which, in this case, were my favorite moments of the documentary. Another favorite part was watching Marley's children perform on stage. Their moments on stage energized the crowd and one could easily see that their father has been a major influence on their decision to pursue music. Even though they perform the same style of music as their father they incorporate their own talent into each song which is refreshing and enjoyable to listen to.



One thing that surprised me was the extensive archival footage of various countries in Africa attaining their independence. Not only does the viewer get background information but there is some rare footage of Bob performning at some of these celebrations. I should point out that this documentary mainly focuses on behind the scenes goings on with the concert shown briefly in segments throughout. This might not set to well for some who purchase this DVD expecting a full concert so you have been given due notice.

Africa Unite is a decent presentation that not only Marley fans will appreciate but those who enjoy music in general.


Winner of the "If Bob were old look alike" contest.


The Package

Now here are some extras that I can get into. The first is 50-minutes of concert footage (which should have been included in the main feature) that features full length songs from Bob's family plus a couple of other artists (Cedella Booker, I-Threes, Angelique Kidjo). This concert is worth the price of the DVD alone.

Excerpts from Africa Unite: Ghana - The Bob Marley foundation and The Rita Marley foundation hosted a one week event in 2006 in Accra, Ghana. Besides holding a concert that features artists from Jamaica and Africa this event also has a symposium, photo gallery, visit to historical sites plus more. This feature offers highlights from the 2006 event. The interview segments are enjoyable but nothing more is included that you already get in the main feature.

7.5 out of 10