Damian Marley Interview

Ital:

Jr Gong: Yeah man, thanks for having me

Ital: Give Thanks. It's nice to have you here. First things first. Congratulations on the album; nominated for the 2001 Grammys. Is it beyond your wildest expectations to be nominated for the Grammy, would you say?

Jr Gong: No! No man; because you work and you work to see rewards. It's rewarding and I'm very honoured. In the Reggae category it's mainly the veterans who get nominated, you don't find a lot of young artists being nominated. So this is my second album, and with me being so young, it's an honour, you-know? Yeah.

Ital: What does it mean for you personally to be nominated for the 2001 Grammys?

Jr Gong: Well, it's another notch on the belt. It's just like another step you take in your career you-know? It's a great step. The Grammy is a well respected award amongst the music fraternity. At the same time still, our father (Bob) didn't receive a Grammy award in the Reggae category, and everyone know that our Father (Bob)is one of the greatest Reggae musicians, you-understand? So it's really the love of the people that is the greatest reward for us, you-understand? So we give thanks for the Grammy, but as we say, the love of the people is the
greatest reward.

Ital: Rastafari everytime! Tell the Afiwi audience how long you've been singing and performing?

Jr Gong: All my life really you-know. Yeah, started from singing in my aunt's living room. My first public performance was in 1989. Been singing a while.

Ital: Yes-I, give thanks for that. How many albums have you produced? Can you tell our Afiwi audience the names of them?

Jr Gong: Yeah man; well you have the current album "Halfway Tree"; had one album before that called "Mr. Marley". You also have my brother's Julian's album called "Lion In The Morning" you-understand, and we work on the "Chant Down Babylon" album, which is my father's album; the remixed one, know-what-I-mean? So those are some of the albums dem you-know.

Ital: What gave you the inspiration for naming your album "Halfway Tree"?

Jr Gong: Well, "Halfway Tree". You been to Jamaica?

Ital: Yeah man!! My heritage is from Jamaica.

Jr. Gong: Seen! Nice. You know Halfway Tree, the big roundabout. You have Hope Road on one side and the next side you go down to Three Mile, you- understand? When you check it, one side leads you to the ghetto or slums and the other side leads you uptown to the more posh areas, you-understand? So it's like a bridge. Halfway Tree is like a bridge between the two sides. My mom (Cindy Breakspeare) come from uptown, my dad from downtown, you understand? So me myself now come like that same Halfway Tree bridge. So that's the relevance.

Ital: Give thanks for that. Let's see. This year with the Grammy nominated album, you've joined forces with the big powerhouse from the United States, Motown. Can you tell the Afiwi audience what the experience had been like for you on that new venture last year?

Jr Gong: Well yeah you-know; It's opening doors for us that would otherwise be closed, you-know-what-I-mean? Yeah, as you know they're a major label and you're getting a major label push. The links and contacts they have and what-have-you. For example then, on this album I've done a lot more media coverage than I did on the first album, you-know-what-I-mean?, yeah.

Ital: What are your future endeavours? Anything you're working on down the pipeline for the year 2002?

Jr Gong: Yeah well, right now, I'm finishing up Julian's album and we're starting to work on Stephen's album real soon. Recently we did a remix with Wyclef called "I Stand A Chance". I hope it will be the next single in America you-know? So we working.

Ital: I have to give nuff thanks and praise unto you. One thing I love about the Marley brothers is the unity. That's one thing your father tried to do for the world through his music was to create unity, and it's a pleasure to see the seed of Bob Marley come forward showing the world that unity is definitely the key.

Jr Gong: Yeah man, give thanks and respect.

Ital: One other question Jr. Gong. You-know, when your dad was alive, his music wasn'taccepted by the African-American community here in the United States. One of the things Bob wanted to do was to have his music reach out and appeal to the African-American and American market. I've seen and witnessed now where your other brother Ky-Mani's album has also been nominated for the Grammy. You've all made that big step of uniting Reggae music with Rhythm & Blues, Hip-Hop, and other American genres. Do you think that this is the way your dad would have wanted it?

Jr Gong: Yeah, check this right; "Could You Be Loved". When you listen to "Could YouBe Loved", you wouldn't really listen it as a traditional reggae record you-understand? Yeah, but it have a whole heap of funk and R & B influence; you-understand-weh-me-a-deal-wid? So as you said earlier, my father's music was geared towards the African-American audience, Black America. So when you check those tunes, it have moreinfluence, from the Soul era, James Brown ting (thing). Definitely! I'm glad with the direction we're going in. Music not stagnant, music is a ting where you have to keep moving.

Ital: Give thanks! It's good to see The Marley Brothers are keeping pace, setting the trend in many aspects about how our music is developing and growing for the future.

Jr Gong: Seen! Give Thanks!

Ital: Jr. Gong. Congratulations and nuff success for the Grammy nomination. Wishing you good things and even better for 2002-into-three. Rastafari Live.

Jr Gong: Highly-I! Give Thanks.

Afterword:
Afiwi congratulates Damian in winning the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album of the Year just days after our Interview. May Jah continue to bless you Breddrin !

see our complete list of Reggae Grammy Winners.