The Secret Of How We Used Reggae Music As A Survival Tool In Africa

A major figure in world music, Jimmy Cliff has painstakingly crossed many rivers to become an international superstar.

Life is very tough and full of lessons. In Africa, during our school days and darkest periods, to avoid social problems, we fought to stay focused. On Sundays, we listen to whatever the preacher tells us, but away from the pastor's sight, we use reggae music as a tool to direct us on the right track and express our emotions.

In the sixties and seventies in Ghana, we listened to the songs of reggae pioneers, such as John Holt, Desmond Dekker, etc., but the musician whose songs played a significant role in our lives is Jimmy Cliff. 

His music was encouraging and inspiring.  It educated us and made us tough in our environment with the desire to succeed in life. Below are some of the selected tunes of Jimmy Cliff we dwelled on.

Hard Road To Travel

We listened to reggae from dusk till dawn, and the lyrical encouragement helped us let go of suppressed feelings.

“It’s a hard road to travel and a rough, rough way to go, but I can’t turn back, my heart is fixed, my mind’s made up, I’ll never stop, my faith will see me through,” sings Jimmy Cliff. The hope and faith we had from such songs became our tool for survival.

Jimmy Cliff and Peter Tosh

Every man has a right to live. Love is all that we have to give. Together we struggle by your will to survive, and then together we fight just to stay alive. A struggling man has got to move
Struggling man, no time to lose, I’m a struggling man, and I’ve got to move on.

I am born to win. Been lost and found, turned upside down, yeah, yeah, yeah. Been cast aside and despised, uhm, uhm, uhm, but I’m Daniel in the lion’s den and Jonah in the belly of the whale. I’m not alone, so I cannot fail, no, no, no. And I’m born to win.

Sitting here in Limbo, Waiting for the tide turn, Yeah, now, sitting here in Limbo, So many things I’ve got to learn, Meanwhile, they’re putting up a resistance, but I know that my faith will lead me on.

You can get it if you really want. You can get it if you really want. You can get it if you really want, but you must try, try, and try, try and try. You’ll succeed at last.

While we listen to such encouraging lyrics, we are inspired in such a way that we don’t feel the pain we go through in our daily hustle, often eliminating boredom and depression. 

Even though reggae music is not much promoted commercially by MTV, the power of the music can’t be denied.

Jimmy Cliff and Peter Tosh were both against apartheid in South Africa. In the picture, Jimmy Cliff wears a T-shirt with the picture of the murdered South African hero, Steve Biko.

Your world is plastic; you can see through to the other side. Your cities are made of wood; Antiques are what you’ve got inside; Houses are paper, but folks don’t hear a word you say
Friendship’s like acid; it burns, burns, burns, as it slides away.

Jimmy Cliff sings 'Synthetic World.'

There’s a day of feasting and a day of famine, a day of sadness and a day of joy. You could see on the day of feasting that life isn’t just a little play-like toy., 

So the day arrived when you least expected it, because you always thought you were well protected. Now you feel like a fish out of water, so now you’re wondering what’s the matter.

“You can change the style of playing reggae, you can change the rhythm of playing reggae, but never change the message,” sings Lucky Dube in Reggae Strong, because it’s music that carries the message of truth and the light. If you don’t like the truth, you can never be a friend of reggae.

The renowned Jamaican reggae singer and actor Jimmy Cliff passed away at the age of 81. On Monday, November 24, 2025, his wife Latifa Chambers announced his death, citing pneumonia and a seizure as the causes. On Monday, November 24, 2025, Jimmy Cliff passed away from pneumonia that followed a seizure.

THE LOVE PETER TOSH HAD FOR AFRICA

The great Peter Tosh

There are thousands of Africans in the Diaspora. Many hate to be called Africans,  some love the continent but have never had the chance to visit there, while others frequently visit Africa. One of them was the legendary Peter Tosh, one of the founding members of the original Wailers trio.

The fearless, tough man, whose vicious wit marked militant tunes, made him an international figure, visited Africa, including Nigeria, on many occasions. I never had the opportunity to see Peter Tosh performing,,g but I had a glimpse of him when he visited Nigeria and followed his activities in the country through ‘The Punch Newspaper.’

Peter Tosh was in Nigeria in 1982. During his visit, he stayed in the house of Sonny Okosun, another great Nigerian musician interested in the well-being of people. It’s like the two had something in common. In Nigeria, Sonny Okosun’s ‘Fire in Soweto, Papa’s Land’ etc, became international hits, for his concern for the suffering South Africans under Apartheid regime.

While in Jamaica, Peter Tosh recorded ‘Apartheid’ on his ‘Equal Rights’ album. “Inna me land digs out me gold, pearl, diamond, we gonna fight against Apartheid.” It’s not surprising that the two musicians were great friends. In 1983 while still in Lagos, Peter Tosh revisited Nigeria. This time, he cemented his love for his dear Africa by composing the song he named ‘Mama Africa.’

Peter Tosh sings 'Mystery Babylon.'

“Two thousand years of history can’t be wiped away so easily, sings Bob Marley in ‘Zion Train.’ Definitely, the achievements of Peter Tosh in the field of music can’t be easily forgotten. On April 20, 2016, Jamaica celebrated the second official International Peter Tosh Day. Like the sons of Bob Marley, Andrew Tosh is carrying on the works of his father.

THE I-THREES: GREAT FEMALE MUSICIANS BEHIND BOB MARLEY

Bob Marley and the I-Threes performing

Music, it's like my passport and water I need daily when travelling. I can’t do without it because it gives me inspiration. It’s great to have musicians and players of instruments around us. Music fills the courts of heaven as heavenly beings praise our Lord and Creator. 

When God created the world, the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy, that’s what the Bible says at (Job 38:7)

You will know the I-THREES if you love music because they were highly talented musicians supporting Bob Marley as back vocals, in the history of Jamaican music. Rita Marley, Judy Mowatt, and Marcia Griffiths knew each other long before they became internationally known.

Marcia Griffiths was already a star before the group I-Threes were formed. Her duet recordings with Bob Andy, which included “Young, Gifted and Black,” had brought her international attention, when she invited Judy Mowatt, who had previously sung with ‘The Gaylettes,’ and Rita Anderson, to support her on a recording with Andy. This invitation brought the three women together.

In Jamaica, that time was ‘The Wailers’ formed in 1963, which was a vocal group consisting of Junior Braithwaite, Beverley Kelso, Bunny Livingston, Bob Marley, Peter McIntosh, and Cherry Smith. Livingston later became Bunny Wailer and McIntosh simply Peter Tosh. In 1966, Braithwaite, Kelso and Smith left the group leaving the trio of Livingston, Marley, and McIntosh.

Shortly after the departure of McIntosh and Livingston from the group, Bob Marley asked the three women to sing on his recording, Jah Live. They continued to sing for Bob Marley as back vocals for the next ten years. Later Bob Marley married Rita Andersen, whose original country of birth was Cuba. Surprisingly, both Bunny Wailer and Peter Tosh became successful in their solo careers.

The I-threes on stage

In early 1975, the I-Threes joined Marley for a tour as the opening act for ‘The Jackson Five.’ The I-Threes continued to sing with Bob Marley until and after his death. But that wasn’t the end of the careers of the women, the three pursued a successful solo career.

On May 26, 2009, the I-Threes performed with Sly Dunbar, Robbie Shakespear, the Compass Point All-Stars and celebrated Island Records’ 50th-anniversary in London at Shepherd Bush Empire. The message of The I-Threes is one love, hope, peace, and unity to all mankind.

Sitting Here In Limbo: Got Some Time To Search My Soul- Jimmy Cliff

Jimmy Cliff

Reggae music is inspirational. It is a piece of music that carries Jah’s prophetic message, the truth, and the light. It’s a piece of music that gives comfort and satisfaction to sufferers and the downtrodden victims, and gives hope to the common people denied justice and abused in society.

I love reggae music because it gives me the inspiration to write without ceasing. Just as I love the music, I love the artists and the players of the instruments behind the music. 

Jimmy Cliff is one of my favorite reggae artists. I love almost all his songs, but not more than this great song called ‘Sitting Here In Limbo.’

Sitting here in limbo

But I know it won’t be long.

Sitting here in limbo

Like a bird without a song

Well, they’re putting up resistance.

But I know that my faith will lead me on.

Sitting here in limbo

Waiting for the dice to roll

Yeah, now, sitting here in limbo

Got some time to search my soul

Well, they’re putting up resistance

But I know that my faith will lead me on

I don’t know where life will leave me

But I know where I have been

I can’t say what life will show me

But I know what I have seen

Tried my hand at love and friendship

But all that is past and gone

This little boy is movin’ on

Sitting here in limbo

Waiting for the tide to flow

Sitting here in limbo

Knowing that I have to go

Well, they’re putting up resistance

But I know that my faith will lead me on

I don’t know where life will take me

But I know where I have been

I don’t know what life will show me

But I know what I have seen

Tried my hand at love and friendship

That is past and gone

And now it’s time to move along

Gonna lead me on now

Meanwhile, they’re putting up resistance

But I know that my faith will lead me on

Sitting in limbo, limbo, limbo

Sitting in limbo, limbo, limbo

Sitting in limbo, limbo, limbo

Meanwhile, they’re putting up resistance

But I know that my faith will lead me on

Listen to Jimmy Cliff singing Sitting Here In Limbo.

JAMAICA ADDS ATHLETICS TO ITS REGGAE HISTORY

From left to right, Warren Weir, Usain Bolt, and Yohan Blake



Jamaica, that wonderful Island in the Caribbean, for many years has established its name as one of the best countries in the world, in regard to tourism, and above all, the home of wonderful reggae music. 


Jamaica is the birthplace of great reggae stars, including Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Jimmy Cliff, Gregory Isaacs, Joseph Hill-Culture, to name but a few.

Apart from the reggae stars, Jamaica has produced great sprinters in the past, such as Merlene Ottey, Asafa Powell, etc, yet in athletics, compared to other great countries, Jamaica wasn't classified as a great country in sports until the emergence of an unknown sprinter, Usain Bolt. 

Usain Bolt's unique and charismatic performance, along with teammate Yohan Blake, has firmly established that Jamaica is not only good in music but also in athletics.

The 2012 Olympic Games taking place in London confirm it all. After winning the 100-meter race in 19.32 seconds, Usain became the first athlete to win two Olympic medals in the event. Yohan Blake, his training partner, also claimed silver in the event and bronze for Warren Weir.

There is no doubt that Jamaicans are now doing better in sports than the United States of America, which has produced great athletes in the past. 

It seems underestimation of athletes from 'third world countries' is gradually coming to an end because the Jamaican sprinters are "Coming in hot! Hot! Hot! and firing some shots! Shot! shot!" Sings reggae legend late Peter Tosh.