The reach of Bob Marley's music and his messages of political justice, racial harmony and freedom is endless. A quarter-century after Marley's death from cancer at the age of 36, his words still resonate deeply for millions, from the college dorms of suburban America to the remotest villages of Africa. His enduring popularity has spawned a cottage industry of tributes, including annual shindigs in Jamaica and in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Ethiopia's last emperor, Haile Selassie, became a kind of god for the Rastafarian movement. The original Rastafarians drew their inspiration from Jamaican-born pan-Africanist Marcus Garvey, who saw Selassie's 1930 coronation as the start of a mass "back-to-Africa" movement and a precursor to the continent's long-awaited renaissance. The term "Rastafarian" comes from Selassie's name before being crowned, Ras Tafari Makonnen. Selassie, who claimed to be a descendent of the biblical King David and Queen of Sheba, died in 1975 at age 83, under house arrest after having been overthrown a year earlier.

Add to this list of tribute sites a fun night at the Bearsville Theater this Saturday, February 6. The 26th annual Woodstock tribute to Bob Marley will feature a lineup of the Meditations, the Big Takeover, Michigan (of Michigan and Smiley fame), Fine Tune, Jamaica's Starcade and Hudson Valley's own Jamaican sound system, Royal Heart Sound. Bob would have been 65. He passed on May 11, 1981.

Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and the show starts at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 and $15 at the door with a valid student ID. All tickets are general admission. Limited seating is also available in the bar/lounge area. For information call (845) 679-4406.