Bob recorded the album Hanging Tough for producer Willie Lindo at his Heavy Beat Studios in Miami. The set was released in 1997 on VP Records and included the inspirational singles "Love This Life" and "Die No More." The 90s and early 2000s have seen appearances by Bob in Europe, Japan, Jamaica, Canada and the US. In addition to his solo performances he has taken part in a series of special reunion concerts with Marcia Griffiths. During the last decade and a half, formal recognition of Bob's many musical contributions has flowed in from many sources. Rockers Magazine honoured Bob with a Lifetime Achievement Award in Kingston in 1989, as did the Canadian Reggae Music Awards in Toronto in 1991. Bob's song "Fire Burning" received the JAMI Award for Song of the Year in 1991. In 1997 he was named one of the music's "Living Legends" at the Reggae/Soca Awards in Miami, and was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the 1999 Bob Marley Day Festival in Southern California. He received the Prime Minister's Award for Excellence in Jamaica in 2003. The new millennium has found Bob continuing to give stunning performances and to add new classics to his repertoire, such as the well-received singles "Zion", "There Is A God" and "Ska Music (is Jah Music)".
In early 2005, Bob made his first journey to Africa. He performed at the Bob Marley 60th birthday concert in Addis Ababa to an audience of several hundred thousand, and also sang at the Ethiopian President's Palace. During a visit to Shashemane in the weeks following, he gave benefit concerts for the 12 Tribes. A new collection of songs from Bob is scheduled for release soon, the first of which is "Mama Africa", written in anticipation of his pilgrimage to his ancestral and spiritual homeland. It has often been noted that the mark of a great artist is the continued production of notable works throughout his lifetime. A veritable explosion of cover versions of Bob's songs and rhythms has already introduced a new generation of fans to his music. Bob's audience will have much to savour as they as become familiar with his current works, which will only serve to further enhance one of the most distinctive and distinguished bodies of work in Jamaica's musical history.
