Bob Marley Statue, Jamaica

To commemorate the death of reggae legend Bob Marley in 1981 the Jamaican government commissioned the creation of a statue so he could be remembered by the Jamaican people. The statue stands in downtown Kingston outside the Jamaican stadium or The Office, as it is nicknamed.

Alvin Marriott, an accomplished Jamaican sculptor got the job to make a life-like sculpture to portray the reggae legend. In 1985 at the World Youth Festival Of Arts opening held in Kingston, Prime Minister Edward Seaga unveiled the new statue of Jamaica’s most famous son.

You can find it at Independence Park in Kingston at Arthur Wint Drive and Herb Mckenly drive. Nearby on Statute Drive in front of the National Stadium are monuments of Jamaica’s Track and Field superstars with Usain Bolt being the most prominent.

The Bob Marley statue is accessible to the public free of charge however, it is not frequented by tourists because of its location which is in a deserted and scary part of the city. It is however easy to get there if you are in Kingston, and the area is safe.

Interestingly this was not the first statue. The original was unveiled in 1983 and was an artistic interpretation of Marley, created by Jamaican sculptor Christopher Gonzales. It was rejected by the Jamaican people who said that the surreal image of Bob Marley Emerging from a tree trunk was upsetting. It was moved to Ocho Rios and can be found in Island Village.

Bob Marley’s love of football was legendary and so far his statue has served as a good luck charm as the USMNT have yet to win a qualifying match at the stadium in Kingston.