“Anything that sounds good is good,” says Stephen Marley, paraphrasing Duke Ellington. Don’t be surprised to hear the King of Reggae’s son referencing Harlem’s master of the jazz orchestra. Never one to limit his musical horizons, Stephen has always listened without prejudice, letting his inspiration set him free as a singer, songwriter, musician, and producer—whether collaborating with his illustrious musical family, or with Lauryn Hill, Nas, or Erykah Badu.
Beginning his lifelong musical journey at the age of six, Stephen shared historic stages with his legendary father and toured the world with his brother Ziggy and sisters Cedella and Sharon, The Melody Makers. The Tuff Gong instilled in all of his children a strict work ethic and an awareness that “music is way more than just music.”
Over the past 45 years, Stephen has won no fewer than eight Grammy Awards—three with The Melody Makers, twice as a producer of his younger brother Damian Marley, and three times as a solo artist. Every one of his solo projects to date has topped the Billboard Reggae charts. Stephen Marley’s place in music history is already secure. He does not really need to push the envelope, to defy expectations, to let the whole world into his world. And yet that is just what he’s decided to do.
Stephen Marley’s highly anticipated new single Old Soul just dropped on his birthday April 20, 2023; the first work off his new studio project in 5 years which is set to release later this year --and comes as a complete revelation and many new surprises.
Stephen is excited to bring another ‘Babylon By Bus’ Summer Tour on the road this summer!!
Stay tuned for more updates and music coming soon, visit stephenmarleymusic.com for more information.
He is so amazing in concert. He really interacts with the crowd. And he will play bongo drums sometimes too. I really love when he does one of his father's songs. And of course when he does a show with his brothers it is absolutely amazing. Also, I love that he always meets his fans and interacts with them after the show.
Reggae is one of those musical styles which just feels completely timeless. No matter what era it’s from, when you hear the hallmark reggae drums and off-beat chords its always going to be good vibes no matter what year it was made. Some artists, such as Protoje, are doing a great job of instilling that timeless reggae vibe into a more contemporary setting and its resulting in some really great cutting-edge Jamaican music.
For such a typically chilled genre, Protoje and his band do a great job of injecting in some real energy. As the drums build up the pace throughout the songs, jams can erupt where scratchy guitar leads mesh with the echoey piano tones to create something truly blissful. This sense of euphoria extends into the vocals which are led by Protoje’s dominant tone but as the songs pick up the pace multiple vocalists join the set creating harmonies and playful call and responses. Protoje isn’t messing with the fundamentals of the reggae sound but he is making them absolutely flourish in a contemporary live setting.