by Michael Gerity
05/07/2011
Stephen Marley - Soldier of Jah
by Michael Gerity - Mousike Magazine April/May 2011
FAMILY
There are many different ways in which people react and deal with being born to a parent or parents of fame. Some become reclusive and completely shy away from a public life. Some willingly jump at the chance of notoriety only to be overwhelmed by mainstream’s expectations and constant scrutiny. And still others find living in the limelight a natural course of events, a somewhat familiar continuation of an open childhood in which they grew up, and one that ultimately provides them the tools to succeed. Stephen ‘Raggamuffin’ Marley took the tools from his parents and wasted no time becoming accustomed to both the musical recording world and performance on the stage.
Stephen Robert Nesta Marley was born on April 20th 1972 in Wilmington Delaware to his parents Bob and Rita Marley. About the same time Stephen was born, his father Bob and his band The Wailin’ Wailers, had just met Chris Blackwell of Island Records. They would soon convince him to finance an album they planned to record back in Jamaica. And one week before Stephen’s first birthday in April of 1973, Catch a Fire was released, propelling Stephen’s father Bob and the Wailer’s on a course to Reggae superstardom.
Nearly forty years later it can be said that, the Marley family may very well be the ‘first family’ of Reggae. Not only did Bob and Rita share a stage for nearly a decade for some of the most influential Reggae music of that time, but they bore a family of musicians that have continued to shape the sound of Reggae and Hip-Hop.
Stephen was the third child born to Bob and Rita, after older sister Cedella and older brother David “Ziggy”. He also has an older half-sister Sharon, from Rita’s previous relationship and the family musical roots have continued after him with younger brothers Damian “Jr Gong”, Ky-Mani and Julian, all whom share Bob as a father. His other siblings include Robert, Rohan, Karen and Makeda who have all pursued non-musical careers.
Stephen first appeared on record in 1979 at age 7 with Sharon, Cedella and Ziggy on “Children Playing in the streets”, a song written and produced by their father. The single addressed the horrible poverty that many children in Jamaica were living in and royalties from the single were donated to the United Nations to aid in its efforts during the international year of the child.
By age 8, Stephen took lead vocals on “Sugar Pie”, which he also performed live at the 1982 Jamaica World Music Festival in Montego Bay. If you check out YouTube, you will see a young Stephen strut his stuff with a booming confidence, his movements emanating a young swagger reminiscent of Bob. Even at this early age, it is clear he is his father’s son.
MELODY MAKERS
In 1981, Bob passed on from this plane and a nine year old Stephen performed with his older brother Ziggy at their father’s funeral. Later that same year Ziggy, Stephen, Cedella and Sharon released “What a Plot” as the Melody Makers. And so the Marley family band was officially born.
By 1985, the Melody Makers released their first album, Play the Game Right, but it failed to garner mainstream success. Stephen was featured on a 12” single titled “Jah is the Healing” (the reverse side to “Naah Leggo”, the opening track of the album). And in 1986, they followed up with the release of Hey World!, but it too failed to crack the charts. Stephen however was again featured, on a track “Lord We A Come”.
Conscious Party was the group’s breakthrough in 1988 with the single “Tomorrow People” reaching mainstream audiences. Produced by Chris Franz and Tina Weymouth of the Talking Heads, it did well on both the pop and R & B/hip-hop charts in the US and the band won the Grammy for Best Reggae Recording that year.
One Bright Day was released soon after in 1989 and was again a Grammy Award winner. The Melody Makers rode that success and continued to put out albums until 2000, with Fallen is Babylon (1997) as the third Grammy Award winner for the band. The work, play and musical interaction with his older siblings throughout that twenty year period would eventually prove to be a fertile training ground for what was to come.
