Belfast is one of the last places you might expect to find a reggae footprint but The Wailers are alive and well on the banks of the River Foyle.
Nathaniel Ian Wynter was a regular visitor to Island House, Bob Marley’s home in Jamaica where he would jam.
There was jamming’ to be done too when Natty spoiled us all in the unlikely setting of my old homestead, Greystones, Co. Wickllow.
Natty look
Natty, you see, had been lured to Ireland by a caílin, and stayed.
He came to Greystones to play Bob’s hits before an intimate gathering a few years ago.
And we had the pleasure too to listen to Bob’s music, and the best Soca, at the One Love festival in Crop Over in Barbados.
They are few now of those who played with the Great Man Marley and we lost the last regular member of the band only this year.
Bunny on the money
Bunny Wailer left us last month, drawn away by the invitation to play the best reggae gig anywhere… in Heaven with Bob and Peter Tosh.
Nothin’ will stop a Jamaican jammin’ and our island friends have been putting on shows for us the past year.
And they are movin’ Heaven and Earth to get us back out there to jam with them.
Flying high
We already had the good news of British Airways and Virgin Atlantic announcing new services to Montego Bay from Heathrow and Gatwick.
Where at the top end of luxury resorts we were attracted by the Geejam Hotel‘s opening of their Marumba Studios, any musico’s dreams.
There are the 12 rooms and all the fineries but with a recording studio, events area, live stage and DJ booth.
If you want more old school then a Bob Marley tour is a must.
Tour de force
Get on a seven-hour trip to Marley’s Nine Mile from Montego Bay Hotels from £93.41.
Take in Bob’s home and hood and the Mt Zion of many a song where the Great Man visited.
So which holiday provider to get on? Well, we’re nothing if not loyal, and always return to our first, TUI
TUI is offering a week in the Holiday Inn Resort from €898pp.
And with us celebrating all things reggae today the world is indeed lucky to still have Damian and Ziggy Marley banging out their tunes.
Irie!
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