Damian “Junior Gong” Marley—
For award-winning recording artiste Damian “Junior Gong” Marley 2019 is poised to be a great year for reggae music.
Personally, the youngest son of reggae King Bob Marley is heading to the studio to do some work both in front and behind the microphone. In an interview with the Jamaica Observer, he shared that he will be doing some producing with a number of artistes, including an album for veteran reggae band Third World.
“The members of Third World are very close to my family, so I will be working with them on an album and that’s a job for me. There are also a number of artistes that I will be doing work with as a producer this year, so big things are in story. Plus I will also be in studio working on my next album and the plan is to have some of the singles ready for the end of this year.”
But his excitement about the music coming out in 2019 is not just confined to his work. Marley noted that there is a buzz in the local music industry as a number of the popular artistes are preparing to release albums and new music in short order and that makes the prospects bright for the rest of the year.
“When you look at some of the other artistes who are currently in studio and the amount of new music on the horizon… people like Jah Cure and Tarrus Riley, it will be an exciting year. I am a fan of music from all sides. From hardcore dancehall to roots reggae and the music of the veterans, so I am definitely looking forward to what is coming out.”
“Artistes like Koffee, She is an exciting young deejay and I am drawn to her music and just love her lyrics and her style. Then there are the other artistes who are already out there a Chronixx, Mr Vegas, who was a great performer on the ship (Welcome To Jamrock Reggae Cruise) Jah 9 as well as veterans like (Bounty) Killer are coming with new music so we can wait to see how it all comes together this year. Plus Buju deh a road now… it’s gonna be good,” he continued.
“This year’s cruise was good. It gets smoother to plan as the years go by and all you have to do is smooth out the kinks as they pop up. Right now our next step is looking at options for the line-up of artistes. Each year we always try to have a balance of acts from all the import eras, and sub-genres of the music…. from the elders to the youth. Not many people understand that the cruise also gives us as artistes the opportunity to bond with each other. Normally we don’t really get time to catch up with what everybody else is doing, but being on the ship together for five night truly gives us a chance to get to know each other a little better and that is always a good thing,” Marley remarked.
With the recent release of deejay Buju Banton from a US prison, Marley had nothing but words of encouragement for this fellow artiste.
“I’m glad for him. Nine years away from your family and friends is a long time for anyone, so as a friend and human being, I’m really happy he has his freedom and can look to doing more music.”
—By Richard Johnson
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