Reggae legend Bob Marley has now been deceased for longer than he was alive, but his hyper-talented DNA continues to send ripples through the musical universe. A fair number of Marley’s 11 acknowledged children have followed their iconic father into the family business, with son David — better known as Ziggy —having perhaps the highest professional profile among them.
But Stephen “Ragga” Marley has been on his musical journey nearly as long as his older brother, starting with his appearance at age six with Ziggy at 1978’s One Love Peace Concert in Jamaica, sitting in with their father and his renowned group, The Wailers, and continuing with his role as guitarist, drummer and vocalist in the earliest incarnation of the Melody Makers, the collective formed by Marley’s wife Rita in 1979 and comprised of four of Marley’s children.
By the time of the Melody Makers’ debut album, 1984’s Play the Game Right, the band — then dubbed “Ziggy Marley & the Melody Makers” — had established itself as a unique Pop/Reggae hybrid, and Stephen took more of a background position in the Grammy-winning, platinum-selling group, although he sang lead on a number of the band’s hits and gained a reputation for his Dancehall toasting skills. In the mid-’90s, Stephen moved into the control room to produce albums by his younger brothers Damian and Julian; his work with the former led to Grammy wins as well. Outside of the family, Stephen worked the board for a veritable who’s who of Hip Hop and R&B talent, including The Fugees, Erykah Badu, Krayzie Bone and Eve, as well as Reggae superstars Inner Circle and Dancehall master Capleton.
Stephen finally launched his solo career a dozen years ago with 2007’s Mind Control, followed by 2011’s Revelation Part I: The Root of Life and 2016’s Revelation Part II: The Fruit of Life. All three albums earned Grammys for Best Reggae Album, bringing Stephen’s win total to eight.
All of Stephen’s albums to date have been hailed as ambitious works that envision Reggae’s future by incorporating Hip Hop and Pop flourishes while remaining conscious of the genre’s roots as a vehicle for social protest and a cultural soundtrack for multiple generations. Bob Marley was surely one of the legendary pioneers that brought Reggae to the world, but Stephen Marley is one of the shining lights that has kept it relevant in the new millennium.
Marley’s Acoustic Jams tour comes to Covington’s Madison Theater Friday. Click here for tickets/more info.
This article appears in May 29 – Jun 5, 2019.
