International Peter Tosh Day: Air time, how to live stream and all about Weed Day events honoring cannabis activist
If you've been taking 4/20 rather seriously and celebrating 'Weed Day', for Rastafarians there might be a real reason to rejoice. Weed Day aka April 20 is now being commemorated as Peter Tosh Day, in memory of the late musician.
Known as the 'Godfather of Cannabis Legalization', Tosh fought to break the stigma around cannabis. He did so through his music. His album and single by the same name 'Legalize It' was a major hit. It not only spoke about legalizing the herb but also shed light on the victimization of people at the hands of the Jamaican police. On April 20, the world will officially commemorate 'International Peter Tosh Day' during a virtual festival paying tribute to the cannabis activist. You can also show your support by using #PeterTosh420. Here's how you can tune in to these events.
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Where to live stream?
The CORE Cannabis Social Justice Museum is hosting exclusive online tours from April 19 to April 20. Tune into FB Live hosted by Niambe Tosh at 2 pm ET.
You can also catch an IG Live hosted by Akayda Tosh, Peter Tosh’s granddaughter, at 3 pm ET. Be a part of the Clubhouse App and be a part of the Main Stage (Legacy Conversation) hosted by Behind The Recordz at 4.20 pm ET. You could also stick around for the Clubhouse After Party, hosted by 808 Farm at 6 pm ET.
Who is Peter Tosh?
Born in Westmoreland, Jamaica, in 1944, Winston Hubert McIntosh, who would later change his name to Peter Tosh, was drawn to music from a young age. His mother strongly influenced him and since he was raised as a Christian, he attended church daily. It's here that he began singing as part of the choir and even learned to play the organ.
In the 1960s, through the contact of vocal teacher Joe Higgs, who gave free music lessons, Tosh met Robert Nesta Marley and Neville O'Reilly Livingston. The trio, who went by the names Bob Marley, Bunny Wailer and Peter Tosh, would often perform together. Tosh soon formed a band known as the 'Wailing Waillers', along with Bunny, Marley, Junior Braithwaite, a falsetto singer and backup singers Beverley Kelso and Cherry Smith. Tosh played a very important role — he was a self-taught guitarist and keyboardist, and the only person who could play instruments.
The band's other members left in 1965, along with Marley, who spent time in the US with his mother. He returned to Jamaica in 1967 and with Tosh and Bunny already being Rastafarians, he too adopted the faith. The trio soon became the 'Wailers' as Tosh explained it, it was their way to "express one's feelings vocally". It is also believed that he was the first one to teach Marley how to play the guitar, seeing that when they formed the band, he was the only person who could play instruments.
Tosh even performed and produced several solo works, which were his form of activism. He sang about songs in the hope of drawing attention to various issues. As per his website, some of his most popular solo works are 'Equal Rights', the unstoppable unity anthem 'African', the ganja manifesto 'Legalize It' and his mesmerizing, indelible take on Joe Higgs’ 'Stepping Razor'.
After Tosh's untimely and tragic death at the hands of gunmen who held him hostage and tried to extract money from him in 1987, his legacy continued to live on due to his contributions to music and the Rastafarian culture. His foundation, the Peter Tosh Foundation, continued the "fight Peter began decades ago to legalize cannabis", advocating that it can be used for wellness education, research and development activities. The foundation is currently at the helm of the legalization issue in the US and the Caribbean.
