How Bob Marley's feel-good reggae shaped sounds of North Africa

The National

06-02-2025

From the streets of Cairo and Tripoli to Morocco's Sahel and Sudan's Nubian desert communities, Bob Marley's musical legacy remains both profound and far-reaching. The vibrant sound and inclusive message of his songs spread across the region through imported cassettes and bootleg recordings – as well as international stations like Radio Monte Carlo. It made the reggae pioneer not just only one of the earliest and most recognisable international pop stars in the Middle East and North Africa but also an artist whose influence seeped into some of the region's musical traditions. At times, his impact added new and richer layers to existing sounds, while in other cases, it inspired entirely new subgenres that carried on long after his passing in 1981. To mark what would have been his 80th birthday on Thursday, here is a look at some of the countries and bands that Marley influenced. Reggae music found a natural kinship with traditional Libyan folk music, largely due to their shared rhythmic foundations. North African folk music, with its intricate polyrhythmic patterns, blended seamlessly with reggae's signature offbeat rhythm. This fusion enabled the sounds of Bob Marley and his Jamaican contemporaries, Peter Tosh and Lucky Dube, to be embraced by Libyan musicians such as Ibrahim Hesnawi and Ahmed Ben Ali. They infused reggae's strident drums, pulsing basslines and syncopated guitar riffs with Arabic percussion and Middle Eastern melodies. Marley's message of global peace also resonated deeply in Libyan reggae, echoed in Hesnawi's anthems Al Hob Wal Salam and Only World. While Libyan musicians adapted reggae to their own cultural landscape, Moroccan artists integrated its rhythmic elements into the already eclectic sounds of traditional Gnawa music. With its trance-like grooves and spiritually themed call-and-response vocals, Gnawa music found a natural synergy with reggae's offbeat rhythms and socially conscious themes. This fusion gave rise to several distinctive Moroccan groups, each uniquely blending the two styles. Hoba Hoba Spirit, whose name is partly inspired by Bob Marley's vocal phrasing in No Woman, No Cry, is a prime example of reggae-Gnawa fusion. Their music merges reggae's grooving basslines and percolating rhythms with the traditional use of Moroccan castanets (qarqab), creating a sound both rooted in heritage and globally resonant. Through songs such as Blad Schizo and Fhamator, the band address pressing social issues, including youth empowerment, economic challenges and cultural identity. Meanwhile, Bob Maghrib, formed in 2011 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Marley's death — and whose name means "Bob Morocco" — used their music to pay direct tribute to Marley's legacy with their own twist. This includes some ear-catching interpretations of Marley classics such as Could You Be Loved and Get Up Stand Up, featuring traditional North African influences like the sintir (a traditional Moroccan lute) and ghaita (a type of oboe). To also experience reggae's continuing influence in Morocco, the coastal city of Essaouira is a historical melting pot of musical traditions. This is exemplified by its annual Gnaoua and World Music Festival, which has welcomed reggae stars such as Marley's son Ky-Mani Marley and the Third World, who often performed with local musicians. Marley's influence on Egyptian musicians is notably evident among Nubian artists, owing to shared musical characteristics with local folk traditions. Meshwar, a band formed in 2011, built a following with a sound that blends reggae rhythms and a vigorous brass section with Egyptian popular melodies and conversational lyrics. Similarly, the Egyptian band Black Theama, founded in 2004, draw inspiration from Marley's themes of identity, resilience and social justice. Their songs, such as Fi Belad Al-Ayy Haga and Aini Ya Aini, vividly portray the experiences of Nubian communities in Egypt. By incorporating reggae riffs into their music, they create a vibrant fusion that blends traditional Nubian folk sounds with contemporary influences, including hip-hop, resulting in a dynamic and socially potent sound. Afronubians, a veteran group formed in Toronto in 1992 by the late Sudanese musician Tarig Abubakar, have taken their reggae-and-Nubian folk fusion further by incorporating Latin rhythms and rock elements. This fusion has not only led to stellar cult albums like Tour to Africa (1994) and The Great Africans (1995) but also cemented the band's status as a favourite on the world music festival circuit.