It can’t be too surprising that Ziggy Marley has often involved himself in family/kid-related projects in his career. His iconic father, Bob Marley, typified family in broadly exaggerated and unconventional ways, and Ziggy is most assuredly his father’s most famous son.
Bob Marley brought Reggae to the world, and it made him a legend. Ziggy brought Reggae to the marketplace, and it made him a wealthy celebrity.
Don’t
read that as a slam: Ziggy has been a legitimate Reggae artist as well
as shrewd musical marketer, and his plethora of kid-oriented projects
have been sincere attempts at outreach to a demographic that he truly
loves.
With his latest solo project, Family Time, Ziggy finally crosses the
threshold and makes an album specifically for kids but with the whole
family in mind. Family Time features Ziggy and a number of friends
(Willie Nelson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Paul Simon) and family (mom Rita,
sister Cedella, daughter Judah) accompanying him on a set of songs that
mix his Reggae roots with his Pop affection. Ziggy has also produced B Is for Bob, a collection of his father’s most famous tunes reworked for
children.
When Ziggy comes to town, he might not be performing these particular
songs in this specific setting, but he's most definitely embracing the
family of man with his music. A chip off the old Rasta block.
(Buy tickets, check out performance times and find nearby bars and restaurants here.)
