FOR FANS of performers who have died young, any newly discovered recordings or even photographs can be must-sees. So fans of the 1945-born reggaemeister who died in 1981 will be happy to learn that Bob Marley: the Making of a Legend will get a rare screening in a Hackney cinema this month.
The film, co-directed by Gian Godoy, includes previously unseen footage of the singer, and the soundtrack features songs by (Errol) Akila Barrett, a son of Carlton Barrett, the first drummer with Bob Marley and the Wailers.
Structured around video shot by one of Marley’s lovers, Esther Anderson, and apparently lost for 30-odd years, the documentary is suitable for enthusiasts. As you’d expect, its segments of 1970s film are gratifyingly crackly and the musings of Marley near incomprehensible; not always because of low-quality recording, more likely because of high-quality cannabis.

Some of Anderson’s claims about her influence have annoyed Marley fans, who have concluded that she is cashing in a chip that is not worth very much. She would not be the first.
David Altheer 100313
* Emboldened underscored words in most cases indicate a hyperlink that will open a separate window with further information, a service possibly unique to Loving Dalston. If a link no longer works, it is probably because the site’s owner has failed to maintain it.
* Bob Marley: the Making of a Legend, Rio, 107 Kingsland High St, Dalston E8 2PB , Sat 23 March 2013 at 1.30pm. Akila Barrett and other reggae musicians have been invited to a question-and-answer session after the 96-minute film. DVD available. Main picture: Esther Anderson/Corbis