In Ziggy Marley’s third solo album, the Grammy-winning “Family Time,” he sang whimsical, reggae tunes with members of his immediate and musical family. The 2009 album@@http://www.ziggymarley.com/music-discography-familytime.php@@ targeted young children and families alike. Now, the five-time Grammy-winning musician has shifted audiences.
Marley debuted his forth solo album, “Wild and Free”@@http://www.ziggymarley.com/music-discography-wildandfree.php@@ this past June. Though his last album was directed toward adolescents, Marley’s new album seeks @@”Spits”?@@deeper messages for human kind. Through his songs on his new album, Marley urges humanity to take up arms @@You mean “take up arms”?@@against social injustice and to be weary of political ignorance and fear. His album-titled song, “Wild and Free,” advocates for California’s Proposition 19@@www.voterguide.sos.ca.gov/pdf/english/text–proposed-laws.pdf@@, last year’s initiative to legalize marijuana. Marley sings, “Deny the tree of life/Stand hypocrisy for so many lies/Corporation greed can only see … survive by planting weed.” Other songs on the album, such as “Get Out of Town” and “Roads Less Travelled@@sic@@@@http://www.ziggymarley.com/music-discography-wildandfree.php@@,” contain political and encouraging messages about pollution, the environment and boldly choosing options that are unknown and uncomfortable.
Marley was born in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1968 with the given name of David Nesta Marley@@http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005187/bio@@. The name Ziggy — the word for a small joint in Jamaica@@http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?defid=2542230&term=Ziggy@@ — stuck after his father, reggae legend Bob Marley, gave him the nickname as a youngster. From age 10, Marley began his musical destiny when he learned guitar and drums under the watch of his father and his band, The Wailers. After his father passed in 1981, it was only logical that the oldest Marley continue as heir to the reggae reign. Forming a band dubbed “Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers,” Marley and his siblings — brother Stephen and sisters Sharon and Cedella — continued to create soulful reggae music with the addition of hip-hop, R&B and blues. After over two decades of music and three Grammys, Marley set out on his own and released his first solo album, “Dragonfly,” in 2003. In 2006, his album “Love is My Religion” won Best Reggae Album at the Grammys.
Not only has Marley made his own name as a musician during the past decades, the artist also heads his father’s old record label, Tuff Gong Worldwide@@http://www.tuffgongworldwide.com/about.php@@. Marley acts as a humanitarian and an activist. He heads his own nonprofit, Unlimited Resources Giving Enlightenment (URGE)@@http://www.ziggymarley.com/urge-bulletins.php@@, an organization for children in developing countries. URGE’s projects have ranged anywhere from building schools to working at health clinics alongside other charitable organizations.
Furthermore, Marley wrote a comic book named “Marijuanaman.”@@http://www.ziggymarley.com/marijuanaman.php@@ The book tells of an out-of-this-world character arriving on Earth with a pertinent message while working to save his @@Saving Earth or his own planet? Kind of confusing@@planet, Yelram.
Marley also juggles between being a performer and being a father. He now is a father of six @@I am having difficulty finding this number anywhere.@@after welcoming his new baby boy, Abraham Selassie Robert Nesta Marley@@http://celebritybabies.people.com/2011/02/02/ziggy-marley-welcomes-son-abraham-selassie/@@ in January of this year.
Marley’s Wild and Free Tour is scheduled to perform at the McDonald Theatre on Sunday Oct. 2@@http://www.mcdonaldtheatre.com/event_info/ziggy-marley.html@@. He last visited Eugene in 2009 with recording artists 311 and The Expendables at the Cuthbert Amphitheater. Tickets for Marley’s concert are available at all Safeway TicketsWest outlets, online at TicketsWest.com or the EMU box office. Tickets bought before the show are $25 and at the door for $30. The show begins at 8 p.m.
Ziggy Marley brings Grammy-winning reggae to McDonald Theatre
Daily Emerald
September 27, 2011
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