Bob Marley’s original band The Wailers are set to perform in Hong Kong for the very first time this April 5 at the Hong Kong Observation Wheel and AIA Vitality Park.
The performance comes after the Hong Kong premiere of the Bob Marley biopic, One Love, this March. Bob Marley and the Wailers are known for their history-making reggae songs like “I Shot The Sheriff,” “No Woman, No Cry,” “Get Up, “Stand Up,” “Jamming,” “Is This Love,” and more. Bob Marley: One Love premiered in the United States last February 14. The film held its worldwide premiere in Marley’s hometown of Kingston, Jamaica last January 23, 2024. The film was directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green, who most famously directed the 2019 Oscar-nominated film King Richard. It was nominated for Best Picture.
Marley died from a rare form of skin cancer in 1981, passing away at the age of 36. The Wailers continued to perform in the years following their frontman’s death. The Wailers are expected to play the Legend album in its entirety, which is a compilation of Bob Marley and the Wailers’ biggest hits. It is the best selling reggae album of all time.
In a statement provided to the South China Morning Post, co-founder of the Hong Kong International Reggae Ska Festival Paul Thompson shared, “If people have just one reggae album in their collection, it’s usually Legend. [The Observation Wheel] is an iconic venue and with the Rugby Sevens happening in the city [at the same time], the vibe will be amazing.”
On March 23, Cebuano reggae band Junior Kilat will be performing in Hong Kong for the launch of “Missing Mr. Marley,” a tribute song to the reggae icon that was originally penned by the late British singer-songwriter Colin Scot in 1981. Despite a recording in 1982 featuring Jens Peter Jensen and Finn being done, the song was never publicly released.
In 1984, a cover was released by Sue Chaloner and was released in six countries as well as featured in different reggae compilations. In 2023, Christina Brandt Jansen, daughter of Jens Peter Jensen, approached Junior Kilat frontman Budoy Marabiles to collaborate on a new original version of the track. Marabiles then teamed up with a fellow iconic reggae band, Selah Dub Warriors.
In a press statement, Marabiles shared that Junior Kilat and Selah Dub Warriors rendition of the song features Colin Scot’s lyrics but with a different musical arrangement. The track was released by the two bands last January.
The “Missing Mr. Marley” Hong Kong launch will take place at Dead&, 18 Wo On Ln, Central. Tickets cost HK$350 and includes free-flow drinks.