MORE than 200,000 Rastafarians and reggae fans turned the main square in the Ethiopian capital into a boisterous collage of red, green and yellow last night as they celebrated the 60th anniversary of the birth of the late Bob Marley.

The Africa Unite concert in the Meskel Square, Addis Ababa, was the high point of a month-long celebration of the singer who died of cancer in 1981 at the age of 36.

A host of international musicians, including Marley’s widow, Rita, and his five sons, performed at the concert, along with African stars Youssou N’Dour of Senegal, and Angelique Kidjo, from Benin.

Thousands of Rastafarians from as far afield as the US and Japan came to pay homage to the most famous Rasta of all, who attained iconic status by infusing his reggae rhythms with a revolutionary message of African pride and unity.

Simon Berekat, the Ethiopian Information Minister, wore a T-shirt depicting the dreadlocked image of Marley, while Meles Zenawi, the Ethiopian Prime Minister, brought his family to the free concert in the square where the country’s former Marxist rulers once displayed their military might.

It was the first time the official celebrations of the music and life of Marley have been held outside his native Jamaica. For Ethiopians, the event was an opportunity to put their country in the news for reasons other than famine, starvation and war.

But there were some differences to a normal reggae concert. There was no cloud of marijuana fumes, which Rastafarians consider an aid to meditation.

Ethiopia is still conservative in its social mores, and the presence of police in camouflage uniforms was enough to discourage people from trying to get high on anything other than the music.

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