Did reggae superstar Bob Marley steal his monster hit “Buffalo Soldier” from an African singer?
Youtuber Joossa, who has 500 subscribers, has stirred the pot by digging up a 1974 record titled “Buffalo Soja” sung by an African named Giddes Chalamnada.
Bob Marley’s “Buffalo Soldier” was recorded in 1978 at Tuff Gong and released in 1983 under the label Tuff Ging:Island.
Bob Marley’s Buffalo Soldier has so far sold more than 25 million units around the world. In 2020, Rolling Stone placed it at number 48 on their list of Greatest Albums of All Time”.
Few people have heard of Giddes Chalamanda’s version.
Although the lyrics and beat are different, both artists do the “woe yoy yoy, woe yoy yoy yoy… ”
Giddes Chalamnada is now 92 years old and Bob Marley who died on 11 May 1981, would have been 77 years old.
“Who was the first to sing “Buffalo Soldier”? Bob Marley or Giddes Chalamanda?” asks the YouTuber.
“In this video, I’ll break down the lyrics of both songs and show you how they match up, phrase by phrase.
“I’ll also compare the melodies and chord progressions in order to help you determine who the true author of this song is.”
Checkout the argument made by Joosa below:
You can listen to the full songs by clicking the links below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMUQM… (Buffalo Soldier: Bob Marley) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1RsB… (Buffalo Soldier: Giddes Chalamanda Buffalo Soldier:
