Ziggy Marley has released his first-ever song dedicated to his late father, Bob Marley, featured on his new solo album Brightside, per dailynews.com.
The track, titled “Many Mourn for Bob,” arrives ahead of the Reggae singer-songwriter’s upcoming headline performance at Reggae Night XXIV at the Hollywood Bowl on Sunday, June 21.
The release marks the first time the 57-year-old artist has written a song about his father, 45 years after the reggae legend’s death from cancer on May 11, 1981, when Ziggy was 12 years old. The track incorporates archival audio from a 1977 interview given by Bob Marley following an assassination attempt, reflecting on his Rastafarian faith and mortality.
Marley stated that the track emerged from a deeper reflection on fame and empathy for his father’s personal experiences, noting that he felt a portion of his father’s voice was represented through his own words. The new album, *Brightside*, is Marley’s first solo project in six years and includes the anti-prejudice single “Racism is a Killa”.
The six-year hiatus between albums was partly due to Marley spending two years working on the Bob Marley biographical film. The creative experience from the movie inspired new musical ideas and prompted him to construct his own independent recording facility, Rebel Lion studio, in Los Angeles to write and rehearse in privacy.
Marley’s upcoming Hollywood Bowl concert will feature his daughter, Zuri Marley, performing a DJ set, alongside veteran reggae artist Burning Spear. Marley described the 81-year-old Burning Spear as a vital father figure who was a close friend of his late father during the early days of their musical careers in Jamaica.
Looking forward, the musician expressed a desire to expand into filmmaking and short films within Hollywood. He also continues to oversee his charity, the U.R.G.E. Foundation, which will celebrate its 20th anniversary next year and primarily focuses on supporting children’s education, teacher salaries, and disaster relief projects in Jamaica and Los Angeles.
•Featuredimage: Ziggy Marley/Zach Weinger/Tuff Gong Worldwide
