'One Love' unites musicians

The music and the message of Bob Marley transcend time and space. No matter where you go all over the world, his legacy lives on. For the past four years, Playing For Change has traveled from streets and villages to mountaintops creating songs and searching for inspiration. The "One Love (2009)" video featured on BobMarley.com is a collaboration of over 35 musicians from all over the world. This song unites people of different races, genders, religions, economics and political views.

Our path for recording "One Love" started with Roberto Luti playing a national steel guitar. He had recently lived through Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and the feelings of loss and hope seemed to resonate through him.

We then traveled to the township of Umlazi, South Africa. We drove to a small home serving as a rehearsal space for the choral group Sinamuva. Tucked in this small room were ten of the greatest souls I had ever met rehearsing for the "One Love" track. They were singing the choruses in Zulu!

This proved to us the power of Bob Marley's message can be expressed in any language. While in Africa we found singer-musician Mermans Kenkosenki, from the Congo. Kenkosenki expressed how Marley helped him stay inspired regardless of the tragedies around him. You can hear the perseverance in his voice during the first verse of the video.

Our crew then traveled to Dharmsala, India, the home of the Dalai Lama. I remember walking down the street and seeing a small record shop with a CD display mostly consisting of Tibetan albums. When I looked closer, I could see Marley's Legend, right in the center!

Bob Marley has paved the way for global connection and mutual understanding everywhere. Millions of people throughout the world continue to sing and hear the words, "Let's get together and feel alright." Words to live by.

One Love,
Mark Johnson
Playing For Change