On April 22, 1978, the National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica, hosted one of the most important concerts, known as the One Love Peace Concert.
The concert was an attempt to end the political civil war in Jamaica. After gaining independence from Great Britain, the island was split by intense political corruption and violence. Two main parties, the People’s National Party (PNP), led by Prime Minister Michael Manley, and the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), led by Edward Seaga, were caught in a violent political conflict. Each party hired local street gangs to intimidate voters and control neighborhoods. Gun battles in the streets were common, and the island was suffering under the weight of this political war.
The idea for the concert actually came from two rival gang leaders, Claudius “Claudie” Massop (JLP) and Aston “Bucky” Marshall (PNP). While they were incarcerated in the same jail cell, they realized that the violence was destroying their home. They decided that a massive reggae concert was the best way to bring people together.
They reached out to Bob Marley to headline the event. This was a brave move for Marley, who had been the target of an assassination attempt just two years earlier at the Smile Jamaica concert. After being shot in his home, Marley fled to London. However, he agreed to return to Jamaica for this special night, which many now call the Jamaican Woodstock.
Around 32,000 attended the concert that featured 16 reggae acts, including stars like Peter Tosh, Jacob Miller, and The Mighty Diamonds. Each artist performed with a message of unity, asking the crowd and the politicians to end the bloodshed.
The most famous moment happened during Bob Marley’s set. While performing the song Jamming, Marley called the two rivals, Manley and Seaga, onto the stage. As the crowd roared, Marley took their hands and held them together high in the air. For 20 seconds, the two men who led warring factions stood in a symbolic ceasefire. It was a powerful image of unity that has since earned the show a spot on lists of the greatest musical performances of all time.
The peace the concert had created was short-lived. In the years following the event, political violence increased, and both gang leaders who organized the show were killed within two years. The leaders, Manley and Seaga, did not shake hands again until Marley’s funeral in 1981.
Bob Marley was awarded the United Nations Peace Medal of the Third World on June 15, 1978, in recognition of his efforts to promote peace. The UN Peace Medal was presented to Marley at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City by Mohmmadu ‘Johnny’ Seka, a Senegalese Youth Ambassador, on behalf of 500 million Africans.
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