Bob Marley’s 1970s Guild Madeira A-20

This 1970s GUild Madeira A-20 acoustic guitar Bob Marley kept at home in Kingston, Jamaica, and used for practicing and coming up with melodies and songs. One of the few known photos of Marley with the guitar can be seen in David Burnett’s book “Soul Rebel“ (pictured below).

Marley decorated the guitar with a small picture of Haile Selassie – the Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974, and a picture of Africa below it with the words “AFRICA MUST BE FREE BY 1983”.

Haile Selassie was a symbol of hope for many Rastafarians, who saw him as a leader who fought for the rights of black people and stood up against oppression. Bob Marley admired Haile Selassie for his commitment to social justice, and he believed that the Emperor’s vision of a world free from oppression and inequality was aligned with his own beliefs.

Marley’s song “Iron Lion Zion”, released posthumously on September 7, 1992, refers to Haile Selassie a the “Lion of Judah“.