marley and me

Well.

This is about Damien Marley but … to begin with … I am not sure I know one person who doesn’t like Bob Marley’s greatest hits cd. You may not like to listen to reggae day in and day out but taking time for an hour of the ‘best of the best’? … once again … I do not know one person who doesn’t enjoy it. I was fortunate enough to see Bob Marley and the Wailers (at UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion of all places … of which it was a slightly different experience than seeing the Bruins play basketball in that the entire pavilion was filled with smoke – ceiling to floor – and you could get high without ever smoking anything on your own).

Anyway. Luckily for us good ole Bob had a healthy libido and a fertile soul because he has a slew of children still making music.

Damien ”Jr. Gong” Marley has a new song called “affairs of the heart.”

Affairs of the Heart: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HT2789urycI&ob=av2n

Damien is the youngest of the Bob brood.

His first release <Mr. Marley I think> and then his major debut Halfway Tree not only showed he wasn’t Bob reborn but also kind of showcased an evolution of the traditional reggae … some great reggae like rhymes overlaying a really unique blend of music … a classic reggae at its core incorporating threads of hip-hop, r&b and dance club styles. He is continuing his trend by crossing a bunch of stuff into reggae. He is doing what pop collaborators are doing with dance and hip hop but instead with reggae … and he is doing it by himself. And while this song I think is kind of a crossover and feel good he continues to take on the bigger social issues of poverty in his Jamrock style (he does a song called Welcome to Jamrock … an older song … that is tough love and reggae at its best).

Anyway.

Affairs of the Heart is a reminder that reggae is alive and well. And that Bob’s legacy is alive and well.