With his recent GRAMMY win for Best Reggae Album, Emmy and six-time GRAMMY-winning Reggae singer Ziggy Marley has just released his fifth album, FLY RASTA, on April 15th, and on the album are some of his relatives including Cedella Marley and Sharon Marley. A truly family affair!
He is the oldest son of reggae legend Bob Marley, and has definitely followed his his father’s footsteps with wanting to make the world a better place. Ziggy is a spokesman for Little Kids Rock, a non-profit organization that provides free musical instruments and free lessons to children in public schools and he has founded the non-profit foundation U.R.G.E., helping the lives of children in Jamaica, Africa, and throughout the world. U.R.G.E acts to support education, health, the environment, in efforts to improve the communities where children live and grow. He also has created his very own organic food line and children’s books, too, so he’s all about sharing his experiences.
I had the chance to talk to him, and, as expected, he was amazing to talk to!
Hannah: What’s the one thing that your father, Bob, taught you that you still think of today?
Ziggy: One big thing. Hard work. You know, he showed me hard work. And he taught me hard work by his example.
Hannah: While you’re primarily known as a reggae artist, you’ve recorded a children’s album, Family Time. What inspired you to do this?
Ziggy: I think it was important, I felt, to speak to children because that’s where the solution lies for the future. We’ve lost some of the meaning of what music can do for the world. With music, you feel like you can do anything, and I wanted to share that to the children.
Hannah: What do you do to be eco-friendly on the road?
Ziggy: For this trip, we’re trying to get rid of the plastics. Usually we have like plastic water bottles. Every little bit counts.
Hannah: Exactly! And do you think that it’s hard?
Ziggy: I don’t think it’s hard. I think you just have to make the effort, the effort forward.
Hannah: I think that it’s so cool that you include a wildflower seeds enclosed in your new album for people to use. What inspired you to do that?
Ziggy: It’s the earth. You know, like people need to get back in touch with the Earth. I’m trying to get them be a part of the Earth and active on that level. I wanted to give people the excitement of something new. The seeds are a part of the earth, they are a part of the planet and when you use them, it lets you become a part of the planet. It’s all about getting back to the earth, and the more we can sustain and the more we can flourish.
Hannah: What else inspires you just to really be who you are?
Ziggy: I think a lot of my inspiration comes from nature. I really like that, you know. I feel it gives me everything and I appreciate all of nature. It’s beautiful. You have to have things come from a good point of view and a point of view of how can this help other people. It not about how to make money, but how can we can make the world more beautiful.
Ziggy’s new album, FLY RASTA is out now, and he’ll be touring across North America this summer!
Leave a Reply