On 1979's 'Survival,' Bob Marley said his piece about Zimbabwe, the last African colony vying for its independence. One year later he was the headlining performer at an independence celebration that included at least one teargas blast from the soldiers in attendance. Twenty-six years later, chaos remains, with the common denominator being the once-heroic Robert Mugabe.

Marley's place as a pan-African icon -- he was probably the most famous black man in the third-world after Muhammad Ali in the 1970s -- is reflected by 'Zimbabwe,' and was part of an increasing aggression in the albums leading up to his death in 1981. After surviving assassination in 1976, he released the relatively-easy going 'Exodus' (1977) and 'Kaya' (1978), but 'Survival' was the return of Marley's standing as a political firebrand, and 'Zimbabwe' was a major part of that resurgence.

But when Marley questioned who were the "real revolutionaries," could anyone have imagined the question would still be so prescient? Is Mugabe still a revolutionary? (Is the British-backed Movement for Democratic Change the mercenaries Marley feared?) Marley sang, "Every man have the right to decide his own destiny," in support of Mugabe. But a quarter-century later allegations of corruption in the Zimbabwean voting process have caused many to question if that power still lies in the hands of the people.

About the Author

Bomani Jones is a freelance writer and a BV Music blogger. Read the blog here.