Bob Marley’s music comes to life in Bend, thanks to Ziggy Marley
Published 4:20 pm Tuesday, August 30, 2022
- Ziggy Marley pays tribute to his father, Bob Marley, when he plays Hayden Homes Amphitheater Tuesday.
Bob Marley would’ve turned 77 this year if he hadn’t died of cancer in 1981. Two years ago, his oldest son, Ziggy Marley, was set to tour a live-in-concert tribute to his father to celebrate the reggae icon’s 75th birthday.
Alas, COVID-19 had other plans, and Ziggy was forced to postpone the celebration.
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Now, with live music back on the road, he’s “fulfilling the promise” he made two years ago, he said, and playing a mix of Bob’s most famous songs and a few obscurities in venues like Bend’s Hayden Homes Amphitheater, where he’ll perform Tuesday night.
GO! caught up with Ziggy Marley and asked him a few questions about playing his father’s music. Here’s part of that conversation, edited for space and clarity.
GO!: When you’re putting together these setlists, what kinds of things go through your mind?
Ziggy Marley: I try to add in stuff that’s not so popular (alongside the songs everyone knows). Songs like “Pimper’s Paradise” that are not usually played on the radio and the playlists. These are the more obscure songs that are not like “One Love,” “Is This Love,” “Jammin’” and those types of things. And I’m trying to include music that he did on albums like “Survival” and “Uprising,” which is what he was touring before he passed away.
GO!: Why is that important to you, to get the lesser-known songs into your tribute?
ZM: Well, I think sometimes people overlook (some of his more political and militant) songs because they have a certain idea about Bob Marley. But the hardcore fans know the deep cuts.
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GO!: What kind of reaction do you get from people when they see one of his children singing his songs?
ZM: People are appreciative. Some of them think, you know, they didn’t get to see Bob, but they see me doing it and to them it’s like seeing Bob. And for some people, that’s a very spiritual experience.
GO!: You’ve obviously known your father and his music for all your life. Is there still anything you’re able to learn about him or from him when you perform these songs?
ZM: You know, I’m his oldest son, so to sing his songs, for me, there’s an emotional connection there (because I know) he was singing these songs and now I’m singing these songs. I’m very connected to that and very connected to him. So it definitely carries an emotional weight that is expressed when I’m doing these songs.
GO!: Does it feel more emotional the older you get and the longer you’re a father?
ZM: Yeah, it does, because I realize how young he was when he died. I’m in my 50s now and he was 36 and it’s like, “Wow.” It’s kind of sad, you know?
GO!: I know you worked on a photo book (“Bob Marley: Portrait of the Legend”) about him and you’re involved in a movie about him that’s in production. It feels like there is this push to give people a fresh and well-rounded portrait of your dad. What do you want people to know about him most of all that you think maybe they don’t already know?
ZM: It’s the internal stuff that’s not in the photos or in the concerts. The behind-the-scenes stuff. The connection to us, not as an idol or a legend, but as a human being, as a friend, as family. Those types of things, I think, will help people feel closer to him and appreciate him even more.
GO!: Last question: He is so beloved by so many people. Everyone knows his music. As you said earlier, people believe they have an idea of what Bob Marley was all about. Is his legacy something you want to try to influence through this work? Or are you OK to just let it go and let it be what it will be?
ZM: Before he died, he said to me, “On your way up, take me up. And on your way down, don’t let me down.” And I think that in some way, unconsciously, this is what I’m doing. On my way up, I’m taking him up. On my way down, I won’t let him down. I mean, I’m his first son, right? There’s a responsibility there as any father would expect of their son. So something like that is involved, but I don’t think about it too much.
What: Ziggy Marley — A Live Tribute to his Father, with Kazayah
When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 6, doors open 6 p.m.
Where: Hayden Homes Amphitheater, 344 SW Shevlin Hixon Drive, Bend
Cost: $39.50
Contact: bendconcerts.com.