On April 18, 1980, reggae icon Robert Nesta Marley—better known as Bob Marley—performed at Zimbabwe’s official Independence Day celebration in Harare. The event marked the end of white-minority rule and the birth of the Republic of Zimbabwe, after years of brutal colonial oppression and liberation warfare. Marley, whose music became anthems of resistance and freedom across Africa, paid for his own travel and performed “Zimbabwe,” a song he had written in solidarity with the country’s struggle. Despite tear gas being used on the crowd during the first performance, Marley returned for a second show later that evening. His appearance symbolized Pan-African unity and the global power of Black liberation music.
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