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Born the only child of reggae legend Bob Marley and Jamaican table tennis champion Anital Belnavis, Ky-mani moved to Miami, U.S. at the age of nine. Initially focused on his sporting endeavours in soccer and American football, the Jamaican, under his mother’s direction soon learned to play the guitar and piano. He subsequently played the trumpet in his high school band and begun rapping and Djing, ultimately releasing his debut single “Unnecessary Badness” whilst still in his teens.
Following an experimental period of studio time, often with his brothers Stephen, Julian, and Damian, Ky-mani signed with Shang Records, who issued his debut album “Life Father Like Son” in 1996. The record proved popular in reggae circles, spawning the singles “Judge Not” with Patra, “The Cap Fit (remix), “Sensimelia”, and the No. 1 British Reggae Chart single “Dear Dad”. A year later Marley collaborated with Praswell of Fugees fame on a cover of Eddy Grant’s single “Electric Avenue”, cementing the musician’s reputation as a staple of the new era of reggae artists.
After signing with Gee Street/V2 Records in 1997 fans would have to wait until 2000 for the release of his sophomore album “The Journey”. Unlike his debut which featured a number of Bob Marley songs, “The Journey” was comprised entirely of Ky-mani penned songs, as was his third full-length “Many More Roads” in 2001. The latter album subsequently earned a Grammy nomination for Best Reggae Album, however lost out to his brother Damian Marley and his album “Halfway Tree”.
Following an extensive period of touring and testing out new material, Ky-mani returned in 2004 to release his fourth studio album “Milestone”. The singer-songwriter’s fifth full-length “Radio” topped the Billboard Reggae Charts upon release in October 2007 earning widespread critical acclaim. Later in 2007 Ky-mani collaborated with Young Buck on his track “Puff Puff Pass”, after which he contributed to releases by Alborosie and The Dirty Heads.
Using influences like Arab and African music, Hakim “Bouchkour” Meridja, Aurelien “Komian” Zohou, Jeremie Gregeois, Moritz Von Korff, Frederic Peyron, Idir Derdiche and Gregoy “Zigo” Mavidorakis formed the reggae group Dub Inc (previously Dub Incorporation). The French group has been making music together for over a decade and write their songs in a variety of languages like French, English, Arabic and Kabyle.
It is a complete understatement to say that they have a large fan following. Taking the stage met with a deafening cheer from the crowd, each member would take up their instruments and take their place on the stage. There is so much energy flowing through, from the crowd to each member of the group, with everyone giving and taking from this energy. It is really quite amazing to see how flawlessly Bouchkour and Komian can switch from one language to another for each song. They love the crowd, and make sure to let them know by giving it their all for the entirety of the show. They utilize all of the stage to make sure that all sides of the crowd gets their attention. The music flows though you and moves you to dance and there is absolutely no fighting it.
Ellinoinsta
I like to think that all concerts, no matter the genre or audience, can be made better by the band or artist opening the whole shebang with a snippet of Europe’s The Final Countdown. The best shows will never need it; it opens most shows by reggae/hip hop artist Ky-Mani Marley (son of Bob) which would be unforgettable on their own merits, but it can’t help but add a little extra awesomeness either way. The high-point of eighties cheese-metal may stand to contrast with his earthy, yet accessible mix of classic dancehall with beats and hooks lifted from modern hip-hop but in a way it’s entirely fitting. Marley and his band are there to make people as happy as they possibly can, and give people as much of a good time as humanly possible, and not many songs symbolize a good time quite like the Final Countdown. While Marley’s music may be informed and influenced by as many cultural and social issues as would be appropriate for a child of Bob, his live show only seeks to bring people together, to unite people in peace, love and some amazing music. Again, something very appropriate for a child of Bob but Ky-Mani Marley steps out from the shadow of his father in a big way. He can stand out on his own and the best way of seeing this is to see him live the next chance you get!
william-howard-2
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