Michelle
One of Reggae music’s most prolific icons, Stephan “Raggamuffin” Marley, will make a triumphant return to the Belly Up stage tomorrow.
Bringing his expansive catalog of hits, the eight-time Grammy Award-winning musician will highlight tracks from multiple facets of his long and storied career.
From his legendary solo days to producing hits in the studio for his younger brother Damian to his time as a member of Ziggy Marley and The Melody Makers, Stephen Marley has done more in his 47 years than most artists will achieve in a lifetime.
As with many legends that came before him, Stephen Marley prides himself on writing and producing every hit that carries his name. After backing his brother Ziggy as a member of the Melody Makers, Stephen stepped into the spotlight of his solo career in early 2007.
He released his first self-produced record, “Mind Control” in 2007, which would also go on to be his first Grammy-worthy work. Some of his most notable hits came from this record, such as “Inna Di Red” (Ft. Ben Harper), the smash single “Hey Baby,” as well as the self-titled, “Mind Control,” and will he heard at the Belly Up on Saturday. But Stephen Marley’s achievements don’t stop there. His following album, “Revelations Pt. 1” released in 2011, as well as “Revelations Pt. 2” released in 2016 went on to top the American Reggae charts, both landing at No. 1.
As Reggae music has continued to take a backseat from the mainstream radio play over the years, we can continue to look to icons such as Stephen Marley to continue to push modern Reggae music into the limelight.
As with any genre of popular music, artists seem to come and go overnight. This is where Stephen, as well as the entirety of the Marley clan, set themselves apart from the rest of the scene. The quality of work put out by Stephen Marley has stood the test of time and continues to pack clubs and festivals around the world.
One of the most sacred elements of Reggae music is that it carries an ethos of love and positivity that most of this “flavor-of-the-month” top 40 severely lacks.
Reggae music will always stand alone from pop music due to this ethos. Reggae, at its core, carries more heart, soul, and passion than anything topping the pop charts.
Reggae is not a money grab, nor a direct line to stardom. It is a music culture centered around spreading positivity and love and delivers a fanbase of good people along the way.
Stephen Marley continues to carry the flame as the most iconic of the remaining Marley entertainers. A packed tour schedule keeps Raggamuffin regularly moving coast to coast in a quest to bring the love and good vibes of Jamaica to the masses.
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