Title: Ziggy learns from Family Time

Excerpt: "This is the easiest album I ever made," he told The Sunday Gleaner last Friday. "It changed my whole mindset about recording and producing. It felt so good, so nice. To me, it's like biblical where a simple thing is so powerful. This is definitely one of my best works (even before winning the Grammy)."

Marley, 41, said from the outset he strived for an organic sound.

"We decided not to overproduce," he explained. "Everybody was in studio at one time playing the instruments. We tried to do it as organic as possible."

Excerpt: "Most of what went into Family Time is from experiences with my young ones," said Marley, who has five children. "I look at children differently now. It's been a learning process. I've learned how to be a better observer and listener."

Excerpt: "Kids are the solution to our problems in this world," Marley said, explaining his passion for working for children.

Excerpt: Ziggy's thoughts ...

on his children: "I recognise certain things in them that similar to my father. Them have a lot of them grandfather's spirit in them. Certain behaviour, certain expressions mek mi seh, 'Wait, wah a gwaan?'."

on desires: "There are two things I really want to do. Perform in Jamaica and in Africa some more. We (brothers) plan to shoot a film in South Africa during the World Cup."

on reggae: "Reggae music is a very special thing. It's spiritual when it's done right."

on Stephen winning second Grammy: "I understand it may come under criticism. (Stephen won a Grammy for an acoustic version of an album that won two years ago.) You have to understand that people outside of Jamaica see the music differently than in Jamaica."

On Smile Jamaica concert cancellation: "I'm very disappointed. I'd have to get the details from Stephen to find out what happened, but I believe if it wasn't going to be done right, it shouldn't be done any at all and that's probably what was happening."

on Ziggy Marley presents Dancehall Originators Vol 1: "It's my attempt to let the younger generation know about some of the pioneers. A lot of youths don't know enough about the music. Some people don't know how valuable our culture and music is. Is it mek Jamaica be Jamaica, so we need to know more about our past."

Title: More Marley Grammys

Excerpt: The 52nd annual staging of the Grammy Awards was yet another milestone for reggae family, the Marleys, as brothers Stephen and Ziggy strolled away with the coveted gramaphones in the Best Reggae Album and Best Musical Album for Children categories, respectively.

Excerpt: Ziggy, who is no stranger to the golden gramaphones, climbed over some five other nominees to grip the award with his Family Time album. In a brief comment to this newspaper, the singer said: "I feel very blessed to have travelled on this journey with my family and friends and feel honoured to have the Grammy Academy recognise Family Time."

Excerpt: In 2007, Ziggy's album Love Is My Religion won a Grammy for Best Reggae Album at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards.

Title: Bob Marley's Spirit Lives on at Grammys

Excerpt: Three of his sons were nominated for prizes on Sunday, and two of them won.

Ziggy Marley, 41, his eldest son, picked up the fifth Grammy of his career, this time in the children's musical album category for his all-star project

Excerpt: Marley, who first made a splash in the 1980s with his sibling group the Melody Makers, corralled the likes of Paul Simon, Willie Nelson, Jack Johnson and Toots Hibbert for "Family Time," which also includes two spoken-word pieces from Jamie Lee Curtis. Proceeds went to a school in Jamaica.

Title: Family Time #2 on About.com Best Children's music of 2009 List

Excerpt: Ziggy Marley, Bob Marley's oldest son, has been making music pretty much all his life, but Family Time is his first album for kids and their grownups. Some well-known friends (Paul Simon, Toots Hibbert, Elizabeth Mitchell, and several family members) dropped by to help Ziggy, resulting in an album of loving, fun tunes backed by rootsy, poppy reggae.

The fact that this album begins with the lines

Title: Family Time included in USATODAY's 2009 review

Excerpt: The Consensus: "Ziggy collaborated with some big names like Paul Simon and Jack Johnson" for this celebration of family, says Thomas. It's great for a read trip."

Title: Family Time Nominated for Grammy - Best Musical Album for Children

Excerpt: Field 16 — Children's



Category 76

Best Musical Album For Children
(For albums consisting of predominantly music or song vs. spoken word.)

American Heroes #3
Jonathan Sprout
[Sprout Recordings]

Banjo To Beatbox
Cathy & Marcy With Special Guest Christylez Bacon
[Community Music, Inc.]

Family Time
Ziggy Marley
[Tuff Gong Worldwide]

Great Day
Milkshake
[Milkshake Music]

Jumpin' & Jammin'
Greg & Steve
[Greg & Steve Productions]

Pete Seeger Tribute — Ageless Kids' Songs
Buck Howdy
[Prairie Dog Entertainment]

Title: Family Time on NPR's Best Music of 2009 List

Excerpt: This huge year for Ziggy Marley saw the release of his own Family Time, as well as his father's B Is for Bob collection for kids. Children respond naturally to reggae, and Family Time brings friends (Paul Simon, Jamie Lee Curtis) and family (Rita Marley) together in a spirited celebration of reggae rhythm and pride. "Walk Tall," Ziggy's collaboration with Paul Simon, inspires kids to "walk tall, even when you fall." It's a simple message that works on several levels, yet the album never sacrifices musical quality for teachable moments.

Title: Ziggy in Hawaii

Excerpt: Marley returns to Hawaii to promote his latest recording projects, the light and friendly "Family Time" and "B Is for Bob," the latter a reworking of some of his father's classic tunes for those young at heart. Besides two concerts here and on Maui this weekend, Marley will be making time to do other promotional visits in Honolulu, including appearances at the Hawaii Children's Discovery Center (see box) and the Hard Rock Cafe, both tomorrow. (The private Hard Rock gig comes after being gifted with a handmade Hawaiian steel guitar from the high school students of the Invention Factory project.)

Excerpt: Marley served as executive producer of "B Is for Bob." He said the project "was done specifically for children. We did musical reinterpretations of some of my father's more popular songs to make them more heartfelt, tweaking and fine-tuning them here and there. My children know a lot about their grandfather, and they got a lot of his spirit in them. For example, Gideon likes 'Jammin'," so we beefed up the drums and pushed the rhythm a bit more. A song like 'Three Little Birds' was stripped down to give it a more acoustic, more personal feel. The chorus of 'Small Axe' has children singing on it, and on 'Stir It Up' we edited some of the lyrics to give the song a real different vibe.

Excerpt: "My inspiration nowadays comes from anything from the kids," he said. "I want the best for children, so I keep the best thoughts and inspiration for my music. Children are the solution to our problems."

Excerpt: "I'm a student of life, so I still think I'm growing up to be a better father. Even though I don't see my family often enough, we stay in touch though the computer or talk on the phone. Right now what we do on the tour is important, because the people can benefit from my message that's wrapped in the music."

Excerpt: Another project on the horizon is the long-awaited Bob Marley documentary being put together by veteran director Jonathan Demme.
"Since the family is more involved in this project than others that have been mentioned in the past, people can expect a deeper, more in-depth movie," Marley said. "We plan to make this the ultimate one, where no other documentary before can compare. I'm not sure when it'll be coming to theaters, because we're still working on it and collecting rare footage of my father both on and off stage."

Title: 10 questions for Ziggy

Excerpt: AL:You’re getting toward the end of your tour–are you sick of these interviews yet?

Z: “No, no. It’s irie.”

Excerpt: AL:I understand homosexuality is illegal in Jamaica.

Z:“I think so but I am not 100 percent sure because I don’t read the legal books. People there feel, you know, that it’s not part of our culture that we grew up with. So it’s kept quiet and a lot of people in Jamaica accept it but a lot of the people who accept it still don’t want it to become a norm. But everyone needs to be uplifted. Everywhere. Every age.”

Excerpt: AL:What is it about reggae that appeals to so many people?

Z:“Well, I’m a child inside and I always grew up on my imagination. I think reggae music is more than music. It is a message first. That carries more than music. It uplifts consciousness. It raises consciousness and it can make you dance. So it has that double whammy. Some music makes you dance but it don’t know what to say. Some music says something but it won’t make you dance. But reggae music is both. It’s that easy vibe music. It’s just good vibrations.”

Title: Ziggy Marley Children's Show on Maui

Excerpt: Maui children and their parents are invited to attend a "Family Time Party" featuring a performance by reggae star Ziggy Marley at the Maui Prince Hotel Ballroom in Makena on Sunday, August 16 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.. The event is a benefit for Pacific Whale Foundation's "No Child Left Indoors" Fund that helps disadvantaged island children participate in environmental field trips, regardless of their family's financial situation. (To purchase tickets call (808) 249-8811 ext. 1.)

Excerpt: "We are very honored that Ziggy Marley chose to create this special benefit event for Pacific Whale Foundation's No Child Left Indoors Fund," says Merrill Kaufman, Education Director at Pacific Whale Foundation. "This fund helps to ensure that all Maui schoolchildren are able to participate in whalewatch field trips and other outdoor environmental education events, regardless of their families' ability to pay the school field trip fees."

Excerpt: "It's all about making a difference for kids," she says. "Ziggy is wonderful to create this musical opportunity for Maui kids, and to have it benefit our island kids as well."

Excerpt: Ziggy has long been involved within the children's community. His works include: a rendition of Give A Little Lovewith the Melody Makers on the 1991 Disney compilation For Our Children, the theme-song for the PBS series Arthur, and most memorably, a role in the movie Shark Tale as the voice of the Rasta jellyfish, Ernie. He has founded the non-profit organization Unlimited Resources Giving Enlightenment (U.R.G.E.), which serves a number of charitable children's causes in Jamaica and other developing countries. He is also an active supporter of Little Kids Rock, which provides children attending public schools with free musical instruments and lessons.

Title: Passing the music to the kids

Excerpt: "Kids have always been important to me. "... Reggae music people, people who play it, people who listen to it, always would pass the music to their kids, you know?"

"It came to me that it's time that we did music especially directed to children, and we started to write the songs. I think — thinking much deeper into it — it's a way for me to connect with the audience, if we can connect to them in this early stage in their lives, the changes that we want to see in this world is more possible than if we just making music for people who are already kind of set in their ways."

"I think that was the reason why this was put into my lap to do this. Because the message was for the children, it's really the children who have the open-mindedness, it's the children that can make the changes we are talking about today happen."

"We can inspire them, you know?"

Excerpt: "I'm a human being," he said, when asked if he was a Rastafarian as was, famously, his father.

"The Rastafarian culture is a part of my makeup," said Ziggy, "But everyone is a human being first. We are all the same.

"I'm a rebel in my own life, I make up my own mind, even though I am from that culture. I am not defined by anybody but me. I have that freedom to develop my consciousness.

"What is my religion? Love is what it is."

Title: Ziggy's Concert to Benefit Children's Discovery Center

Excerpt: On Saturday, August 15, Ziggy Marley brings family time to Hawaii! In support of the non-profit organization Hawaii Children’s Discovery Center (HCDC), he will be hosting a free children’s show at the center and will be performing songs from his newest children’s albums, “Family Time” and “B Is for Bob.” Seating is on a first-come, first-serve basis, no reservations will be taken for the event.

Excerpt: Growing up, music was a significant part of Ziggy’s childhood. And now, he hopes to share it with Hawaii’s children. “I know how important music can be in a child’s growth and development, and in a parent’s connection with their children,” he says. “Music helps children to grow with open minds and open hearts and this is my message.”

Excerpt: Ziggy has long been involved within the children’s community. His works include: a rendition of “Give A Little Love” with the Melody Makers on the 1991 Disney compilation “For Our Children,” the theme-song for the PBS series “Arthur,” and most memorably, a role in the movie Shark Tale as the voice of the Rasta jellyfish, Ernie. He has founded the non-profit organization Unlimited Resources Giving Enlightenment (U.R.G.E.), which serves a number of charitable children’s causes in Jamaica and other developing countries. He is also an active supporter of Little Kids Rock, which provides children attending public schools with free musical instruments and lessons.

Title: Something for the children

Excerpt: "I Love You Too," "Cry, Cry, Cry" and the title track are warm, clever songs that connect with children but never condescend.

"I would never want to talk or sing down to children," Marley says by phone from suburban Boston. "That just wouldn't be right."

Excerpt: "I've met a lot of great people during my career," Marley says. "Some of them were good enough to appear on the album. It just added to the experience. It's great to add something like this to children's music."

This is another musical step Marley has taken in kiddie terrain. He recorded the theme for the popular children's PBS series "Arthur." He and his Melody Makers sang "Small People" on the iconic "Sesame Street." Marley belted out "Three Little Birds" for the "Dora the Explorer" soundtrack.

"It's a labor of love," he says. "I loved working on those projects."

Excerpt: Marley's children often inspire his work, but he doesn't expect them to join the Marley musical troupe. "My children are very musical," he says. "They enjoy the music, but I don't think they're going to take it to the next level. It's all right if they don't become musicians; I'm already there. I make enough music for me and my kids."

Title: Ziggy Marley will bring his reggae to the Festival Pier

Excerpt: Ziggy Marley, son of the late, legendary reggae star Bob Marley, was only 12 when his dad died in 1981. While he understood his father's legacy growing up, Bob Marley's eldest son says it has become clearer to him with each year just how much his father's music meant to the world.

Excerpt: "I was pretty naive about this whole thing because I live in my own kind of space," the 40-year-old Jamaican singer said by phone earlier this week. "As I've gotten older, I have come to truly understand how much his music meant to people and what a positive impact he made."

Excerpt: "Children have very open minds and we can influence kids with positive ideas that will take root," Ziggy said. For "Bob is for Bob," Marley gently remixed some of his father's best-loved songs to make them more kid-friendly.

"I was very aware of the fragility of doing something with his music. As a musician I believed I could create something different, but still beautiful, out of it," Ziggy said, adding that living up to his father's legacy is a non-issue for him.

"Bob is a part of me, so I let the Bob in me be free."

Title: 311 + Ziggy = a good fit

Excerpt: "Oh yeah, man, it’s nice, nice people,” Marley said from another tour stop in Salt Lake City, speaking of 311’s audience. “We’ve got some of our peeps, too; some of our fans come by. It’s good to have a mix.”
For Marley, who in the past has toured with such disparate artists as The Black Crowes, Blues Traveler, The Fugees, Busta Rhymes and Marilyn Manson, things couldn’t have worked out better with this tour, as it allows him to expand his audience as well.
“For me, anything is a good fit,” Marley said. “Where there’s people, there’s music, and I’ll be there. Whatever fits, I don’t really check it; if people are gonna be there, I can connect.”

Excerpt: “The album is for family, really; it’s not kiddie music, not Mickey Mouse kind of music, not the Barney type thing,” Marley said. “It goes a little deeper than that. The music is made for people, human beings. The lyrics I wrote with children in mind.”
His shows with 311, however, focus on more adult fare, drawing equally from such Melody Makers classics as “Tomorrow People,” his solo material and his father’s songs.
“This kind of tour is very easy for me to do,” Marley said. “One hour, it’s nothing; I don’t even break a sweat yet. It gives me the opportunity to change up the set. I have more songs than I need. I can’t always put a song in there, but I like doing that; it’s cool.”

Title: Interview: Ziggy Marley - Blogcritics

Excerpt: BC: Coming off the Grammy-winning success of Love Is My Religion, I am curious to know what life events led you to record a children's album for your third solo project. What inspired the vision behind Family Time?

ZM: It seems like a transformation, when I think about it, from Love Is My Religion up to this record. But I was inspired by little things here and there in the world of children, especially music entertainment. I thought I had something to say that children might find uplifting and positive and inspiring. So I wanted to say to the children: "Family – that's what life is all about."

Excerpt: BC: What kind of impact do you hope that this album will have, since it is your first foray into children's music?

ZM: I have big, old faith in children because I want children to grow up in unity and peace and non-violence and the sun shining and love. So I hope I inspire children to speak of these things and have these things be in their lives. And then pass down to their children and their children's children until eventually, I won't have to make another children's record. This could be the only one ever and it's enough because the message is there. I hope it inspires generations and we are doing something that will inspire children to be better – better than we are as a whole in this human race in this time. The future generation can be better than what we have done here.

Excerpt: BC: My favorite track on the album is "My Helping Hands." Since you're involved in a lot of different philanthropic groups and a lot of different humanitarian efforts, many of which are related to HIV and AIDS, pick one of your most recent or cherished efforts and give me a little bit of insight on what drives you to keep on working with it.

ZM: Well, some proceeds from this record will help me to continue developing a school that I adopted, [Chepstowe Basic School in Port Antonio, Jamaica]. For me, I believe that the problem in Jamaica and other countries like Jamaica is lack of focus on children, lack of foresight. The problems will not be fixed today, but we must set some kind of foundation so we know that it will be fixed in the next generation. The problem is too big to be fixed, too big for promises that politicians give to people working for them. If we do not prepare the children, all of these problems will continue. That is why I get involved with children so much – to plant a seed for the future, to make it a brighter place. The only way the world is going to change is if we teach the children the right things and teach them the positive things because children have open minds, not like most adults where they already have what they believe and what they don't believe. This is why this record is significant to me. Children are still open to receive knowledge, to receive the true knowledge that's going to help to make the place better. The solution is in the children. We have to set them up and get them ready to make this happen. We can continue to dig at it, but it will only finally come to a reality if we make sure the children are ready by giving them a good education and giving them positive ideas to live by and teaching them truth.

Excerpt: BC: What do you consider to be your legacy?

ZM: Love is my legacy. Love is my religion. That is my legacy. That is the message.

Title: Ziggy Marley playing children's, adult shows on Friday

Excerpt: "I'm doing a full tour playing my children's music at day shows and playing with 311 at night," Marley said. "It's going to be a brand new experience doing both kinds of shows."

Fusing the worlds of children's and adult music comes easy for Marley.

Excerpt: "I grew up around music and it was in my life at an early age," Marley said. "I picked up a guitar when I was 12. My family was pretty influential on my choice to be a musician.

"Once I got inspired on the spiritual side, the magic of being inspired to write songs kept me going. Love is my religion and I started writing songs about that. This particular concept has run through my songs from early on."

Excerpt: "I know how important music can be a in a child's growth and development," Marley said. "That's why I wanted to make my new record, Family Time. It's a collection of songs I wrote with children in mind.

"My 2-year-old really helped me get back to some of those childhood vibes and enjoyment. That really let me write the songs."

No worries -- Family Time is a reggae record for kids of all ages.

Excerpt: "Usually my songs mean more than one thing. Family Time is about my family, your family and the world's family."

Title: Marley brings reggae music for youth, adults

Excerpt: "Family Time" is a work of original songs and some covers from Marley aimed at a children's audience. Guest stars on the album include Jack Johnson and Willie Nelson.

"The idea of doing a record for children runs deep in who we really would love to influence" Marley said. "The greatest step I've ever taken in music is singing for children."

Excerpt: "B is for Bob" features Ziggy reworking 12 of his father's songs for children. Marley said the idea was to have something of Bob Marley especially for children.

"We wanted to create something original - Bob Marley just for kids," Marley said. "We reworked some of the music. It's a bit different, so it's unique for children."

Excerpt: With hits of his own and his father's, Marley said he knows what songs the audience wants to hear but wants to find a good balance of songs during his set.

"I've gone to the extreme of wanting to give fans only something new. But it's human nature," Marley said. "People see the name Marley and want to hear something familiar, so I want to satisfy that need in them. I like the new stuff, but I am respectful of people and what they like to hear."

Title: Marley magic tops Billboard as Ziggy and Julian make their claim

Excerpt: The movements on the Billboard Reggae Album get more interesting each week.

Ziggy Marley entered a couple weeks ago and made his debut at number one, pushing dub band Easy Stars All Stars to number 2 and Buju Banton to 3.

By the following week, however, Easy Stars was back at one and Ziggy at two. Currently, in an interesting turn of events, Easy Stars has slipped into the number three slot, perhaps for the first time since entering this chart.

Right there at the pinnacle is Ziggy, with Family Time and muscling his way into number two is brother Julian, who made his Billboard debut with his album Awake, his third studio album and first in six years.

Title: Ziggy Marley Plays for the Kids

Excerpt: Grammy-winning recording artist Ziggy Marley unleashed his new youthful sound on the Santa Barbara community this past Friday, playing semi-acoustic for over 100 parents and children at the Santa Barbara Boys & Girls Club before taking the stage at the S.B. Bowl later that evening.

Excerpt: With a broken down set of acoustic guitars, miscellaneous percussion, and back-up vocals from his daughter, the Jamaican-born Marley showcased songs from his new album, Family Time, Marley’s third solo album and first full-length production geared specifically toward children and families.

Title: Ziggy Marley Performs Kids Concert at Club Nokia

Excerpt: A crowd of children and parents filled Club Nokia on Saturday morning to hear Ziggy Marley perform his first kids show, part of the GRAMMY Museum's "Musical Explorations" family series.

Excerpt: Last month, four-time GRAMMY winner Marley released his first children's album, "Family Time." "Growing up music was an important part of my childhood,” Marley said in a release. "I see it being just as important in my children and all children growth and development. Music helps children to grow with open minds and open hearts and this is my message."

Title: Marley and me

Excerpt: For this Sunday’s second ticketed concert of the year, Ziggy Marley may have people wiggling their hips and pretending they can fly.

Excerpt: When reached in Los Angeles, the father of five said he didn’t set out to do a children’s album, but that’s the direction the songs wanted to go. His two youngest children were getting to the age where they could understand concepts, and he wanted to create something for them.

Excerpt: “My Helping Hands” has a childish tone, but Marley said he wrote it specifically for the recording, which he said allowed him to be a kid again. The colorful CD has finger paint-inspired hands all over its jacket, and the story is somewhat of a thesis statement for the entire project.

Excerpt: “I have to lift up my father,” Marley said. “I always have to put my father ahead of me.

“I am not afraid of him or his legend. I love him.”

Title: Ziggy Marley's Family Business

Excerpt: According to Marley, a four-time Grammy winner and father of five, he's been involved in children's projects and charities for so long as a musician that putting out an album directed at that age group is sort of a natural progression. He often plays shows for kids and parents only, and that's part of what sparked the project.

Excerpt: "I think it was Bonnaroo in 2007, and they asked me to sing on the kids' stage during the day," he says. "And I said 'Of course.' So I got to see mothers and children dancing together, and it was a very good vibe. Seeing that type of joy when I looked out into the crowd is what made me really want to start something like this."

But Marley admits he actually was trying to write an adult follow-up to Love Is My Religion, not intending to make a children's album such a major project. But the only songs that seemed to come to him were children's songs. "So we said 'That must be it, then,'" Marley says. "That's where the inspiration was taking me, so I followed it and recorded Family Time instead."

Excerpt: "Well, Willie's a legend...he's got me beat, by very far. By very, very, very far," he says. "Guys like Willie and Toots and Paul Simon, I respect them just like they respected my father. They're our heroes, and me feel blessed to have them a part of the project."

Title: Marley recruits family members for Family Time

Excerpt: The disc features vocals from three generations of Marleys: Ziggy's 3-year-old daughter, Judah; his mother (and Bob Marley's widow) Rita; and sister Cedella.

Excerpt: The Associated Press: Why did you decide to record a children's album?

Marley: I want to get the message to people who have an open mind, who don't have closed mind, who's not already set in their ways, and the only people like that are children. If I say my purpose is to make music that is going to make a change in the world or influence people, then who better to influence than children?

Excerpt: AP: You have five children. Do you see any of them becoming musicians in the future?

Ziggy: They're already musicians. I love what I see, and it's real. They're not trying, they really have something. Where they get it from, I don't know, but they have something. It's beautiful to see that and that's not just because I am their father. Whether they eventually do it, I don't know, but they have it.

Excerpt: AP: What other kinds of music would you like to explore?

Marley: I want to explore more African music. I'm into African music so I want to explore it more and see what I can do with it. I like the grooves, I like the hypnotic thing about African music. I want to see if I could eventually one day blend more African into this reggae thing and see what happens.

Title: Ziggy Marley giving kids music a try

Excerpt: I had no problem understanding why Ziggy Marley was the right candidate to put out a children's CD. Indeed, I couldn't name a single person better equipped to introduce young ones to the sunny joys of reggae music.

Excerpt: Just how long the children's music genre will hold Marley's creative attention is anybody's guess. We could see a proper follow-up to "Family Time," or something completely different. As fans know by now, Marley isn't one to put a lot of effort into predicting the future.
"Everything in its time," he says. "When the wind blows, it blows. I'm not a factory. There is a natural spiritual way, that's not dictated by time."

Title: "Family Time" for Ziggy

Excerpt: Grammy winner Ziggy Marley tops the charts with a his new kids album - Family Time - which he describes as recession-proof opening new markets that weed-themed reggae could not.

Excerpt: "The music industry is way down... but parents are always looking for good music for the children. So we always need music for the kids," he said of the album which debuted at number one on Billboard's reggae charts beating his previous peak at number three with Dragonfly in 2003.

Excerpt: "We don't follow the charts, but it's all good," he told the Observer of the chart success. "It's a great thing but we no really get excited over them things much. It is about playing the music... the music stands beyond the charts."

Excerpt: Marley's kids are mostly grown in the US but he says they "still have a Jamaican vibe... and they are not Americanised". He argues that patriotism is not necessarily tied to geography.

"It not about being there in Jamaica its about who you are," he said. "Me love Jamaica. It is still a place where there is a vibe like nowhere else. It is still a place that has a lot of potential and that is one of the reasons why I adopted a school in Port Antonio."
Part proceeds of the album will go towards that basic school as part of his foundation URGE ( Unlimited Resources Giving Enlightenment).

"I have tried the other way. where a man would say "give me a dollar" its not going to work. I want to do much more than give a man a dollar. I want to deal with children. Even though I am not there as often as I used to be, I am still putting resources in Jamaica to help the future," he said.

Title: Ziggy Marley gets in some 'Family Time'

Excerpt: With a new album out that's geared toward kids, the singer rhapsodizes about his own brood, parenting and his mellow outlook on life.

Excerpt: Are you going to write a child-rearing book?

Z: "I don't know about that. I've been writing some stories, working on some stories for kids. Give me a couple more years."

Excerpt: With this album, you seem to share credits with lots of people.

Z: "Oh yeah! It's really a team effort. And it has to do with children. Whenever children are involved there are a lot of people who wouldn't normally come because it's children. And not only is the music for children but obviously some of the proceeds from the record are going to help me develop this school in Jamaica. We call it a basic school -- you call it kindergarten."

Excerpt: And now what do you make next?

Z: "Ha ha! Well, I'm thinking about it. The next record I probably won't be thinking about kids. But musically? I want to be trying to take a trip, going on a journey. Who knows where it ends up? It has to be an adventure if I'm going to enjoy it. You know?"

Excerpt: And so you're going on tour? The good news is that parents are desperate to have their kids entertained, so you're in luck!

Z: "Well, as long as people keep having children we'll be all right. And we'll have music for the children. We're always looking for something for all kids: music, good food, good toys to play with. Stuff that means something! I think parents today are looking for meaningful things for their kid. It's about feeding them something with meaning."

Title: Wall Street Journal: Fun for the Whole Family

Excerpt: You may not know Ziggy Marley's music, but it's likely your kids do. The eldest son of the late Bob Marley and singer Rita Marley sang his father's "Three Little Birds" with the title character of Nickelodeon's "Dora the Explorer." He appeared on "Sesame Street," and his "Believe in Yourself" was the theme song for PBS's "Arthur." His "Love Power," recorded with his band the Melody Makers, ran under the end credits of "Muppet Treasure Island," and he provided the voice for Ernie, a dreadlock-wearing jellyfish, in "Shark Tale."

Excerpt: Mr. Marley said that when he first had the idea to do the record, he met with Dan Zanes. "He explained that I would want to be doing music for the family. I wanted adults as well as kids." Mr. Zanes, a member of the '80s band the Del Fuegos, has recorded six smart albums that please kids and their parents, one of which won a Grammy in the Best Musical Album for Children category.

Excerpt: Mr. Marley was at work on "Family Time" in a Los Angeles recording studio when Mr. Simon called producer Don Was in search of a drummer for a project. A conversation between the two singer-songwriters ensued, but Mr. Marley was too shy to ask Mr. Simon if he'd like to be on the album. A mutual friend intervened and Mr. Simon sang and played guitar on the heartening "Walk Tall."

Title: Ziggy Marley Sets Clock to "Family Time"

Excerpt: MSN: Why did you want to do a kids album and why now?

Ziggy Marley: Last year after I finished touring the last record it was time to consider what's next. It wasn't the first option that came to my mind, focusing on children, but then I've been involved in so many kids stuff it kept kinda peeking around the corner, a record where my mindset would be focused on kids.

Excerpt: How did Paul Simon get involved?

Paul Simon is someone else that I have that spiritual vibe with. I met him probably once before we did this. He called me asking for help in finding a drummer for him for some music he was doing, and I was honored he would call about that. I wasn't even thinking about asking him. But we were talking and he asked what I was working on. I said, "I'm making a children's record," and he seemed genuinely interested. We talked to a lot of people, and sometimes you have fake people, but everyone on this record is real people. Ain't nothing about business, this record is all pleasure.

Excerpt: Some proceeds from the album will benefit a school in Jamaica -- why did you choose this particular school?

We're already doing stuff with them, so this will be additional. We adopted a school in Jamaica in Port Antonia and have been coming up with ideas to [support them]. We do all of that through my charity, U.R.G.E. But I'm all into children. My belief is we have to focus on the future. We can't focus on today, it's not gonna work. If we really want things to change -- we talking about Jamaican economic and social programs to make a better place -- the accomplishment will be seen 10 years from now. So we can't think about ourselves, we have to think 10 years ahead of time. I am making an effort to develop better education because I believe in it.

So we are working with the school and orphanages in Jamaica. But this is the next thing: I have to build the school more. A portion of my concert tickets also goes to U.R.G.E.

Excerpt: Did your father's commitment to social change through music influence your commitment to children?

Everything is connected. My mother plays a big role, my relatives nobody knows play a big role. What I'm doing today is because of a combination of all the things I've ever experienced in my life.

Title: Cookie Sheet: Ziggy Marley

Excerpt: Q: What about your children makes you laugh?
A: Even though they're children, they have their identities. They smile on the inside, and they smile on the outside. They have good hearts and are loving. That makes me laugh inside and out.

Excerpt: Q: What do you wake up in the middle of the night thinking about?
A: Usually the kids wake me up in the middle of the night, and I think, What does my little daughter want now? She wants water, sometimes a book, sometimes a different song on the CD. She's the one who is waking me up, so she's what I think about.

Excerpt: Q: What was your dad most right about?
A: "Listen to your daddy." I instill that in my children. "I'm the guide in the journey you're on." That's the basic advice my father gave me: "Listen to your father." I learned that the hard way. It's very important that we instill some respect for the parents. In America especially, the kids are unruly, screaming at mommy and daddy, running the show. Let kids know we guide them. When kids question me, "Why?" [I tell them that] it's the rule because I say so.

Excerpt: WHAT'S YOUR...

...guiltiest pleasure?
Coconut cupcakes.
...ideal getaway?
Peace and quiet anywhere. Doesn't matter the place. I like peace and quiet. Listening to the wind blow and the trees rustling. Sometimes it's good to take the time to listen to nature. It's a state of mind and a state of surroundings.
...favorite gadget?
My laptop at this point in time—until I get my studio back. It's under reconstruction. I have my musical gadgets.
...current reading material?
The Bible.
What's your preference:

...wine or beer?
Water. I love water. When I was little, I used to say it was my wine and act drunk [laughs].
...cook at home or eat takeout?
Cook at home.
...coddle your tot or let him cry it out?
Cry it out. It depends. Not all the time, it depends. If he's hurt, I'll coddle. But if he's crying for something that he's not getting, I won't coddle—I let him cry it out.

Title: Pop Quiz: Ziggy Marley

Excerpt: Q: What kind of music did your family listen to when you were a kid?

A: Obviously, I hear the singing of my family, including my grandaunt, who would watch us when my parents were on tour. She used to sing a lot of gospel songs. Donna Summer. Jackson Five. Glen Campbell. I used to sing "Rhinestone Cowboy" every day. We also grew up on the traditional Jamaican folk songs. I did one on this album, "Hold 'Em Joe." That was the first song I ever sang on a stage.

Excerpt: Q: Your brothers - Damian, Stephen, Julian, Ky-Mani - are making hits. Does that make you feel competitive?

A: I'm caring. My brothers ... I'm not competitive with them. It's a continuation of my father's dream.

Excerpt: Q: When you did the voice for the jellyfish character in the 2004 animated film "Shark Tale," did you have to spend a lot of time biting people to prepare for the role?

A: No, I didn't bite anybody. That was one of those things I'm not sure I did such a good job, but I learn a lot from doing that.

Title: Like Father, Like Son

Excerpt: "When I initially started to think about this thing, I was thinking about this kiddy stuff, " Marley said, breaking into a sing-song scat of "This Old Man." "But I started talking to [producer] Don [Was] and [we decided] it had to be ... real music that the kids will enjoy but that the parents will enjoy also."

Excerpt: "He hasn't been here physically, but trust me, brother: My father is still a part of my life," Marley said of his dad. "I speak to him every other day — at least. We all miss him, and the physical side of it, we wish he was here with us. But we have to understand that life is more than even what [we're aware of]. ... There's other ways of seeing things that aren't physical or material that are just as real."

Excerpt: » EXPRESS: You're involved in several projects supporting and promoting Africa. How did your first trip there — to Zimbabwe in 1980 — influence your life?
» MARLEY: As a child, going on this big long flight — I never been on a plane for so long. And I remember sitting beside my father and my little brother .. and I said, "This is like a trip to the moon." And everybody started laughing and it was a big joke. But being there and understanding the significance of, one, my father — why he was significant was because of his music ... which inspired people to stand up for something that is right and to help them overcome the hurdles that were in their way to freedom. And all of this became very inspirational to me, and to understand that Africa was the way it was, and the colonization, and people being oppressed, and people finally getting freedom — and music was a bit part of it. ... I was about 11.

I believe Africa is the future of the world. There's an old saying, "As it was in the beginning, so it shall be in the end." Africa is the place that created the wealth of the world; everybody took from Africa. This is where everybody got rich; this is where everybody established themselves through pillaging, through slavery, through stealing, through the colonies throughout Africa. People say Africa is poor, but I don't believe it. Africa is the richest nation on Earth; it's just not organized enough, it's not unified enough. There's so much misleadership there and greed, and that's a problem, but Africa — the land — is rich, but it's just not unified enough for people to make use of it. The unity of Africa is something that must happen, and will happen, and I'm gonna do my part of what I can do to help that along the way. I'm upsetting myself because I don't think I'm doing enough and I need to do more, and I'm looking for the opportunity to do more.

Title: Music Lovers Giveaway

Excerpt: You can’t help but tap your feet and sway along with Ziggy Marley’s brand new children’s CD! This is his first foray into the kid’s arena and just for fun - he brought a few ‘pros’ along for the ride: Jack Johnson, Laurie Berkner, Elizabeth Mitchell and Jamie Lee Curtis are only a few of the artists featured on the CD Family Time.

Since I was given this CD, the kids haven’t stopped asking for it!

Title: Momdot | Family Time iPod Giveaway!

Excerpt: Ziggy Marley is bringing music to the LITTLE people! He is releasing his first children’s album and has invited some family and pretty cool friends to join him on it. Jack Johnson, Laurie Berkner, Elizabeth Mitchell and Jamie Lee Curtis are only a few of the artists featured on the CD Family Time, in stores May 5th. In addition to some well known classics like “This Train” and “Hold Him Joe” Ziggy has written many original songs on this release which are endearing tributes to his family with many sage words of wisdom for kids.

Title: Gettin' Ziggy With It

Excerpt: ZIGGY Marley knows what it's like to grow up around music. The oldest son of Bob Marley grew up in a house filled with it -- everything from the reggae rhythms of his dad to the Jackson 5 and even Glen Campbell, whose country-pop hit "Rhinestone Cowboy" is the first song he remembers singing as a kid in the Trenchtown neighborhood of Kingston, Jamaica.

Excerpt: "My son pulls my leg and says, 'Come play drums!' " Marley tells The Post happily about his youngest child, Gideon.

Not only did his kids critique his work in process, he says, but you can hear his 3-year-old daughter Judah singing on the album's title track. Even his mom, Rita Marley, gets in on the action -- singing on the tune "I Love You Too."

Excerpt: Then again, the 40-year-old is used to keeping it all in the family. He sat in on recording sessions with his famous father and later led his siblings -- Sharon, Cedella and Stephen -- as the frontman for the Melody Makers.

Title: Zooglobble Interview: Ziggy Marley

Excerpt: Zooglobble: What do you remember singing or playing growing up?
Ziggy Marley: We sang a lot of Jamaican folk songs, but we had a lot of different records. I remember we had Glen Campbell's

Excerpt: Hey, I have that song, too! So why a family album now?
In my case, this was something just happened, just occurred naturally. I played the kids stage at a music festival (Austin City Limits Festival 2007), and I understood why this was happening -- it was happening for the future, for peace, for family. I want to feed them a higher concept than just the cow jumping over the moon. I have young kids, so it's for the children -- for my children, but it's for everyone, with children in mind.

Excerpt: What do you hope families get from the album?
I hope the record lasts a lifetime for a child -- that they can carry it from year to year, can listen to it forever. I hope my daughter listens to it now, then when she's older, then with her own kids -- just pass it on. Like a family heirloom.

Excerpt: What family music-related things are you doing this summer? You're reworking some of your dad's songs (B Is For Bob, right?
Lots of musicians do "Three Little Birds." I went to the record company and said, "Let me revamp the songs." I'll gear it toward children, something uniqure -- new instruments, alternate vocal takes. I like it -- it really worked well. Sounds organic and authentic.

I'm doing kids shows in between the regular shows. The shows can't be too loud. I want it to be different, to have a different energy [than the regular shows]. I hope to play with the family.

Title: Spend Some Family Time with Ziggy Marley

Excerpt: There's already a big buzz about this one, folks: May 5, 2009 marks the release of Ziggy Marley's children's music debut, Family Time.

Excerpt: And here's some factory testing for ya: I've been playing the album constantly in the Children's Room of my library, and everybody stops to ask, "Who is this ?!?"

Title: Ziggy, Ziggy, Ziggy, Can't You See...

Excerpt: As it turns out, Ziggy is set to release a children's album, which will be hitting the shelves sometime in early May. The buzz on the streets is that it's going to be great; not just kid-friendly, but parent-friendly as well. It's an album that definitely serves a great purpose; reggae lyrics can sometimes be too intense for little ears.

Title: Ziggy brings out the child in him

Excerpt: ZIGGY Marley is no stranger to the world of children’s entertainment. He lives in it every day with a three-year-old daughter, Judah, and a feisty son named Gideon who’s already a handful at age two (pix).

But Marley is a familiar voice to other people’s children, too. He has contributed music to TV shows such as Dora the Explorer and sings the theme song to Arthur.

Excerpt: Marley says he was guided to do the album. “Children are very important to me. They’re a big part of my life. Most things that I do I feel like I’m guided to do, and this album felt that way.

“It is very important for me to sing these songs because children have open minds. If you can influence the kids, then the future is a better place.”

Excerpt: The artiste feels that making Family Time has brought his family closer together. “The kids had a lot to do with it, too. I give them a lot of credit for helping me write the songs. They were my muse,” he adds.

Title: Ziggy Marley keeps it real with kids' album

Excerpt: Ziggy Marley is no stranger to the world of children's entertainment. He lives in it everyday with a 3-year-old daughter, Judah, and a feisty son named Gideon who's already a handful at age 2.

Excerpt: Produced by Don Was, "Family Time" is a bright collection of upbeat songs about the importance of loving one another and taking care of the environment. With nods to Marley's native Jamaica and his parents, Bob and Rita Marley, the album features cameos from his family (Judah makes her recording debut on the title track), along with big names such as Willie Nelson, Paul Simon, Toots Hibbert, Jack Johnson, and Jamie Lee Curtis.

Excerpt: "Well, children are very important to me. They're a big part of my life. Most things that I do I feel like I'm guided to do, and this album felt that way. It is very important for me to sing these songs because children have open minds. If you can influence the kids, then the future is a better place."

Excerpt: "Making music brings us closer together as a family. The kids had a lot to do with it, too. I give them a lot of credit for helping me write the songs. They were my muse."

Excerpt: "I grew up on traditional Jamaican folk music. "Hold 'Em Joe," which is on my new record, was the first song I ever sang as a child. Obviously I also grew up on my father's singing and my mother's singing. But no, we didn't listen to music about ice cream and lollipops."

Title: Bob Marley's son makes album for children

Excerpt: Bob Marley's eldest son, Ziggy, will release the first-ever reggae album for children in May.

Excerpt: Born in Trench Town, Jamaica, Ziggy's early immersion in music came at a very tender age when he sat in on recording sessions with his father. Family Time will feature family and friends including his mother, Rita, sister Cedella, as well as Paul Simon, Willie Nelson, Toots Hibberts and actress Jamie Lee Curtis.

Excerpt: Ziggy has done work for children before, having been the theme-song voice for the popular PBS series Arthur. He did a tune for the Dora The Explorer's World Adventure CD. Most memorable may be his voice in the role of Bernie, the Rasta jellyfish, in the animated Shark Tale, where he also sang his father Bob Marley's "Three Little Birds" with his brother Stephen and dancehall star Sean Paul.

Excerpt: Marley hopes to share the messages of Family Time with children and families the world over. He's already thinking about how to present this work live, the visuals as well as music. "I want this to be a complete thing," he says. Expect concerts, perhaps children's books, more recordings and even an animated series. His ambitious, multimedia approach reflects the multilayered ideas of Family Time. "Usually my songs mean more than one thing. Family Time is my family, your family, the world's family."

Title: Hanging out with happening Dads

Excerpt: one of his role models was his own dad, bob marley. Sure, it was “cool” having Bob Marley as a father — not because of he was a music legend, but just how he acted as a dad. Ziggy fondly remembers his childhood as one filled with music; his father was fun-loving and played sports with Ziggy and his siblings. Since his dad traveled all over the world, Ziggy also remembers being excited about interesting things brought back from those travels – and it’s probably why the Marley siblings are so open-minded about other cultures.

Excerpt: Kids influence his music and work, and Ziggy sees the appreciation in his own children. They love to hear their daddy’s voice and music on animated shows, such as Shark Tale, Dora the Explorer and Arthur. Ziggy is also developing a new animated series, Little Z. Like many children’s shows, Little Z has underlying messages, but this series will be direct, not subtle. Little Z will teach character education, such as concepts of love, unity, charity, discipline and even handling death.

Excerpt: Parents can help educate their kids and their communities by not passing on their own prejudices to their kids; give kids the freedom to take the tools you’ve given them and develop themselves. Ziggy encourages parents not to give kids “borders or cultural prejudices that alienate kids from others. Give children a chance to open their minds, don’t burden kids with your own problems and prejudices, and don’t protect your kids too much; it will hurt them later.”

Title: Ziggy Marley Recording His First Childrens Album

Excerpt: it's clear Ziggy understands how important children are to society. Ziggy, who is a father of five, is currently in the studio recording his first children's album.

Excerpt: "You want to affect the people you have to sing for children because they are the ones with the most open minds. We as adult's our minds are more set. You know most of us our minds are set but children's mind open so Jah says sing to the children because it's them that lead and teach other people. Our children lead the way not the people of a mind that can't be free from mental slavery. The children they lead the way so we decided to teach the children instead of trying to force it upon people who don't want to know it, you know? But we tell the children because they are more willing to listen to it and dance and yeah, affect their mind. So we'll see how that goes. I think it's a good strategy."

Excerpt: "The good thing about the songs is they be for children but it's for everyone really. It's songs that you can groove to and appreciate lyrically. It's not songs that adults won't like. They will like it but children will understand it."