Rocking, leaned back, guitar in hand, pointing to the sky; that is the action of the Bob Marley bronze statue now fully erected in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, at a roundabout in the Gerji area, named after the reggae legend himself. The statue was unveiled by city officials on Saturday, April 19th. The masterpiece, is the creation of Ethiopian sculptor, Bizuneh Tesfa.

The statue was the brainchild of brothers Zeleke Gessese, a musician, Addisu Gessese a music promoter and business man Awad Mohamed in commemoration of Bob Marley’s 70th birthday celebration. It was Bob Marley’s love, proclamations and philosophical link to the country that inspired the idea. As his message speaks highly of Ethiopia and the rest of the African diaspora, hence it was fitting in the eyes of the contributors to erect the statue in Addis Ababa.