Ziggy Marley at the 25th Pol’and’Rock Festival: the Marley family’s musical history

To understand Ziggy’s phenomenon, return to 1975, when Bob Marley composed “Children Playing in the Streets” for his children. Four years later, at their father’s wish, Ziggy, Stephen, Cedella and Sharon formed The Melody Makers and released it as a single, with proceeds supporting the UN’s International Year of the Child. Also in 1979, they played their first concert at Roots Rock Reggae in Kingston, Jamaica.

In 1981, 13-year-old Ziggy and 9-year-old Stephen sang at their father’s funeral. Four years later, The Melody Makers recorded their debut album, “Play the Game Right”, produced by Rita Marley and released through the family’s Tuff Gong studio. In 1986, now performing as Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers, they released “Hey World!”, regarded by many critics as the first mature record to bear Ziggy’s name. From then on, Bob’s eldest son followed his own musical path.

The band’s growing popularity led to appearances at major reggae festivals and a contract with Virgin Records. Recorded in 1988, “Conscious Party” climbed to number 23 on the Billboard 200 and won the Grammy for Best Reggae Album. Released a year later, “One Bright Day” repeated its predecessor’s success, adding a second Grammy to Ziggy Marley’s collection, again for Best Reggae Album. After several more excellent records, change arrived in 1995: the group signed with Elektra and began recording in their own studio. Their ninth album, “Fallen Is Babylon”, won another Grammy, while “People Get Ready” became the biggest commercial hit of Ziggy’s outfit to date. Their next album, “Spirit of Music”, proved to be the last in The Melody Makers’ history.

Ziggy Marley began his solo career in 2003 with a flourish: “Dragonfly” featured Red Hot Chili Peppers musicians. His second solo album, “Love Is My Religion”, released through his own Tuff Gong Worldwide label and awarded a Grammy, was an enormous success. In 2009, he recorded “Family Time”, featuring Paul Simon, Willie Nelson and Rita Marley among others. This time, the Grammy came for Best Musical Album for Children.

The next album, “Wild and Free”, featuring actor Woody Harrelson, was warmly received by music critics, while 2014’s “Fly Rasta” collected, what a surprise, another Grammy for the world’s best reggae album. Another record, simply titled “Ziggy Marley”, appeared in 2016, followed by his latest to date, “Rebellion Rises”, in 2018. Both herald a new chapter in his career: personal themes no longer dominate the lyrics, and Ziggy reveals a new face as a socially engaged activist.

Surrounded by excellent musicians, Marley tours regularly, but has never managed to perform in Poland. Now he will be one of the brightest stars of Pol’and’Rock Festival 2019. It is difficult to imagine a better place for his debut before a Polish audience!

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