Reggae icon Bob (Robert Nesta) Marley was born on February 6, 1945; his birthday is now celebrated around the world as Bob Marley Day. This year, he would have turned 73 years old. Marley's hometown of Kingston, Jamaica, is now recognised by UNESCO as a Creative City of Music. As the anointed birthplace of reggae music, music-lovers from all over the world make the pilgrimage to the Bob Marley Museum in uptown Kingston, the site of Marley's former home. Visitors also head downtown to tour Tuff Gong Studios, founded by Marley in 1965, and the “Culture Yard” in Trench Town, where Marley grew up, learned to play guitar and formed his band, the Wailers. Bob Marley remains an enduring icon and legacy in Jamaica, but as musical tastes and trends change, some Jamaicans wonder if the spirit of traditional roots reggae may be fading. Reggae Month, first announced by the Jamaican government in 2008, is currently underway in Jamaica. While passing by Marley's former home, a fan tweeted a photo of the festivities celebrating Bob Marley Day: Outside #BobMarleyMuseum #BigDance #HappyBirthdayBobMarley pic.twitter.com/pQmxDA95Ig — Yaneek N. Page (@yaneekpage) February 6, 2018 The museum itself shared a live stream: Happening Now! Tune into our Live Feed at https://t.co/l7Reeihd8w ? We are celebrating Bob Marley’s Earthstrong Celebration: #SoulRebel73 here at the @bobmarleymuseum ☝?❤️#SoulRebel73#SoulRebel?#BobMarleyMuseum pic.twitter.com/6vncx7esNO — Bob Marley Museum (@bobmarleymuseum) February 6, 2018 The veteran British reggae band UB40 posted their congratulations: Happy Birthday @bobmarley ! Big Love UB40 #BobMarley #HappyBirthday #73rd #SoulRebel73 #Exodus40 #UB40 #Reggae #Music #Legend pic.twitter.com/nWhNBKGkgY — UB40 (@UB40OFFICIAL) February 6, 2018 Jamaican public and private institutions posted creative tweets, Marley quotes and of course, music: “Open your eyes, look within. Are you satisfied with the life you're living?” -Bob Marley#bobmarleyday #BobMarleyquotes #HappyBirthday pic.twitter.com/J9Zfubzz35 — NCB Foundation (@NCBFoundation) February 6, 2018 AK Dixon, a Jamaican living in Toronto, Canada, where Bob Marley Day is annually celebrated, urged Jamaica to step up its game: Today should have been a National Holiday…. #BobMarleyDay — AK Dixon (@Aujae_Dixon) February 6, 2018 The American rapper Common added his birthday wishes on Twitter, acknowledging what he learned from Marley: Happy Born Day Bob Marley! Thank you for showing me how to use my art to help the people. #OneLove pic.twitter.com/qpRyIthOtw — COMMON (@common) February 6, 2018 From Los Angeles, California, Twitter user Isaac Bryan reminded us of Marley's activism: On the born day of Bob Marley we are reminded- “Get up, stand up, Stand up for your rights. Get up, stand up, Don't give up the fight.”#BlackHistoryMonth ?? pic.twitter.com/NRWgYhA7aT — Isaac Bryan (@ib2_real) February 6, 2018 To mark the day, Damian “Junior Gong” Marley tweeted a charming childhood photograph of himself with his father: Long Live The Gong!!! pic.twitter.com/66DGHSAqir — Damian Marley (@damianmarley) February 6, 2018 While Bob Marley Day sparked celebratory social media posts from the Jamaican diaspora as well as non-Jamaican individuals and organisations, young Jamaicans were relatively quiet online. Winston Barnes, a Florida-based Jamaican who hosts a radio talk show for the diaspora, bemoaned a perceived declining interest in reggae music, blaming the embrace of Western music styles such as hip hop: I am now convinced that Marley's work was in vain. At least for Jamaicans. We know so little about what he did, as evidenced by our disrespect for his work and by extension our culture. Jamaica has many more radio stations than ever and cumulatively, they play less Jamaican music than before. This at a time when Jamaicans create and produce virtually every genre of music! What would we say to Bob if he was among us physically? I listened to a motivational feature on Jamaican radio last evening and virtually all the inserts originated from outside of Jamaica! In 2018? Foreigners respect and regard Marley's music, at least publicly more than we ever have even in 2018! I am now convinced that maybe it is too late to fix this problem we face as a country and as a culture…and then we turn around and talk rubbish about the Grammies and Reggae! Barnes refers to complaints by Jamaicans that the Grammy Awards do not give enough credit to reggae music, since the award is not televised. Stephen Cooper agreed: It’s very unfortunate. Despite the fact that many reggae artists insist they don’t really care about the Grammys—in part because they know it’s a scam—the Grammys are one of the few places where reggae is recognized on the international stage.