Title: Ziggy Marley will bring his reggae to the Festival Pier

Excerpt: Ziggy Marley, son of the late, legendary reggae star Bob Marley, was only 12 when his dad died in 1981. While he understood his father's legacy growing up, Bob Marley's eldest son says it has become clearer to him with each year just how much his father's music meant to the world.

Excerpt: "I was pretty naive about this whole thing because I live in my own kind of space," the 40-year-old Jamaican singer said by phone earlier this week. "As I've gotten older, I have come to truly understand how much his music meant to people and what a positive impact he made."

Excerpt: "Children have very open minds and we can influence kids with positive ideas that will take root," Ziggy said. For "Bob is for Bob," Marley gently remixed some of his father's best-loved songs to make them more kid-friendly.

"I was very aware of the fragility of doing something with his music. As a musician I believed I could create something different, but still beautiful, out of it," Ziggy said, adding that living up to his father's legacy is a non-issue for him.

"Bob is a part of me, so I let the Bob in me be free."

Title: 311 + Ziggy = a good fit

Excerpt: "Oh yeah, man, it’s nice, nice people,” Marley said from another tour stop in Salt Lake City, speaking of 311’s audience. “We’ve got some of our peeps, too; some of our fans come by. It’s good to have a mix.”
For Marley, who in the past has toured with such disparate artists as The Black Crowes, Blues Traveler, The Fugees, Busta Rhymes and Marilyn Manson, things couldn’t have worked out better with this tour, as it allows him to expand his audience as well.
“For me, anything is a good fit,” Marley said. “Where there’s people, there’s music, and I’ll be there. Whatever fits, I don’t really check it; if people are gonna be there, I can connect.”

Excerpt: “The album is for family, really; it’s not kiddie music, not Mickey Mouse kind of music, not the Barney type thing,” Marley said. “It goes a little deeper than that. The music is made for people, human beings. The lyrics I wrote with children in mind.”
His shows with 311, however, focus on more adult fare, drawing equally from such Melody Makers classics as “Tomorrow People,” his solo material and his father’s songs.
“This kind of tour is very easy for me to do,” Marley said. “One hour, it’s nothing; I don’t even break a sweat yet. It gives me the opportunity to change up the set. I have more songs than I need. I can’t always put a song in there, but I like doing that; it’s cool.”

Title: Interview: Ziggy Marley - Blogcritics

Excerpt: BC: Coming off the Grammy-winning success of Love Is My Religion, I am curious to know what life events led you to record a children's album for your third solo project. What inspired the vision behind Family Time?

ZM: It seems like a transformation, when I think about it, from Love Is My Religion up to this record. But I was inspired by little things here and there in the world of children, especially music entertainment. I thought I had something to say that children might find uplifting and positive and inspiring. So I wanted to say to the children: "Family – that's what life is all about."

Excerpt: BC: What kind of impact do you hope that this album will have, since it is your first foray into children's music?

ZM: I have big, old faith in children because I want children to grow up in unity and peace and non-violence and the sun shining and love. So I hope I inspire children to speak of these things and have these things be in their lives. And then pass down to their children and their children's children until eventually, I won't have to make another children's record. This could be the only one ever and it's enough because the message is there. I hope it inspires generations and we are doing something that will inspire children to be better – better than we are as a whole in this human race in this time. The future generation can be better than what we have done here.

Excerpt: BC: My favorite track on the album is "My Helping Hands." Since you're involved in a lot of different philanthropic groups and a lot of different humanitarian efforts, many of which are related to HIV and AIDS, pick one of your most recent or cherished efforts and give me a little bit of insight on what drives you to keep on working with it.

ZM: Well, some proceeds from this record will help me to continue developing a school that I adopted, [Chepstowe Basic School in Port Antonio, Jamaica]. For me, I believe that the problem in Jamaica and other countries like Jamaica is lack of focus on children, lack of foresight. The problems will not be fixed today, but we must set some kind of foundation so we know that it will be fixed in the next generation. The problem is too big to be fixed, too big for promises that politicians give to people working for them. If we do not prepare the children, all of these problems will continue. That is why I get involved with children so much – to plant a seed for the future, to make it a brighter place. The only way the world is going to change is if we teach the children the right things and teach them the positive things because children have open minds, not like most adults where they already have what they believe and what they don't believe. This is why this record is significant to me. Children are still open to receive knowledge, to receive the true knowledge that's going to help to make the place better. The solution is in the children. We have to set them up and get them ready to make this happen. We can continue to dig at it, but it will only finally come to a reality if we make sure the children are ready by giving them a good education and giving them positive ideas to live by and teaching them truth.

Excerpt: BC: What do you consider to be your legacy?

ZM: Love is my legacy. Love is my religion. That is my legacy. That is the message.

Title: Ziggy Marley playing children's, adult shows on Friday

Excerpt: "I'm doing a full tour playing my children's music at day shows and playing with 311 at night," Marley said. "It's going to be a brand new experience doing both kinds of shows."

Fusing the worlds of children's and adult music comes easy for Marley.

Excerpt: "I grew up around music and it was in my life at an early age," Marley said. "I picked up a guitar when I was 12. My family was pretty influential on my choice to be a musician.

"Once I got inspired on the spiritual side, the magic of being inspired to write songs kept me going. Love is my religion and I started writing songs about that. This particular concept has run through my songs from early on."

Excerpt: "I know how important music can be a in a child's growth and development," Marley said. "That's why I wanted to make my new record, Family Time. It's a collection of songs I wrote with children in mind.

"My 2-year-old really helped me get back to some of those childhood vibes and enjoyment. That really let me write the songs."

No worries -- Family Time is a reggae record for kids of all ages.

Excerpt: "Usually my songs mean more than one thing. Family Time is about my family, your family and the world's family."

Title: Ziggy on Family Time

Excerpt: B: The proceeds from the sale of the CD will go toward the Chepstowe Basic School in Jamaica — tell me about that project.


Z: "Music is part of us from the beginning."
The school is for the very young. I wanted to get into education for kids so I adopted a school and we started doing some development. Some of the money will help with more classrooms, more books, better pay for the teachers. I want it to be an example for the rest of Jamaica in terms of what we can do.

Excerpt: B: Maybe this is a silly question, but what do you think it is about music and children — why are children so drawn to music?

Z: I think that music, beats, melody, sound are a natural part of our DNA, our vibe. It’s just a part of the cycle of our lives, we’re born, we have eyes, we have music. It’s part of us from the beginning. We’re drawn to it because it’s a part of us.

Excerpt: B: what’s the most important piece of advice you would give to another parent?

Z: I don’t know … it can’t be one thing for every parent because every child is different. Patience is important, discipline is important, you have to learn balance. I guess that would be my general advice, keep it balanced— don’t lean one way or the other way too far.

Title: Marley brings reggae music for youth, adults

Excerpt: "Family Time" is a work of original songs and some covers from Marley aimed at a children's audience. Guest stars on the album include Jack Johnson and Willie Nelson.

"The idea of doing a record for children runs deep in who we really would love to influence" Marley said. "The greatest step I've ever taken in music is singing for children."

Excerpt: "B is for Bob" features Ziggy reworking 12 of his father's songs for children. Marley said the idea was to have something of Bob Marley especially for children.

"We wanted to create something original - Bob Marley just for kids," Marley said. "We reworked some of the music. It's a bit different, so it's unique for children."

Excerpt: With hits of his own and his father's, Marley said he knows what songs the audience wants to hear but wants to find a good balance of songs during his set.

"I've gone to the extreme of wanting to give fans only something new. But it's human nature," Marley said. "People see the name Marley and want to hear something familiar, so I want to satisfy that need in them. I like the new stuff, but I am respectful of people and what they like to hear."

Title: Marley magic tops Billboard as Ziggy and Julian make their claim

Excerpt: The movements on the Billboard Reggae Album get more interesting each week.

Ziggy Marley entered a couple weeks ago and made his debut at number one, pushing dub band Easy Stars All Stars to number 2 and Buju Banton to 3.

By the following week, however, Easy Stars was back at one and Ziggy at two. Currently, in an interesting turn of events, Easy Stars has slipped into the number three slot, perhaps for the first time since entering this chart.

Right there at the pinnacle is Ziggy, with Family Time and muscling his way into number two is brother Julian, who made his Billboard debut with his album Awake, his third studio album and first in six years.

Title: Ziggy Marley Plays for the Kids

Excerpt: Grammy-winning recording artist Ziggy Marley unleashed his new youthful sound on the Santa Barbara community this past Friday, playing semi-acoustic for over 100 parents and children at the Santa Barbara Boys & Girls Club before taking the stage at the S.B. Bowl later that evening.

Excerpt: With a broken down set of acoustic guitars, miscellaneous percussion, and back-up vocals from his daughter, the Jamaican-born Marley showcased songs from his new album, Family Time, Marley’s third solo album and first full-length production geared specifically toward children and families.

Title: Ziggy Marley Performs Kids Concert at Club Nokia

Excerpt: A crowd of children and parents filled Club Nokia on Saturday morning to hear Ziggy Marley perform his first kids show, part of the GRAMMY Museum's "Musical Explorations" family series.

Excerpt: Last month, four-time GRAMMY winner Marley released his first children's album, "Family Time." "Growing up music was an important part of my childhood,” Marley said in a release. "I see it being just as important in my children and all children growth and development. Music helps children to grow with open minds and open hearts and this is my message."

Title: Marley and me

Excerpt: For this Sunday’s second ticketed concert of the year, Ziggy Marley may have people wiggling their hips and pretending they can fly.

Excerpt: When reached in Los Angeles, the father of five said he didn’t set out to do a children’s album, but that’s the direction the songs wanted to go. His two youngest children were getting to the age where they could understand concepts, and he wanted to create something for them.

Excerpt: “My Helping Hands” has a childish tone, but Marley said he wrote it specifically for the recording, which he said allowed him to be a kid again. The colorful CD has finger paint-inspired hands all over its jacket, and the story is somewhat of a thesis statement for the entire project.

Excerpt: “I have to lift up my father,” Marley said. “I always have to put my father ahead of me.

“I am not afraid of him or his legend. I love him.”

Title: Ziggy Marley's Family Business

Excerpt: According to Marley, a four-time Grammy winner and father of five, he's been involved in children's projects and charities for so long as a musician that putting out an album directed at that age group is sort of a natural progression. He often plays shows for kids and parents only, and that's part of what sparked the project.

Excerpt: "I think it was Bonnaroo in 2007, and they asked me to sing on the kids' stage during the day," he says. "And I said 'Of course.' So I got to see mothers and children dancing together, and it was a very good vibe. Seeing that type of joy when I looked out into the crowd is what made me really want to start something like this."

But Marley admits he actually was trying to write an adult follow-up to Love Is My Religion, not intending to make a children's album such a major project. But the only songs that seemed to come to him were children's songs. "So we said 'That must be it, then,'" Marley says. "That's where the inspiration was taking me, so I followed it and recorded Family Time instead."

Excerpt: "Well, Willie's a legend...he's got me beat, by very far. By very, very, very far," he says. "Guys like Willie and Toots and Paul Simon, I respect them just like they respected my father. They're our heroes, and me feel blessed to have them a part of the project."

Title: Marley recruits family members for Family Time

Excerpt: The disc features vocals from three generations of Marleys: Ziggy's 3-year-old daughter, Judah; his mother (and Bob Marley's widow) Rita; and sister Cedella.

Excerpt: The Associated Press: Why did you decide to record a children's album?

Marley: I want to get the message to people who have an open mind, who don't have closed mind, who's not already set in their ways, and the only people like that are children. If I say my purpose is to make music that is going to make a change in the world or influence people, then who better to influence than children?

Excerpt: AP: You have five children. Do you see any of them becoming musicians in the future?

Ziggy: They're already musicians. I love what I see, and it's real. They're not trying, they really have something. Where they get it from, I don't know, but they have something. It's beautiful to see that and that's not just because I am their father. Whether they eventually do it, I don't know, but they have it.

Excerpt: AP: What other kinds of music would you like to explore?

Marley: I want to explore more African music. I'm into African music so I want to explore it more and see what I can do with it. I like the grooves, I like the hypnotic thing about African music. I want to see if I could eventually one day blend more African into this reggae thing and see what happens.

Title: Interview with Ziggy at Time out KIds

Excerpt: Ask Ziggy Marley where he resides, and the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and father of five will respond in his unmistakable accent, “I live on Earth. The world is my home. The trees are everywhere; the sky is everywhere. My home is in my mind.” Factually hazy, his answer nevertheless sums up the laid-back, often surreal attraction of both Jamaica and Los Angeles, between which he splits his time.

Excerpt: So far, Judah and her baby brother, Gideon, seem to be soaking the album up. “They love music—my music especially,” Marley says, laughing. “They sing the lyrics, they do the moves. Them dig it. Them dig it, mon.”

Title: Bob doesn't 'fit the bill', says Ziggy

Excerpt: Quadruple Grammy award winner, Ziggy Marley does not want his father reggae icon Bob Marley on legal tender, opposing the position of cultural stakeholders.

Ziggy... Bob Marley is already a national hero, whether the government says so or not
"Me no inna that," said Marley in Sunday Observer interview. "Give unto Caesar what is Caesar, we no inna that. Hugh Shearer is good, put him on the $5,000 bill. Me alright with that."

Excerpt: Internationally, Marley is the musical equivalent of revolutionary icon Che Guevara; locally he is a national hero in waiting. Ziggy Marley told the Observer that politicians will one day elevate him to hero status for political expediency.

"Even when he was around he did so much good things for people. During the One Love concert, which other man could have brought Eddy and Manley on stage in such a turbulent time to say peace in Jamaica. Is only a hero could have done that. We have to respect Bob for more than the music but what he stands for," argued Marley on Marley in reference to his father.

Title: Ziggy Marley giving kids music a try

Excerpt: I had no problem understanding why Ziggy Marley was the right candidate to put out a children's CD. Indeed, I couldn't name a single person better equipped to introduce young ones to the sunny joys of reggae music.

Excerpt: Just how long the children's music genre will hold Marley's creative attention is anybody's guess. We could see a proper follow-up to "Family Time," or something completely different. As fans know by now, Marley isn't one to put a lot of effort into predicting the future.
"Everything in its time," he says. "When the wind blows, it blows. I'm not a factory. There is a natural spiritual way, that's not dictated by time."

Title: "Family Time" for Ziggy

Excerpt: Grammy winner Ziggy Marley tops the charts with a his new kids album - Family Time - which he describes as recession-proof opening new markets that weed-themed reggae could not.

Excerpt: "The music industry is way down... but parents are always looking for good music for the children. So we always need music for the kids," he said of the album which debuted at number one on Billboard's reggae charts beating his previous peak at number three with Dragonfly in 2003.

Excerpt: "We don't follow the charts, but it's all good," he told the Observer of the chart success. "It's a great thing but we no really get excited over them things much. It is about playing the music... the music stands beyond the charts."

Excerpt: Marley's kids are mostly grown in the US but he says they "still have a Jamaican vibe... and they are not Americanised". He argues that patriotism is not necessarily tied to geography.

"It not about being there in Jamaica its about who you are," he said. "Me love Jamaica. It is still a place where there is a vibe like nowhere else. It is still a place that has a lot of potential and that is one of the reasons why I adopted a school in Port Antonio."
Part proceeds of the album will go towards that basic school as part of his foundation URGE ( Unlimited Resources Giving Enlightenment).

"I have tried the other way. where a man would say "give me a dollar" its not going to work. I want to do much more than give a man a dollar. I want to deal with children. Even though I am not there as often as I used to be, I am still putting resources in Jamaica to help the future," he said.

Title: Ziggy debuts at # 1 on Billboard Reggae Album Chart

Excerpt: Ziggy Marley’s newest release, Family Time made its debut this week at the coveted top spot of the Billboard Top Reggae Album Chart.

Excerpt: Family Time was produced by Don Was and features members of the Marley family including Rita, Cedella and his daughter Judah alongside other international acts including Paul Simon, Jack Johnson and Willie Nelson as well as actress Jamie Lee Curtis who narrates two stories.

Excerpt: Ziggy is quoted in an interview as saying the record “represents my daily family life and is inspired by my three-year-old daughter Judah and baby Gideon. It was a joy to make and opened up new avenues in my creativity.”

Title: Ziggy Marley gets in some 'Family Time'

Excerpt: With a new album out that's geared toward kids, the singer rhapsodizes about his own brood, parenting and his mellow outlook on life.

Excerpt: Are you going to write a child-rearing book?

Z: "I don't know about that. I've been writing some stories, working on some stories for kids. Give me a couple more years."

Excerpt: With this album, you seem to share credits with lots of people.

Z: "Oh yeah! It's really a team effort. And it has to do with children. Whenever children are involved there are a lot of people who wouldn't normally come because it's children. And not only is the music for children but obviously some of the proceeds from the record are going to help me develop this school in Jamaica. We call it a basic school -- you call it kindergarten."

Excerpt: And now what do you make next?

Z: "Ha ha! Well, I'm thinking about it. The next record I probably won't be thinking about kids. But musically? I want to be trying to take a trip, going on a journey. Who knows where it ends up? It has to be an adventure if I'm going to enjoy it. You know?"

Excerpt: And so you're going on tour? The good news is that parents are desperate to have their kids entertained, so you're in luck!

Z: "Well, as long as people keep having children we'll be all right. And we'll have music for the children. We're always looking for something for all kids: music, good food, good toys to play with. Stuff that means something! I think parents today are looking for meaningful things for their kid. It's about feeding them something with meaning."

Title: Ziggy Marley Responds to Buju Banton

Excerpt: Although the crowd at UWI reportedly applauded his remarks, they were not as well received outside the lecture hall. Jamaican media as well as radio shows and websites around the world have been flooded with outraged remarks from music critics and Bob Marley’s millions of fans. When asked for his thoughts on the matter, Ziggy laughed for a long time before speaking his mind.

Excerpt: “Me love my father, you know? And me love all of my elders and my heroes. And I would never say anything to put down any of them. From Bob to Toots to Peter [Tosh] to Bunny [Wailer]. I wouldn’t say anything to put down any of those guys. You understand? I lift up them. Those are our heroes. We lift them up. We don’t put them down.”

Excerpt: McGregor also blamed the media for blowing the controversy out of proportion. “This man spoke for almost an hour and a half, and for them to take one line and take it out of context and out of perspective, I was so hurt. He also talked about Bob’s sons and the affect on their music. They are not allowed to create and develop in their own way. People always compare them to their father. I know it’s frustrating for them. And other artists have suffered because they don’t come from that lineage. The industry has kept it like that. Still to this day major record labels don’t know how to market this music.”

Title: Wall Street Journal: Fun for the Whole Family

Excerpt: You may not know Ziggy Marley's music, but it's likely your kids do. The eldest son of the late Bob Marley and singer Rita Marley sang his father's "Three Little Birds" with the title character of Nickelodeon's "Dora the Explorer." He appeared on "Sesame Street," and his "Believe in Yourself" was the theme song for PBS's "Arthur." His "Love Power," recorded with his band the Melody Makers, ran under the end credits of "Muppet Treasure Island," and he provided the voice for Ernie, a dreadlock-wearing jellyfish, in "Shark Tale."

Excerpt: Mr. Marley said that when he first had the idea to do the record, he met with Dan Zanes. "He explained that I would want to be doing music for the family. I wanted adults as well as kids." Mr. Zanes, a member of the '80s band the Del Fuegos, has recorded six smart albums that please kids and their parents, one of which won a Grammy in the Best Musical Album for Children category.

Excerpt: Mr. Marley was at work on "Family Time" in a Los Angeles recording studio when Mr. Simon called producer Don Was in search of a drummer for a project. A conversation between the two singer-songwriters ensued, but Mr. Marley was too shy to ask Mr. Simon if he'd like to be on the album. A mutual friend intervened and Mr. Simon sang and played guitar on the heartening "Walk Tall."

Title: Ziggy Marley Sets Clock to "Family Time"

Excerpt: MSN: Why did you want to do a kids album and why now?

Ziggy Marley: Last year after I finished touring the last record it was time to consider what's next. It wasn't the first option that came to my mind, focusing on children, but then I've been involved in so many kids stuff it kept kinda peeking around the corner, a record where my mindset would be focused on kids.

Excerpt: How did Paul Simon get involved?

Paul Simon is someone else that I have that spiritual vibe with. I met him probably once before we did this. He called me asking for help in finding a drummer for him for some music he was doing, and I was honored he would call about that. I wasn't even thinking about asking him. But we were talking and he asked what I was working on. I said, "I'm making a children's record," and he seemed genuinely interested. We talked to a lot of people, and sometimes you have fake people, but everyone on this record is real people. Ain't nothing about business, this record is all pleasure.

Excerpt: Some proceeds from the album will benefit a school in Jamaica -- why did you choose this particular school?

We're already doing stuff with them, so this will be additional. We adopted a school in Jamaica in Port Antonia and have been coming up with ideas to [support them]. We do all of that through my charity, U.R.G.E. But I'm all into children. My belief is we have to focus on the future. We can't focus on today, it's not gonna work. If we really want things to change -- we talking about Jamaican economic and social programs to make a better place -- the accomplishment will be seen 10 years from now. So we can't think about ourselves, we have to think 10 years ahead of time. I am making an effort to develop better education because I believe in it.

So we are working with the school and orphanages in Jamaica. But this is the next thing: I have to build the school more. A portion of my concert tickets also goes to U.R.G.E.

Excerpt: Did your father's commitment to social change through music influence your commitment to children?

Everything is connected. My mother plays a big role, my relatives nobody knows play a big role. What I'm doing today is because of a combination of all the things I've ever experienced in my life.