Post by kaya on Dec 17, 2005 2:14:05 GMT -5
Article:
Damian 'Jr Gong' Marley
Gearing up to hit the stage
By Chantal Jenoure TeenAge Club President
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Reggae heir apparent Damian "Jr Gong" Marley was recently nominated for two Grammy awards in the Best Reggae Album and Best Urban/Alternative Performance in the R&B category. And according to Marley, "It feels good, and being nominated for a second award is a step towards us being acknowledged outside of our genre."
Damian 'Jr Gong' Marley
TeenAge recently caught up with Marley while he was preparing for the Welcome to Jamrock concert event that takes place this weekend to ask him a few questions about life, the production process and his plans for the future.
Chantal Jenoure: How does the synergy with your brother Stephen inspire the production process?
Damian Marley: It inspires it a lot. We've been working as a team from the beginning and because he's my big brother and he's done this before, I can draw from his experiences.
CJ: Certainly you've been living a privileged life, but your songs reflect the struggles of the street. How do you still manage to connect with the people?
DM: We're not really secluded from the rest of the family around, and it's not hard to find out what's going on in your neighbourhood or country - just watch the news.
CJ: Your performance at Sumfest was blistering, but we noticed that you've changed your band from The Uprising to The Empire. How do you think that this change has affected your performances?
DM: Well, The Empire are younger musicians. The Uprising was really my brother Julian's band, and when he started recording again, I had to find another band. The Empire brings a fresh energy to my show and they are second generation musicians like myself.
CJ: It's sometimes hard to place your music in a particular category, whether reggae, dancehall or hip-hop because you fuse hardcore dancehall with roots reggae. How do you see your music?
DM: Dancehall was originally a place. Roots reggae was the Dancehall of the '70s; it's a part of our Reggae culture. So I don't try and place it in a particular category, because the sound is the difference that makes it dancehall or roots reggae. You decide what category you want to place my music.
CJ: What has the feedback from your tour been like?
DM: It has been great. The first couple of weeks, I opened for U2 and it was a great experience. I performed in front of sold-out arenas, and so I reached a lot of people that probably wouldn't have come to see my show. A few dates after that, when I went on my tour, were sold out.
CJ: After the tour, what are your plans for next year?
DM: Well, I want to go on a tour in Europe, Japan, Sweden and probably back in America.
CJ: Many people thought the next single from Welcome To Jamrock was going to be Khaki Suit. Why did you choose Road To Zion?
DM: Because of the topic of the song. It bridges the gap between Jamrock and something different, but it still has that street flavour.
CJ: How do you want do you want to be viewed by your fans?
DM: To me, the greatest thing is being viewed - it's an honour. I just want everyone to take something personal from my music.
CJ: The buzz for Welcome To Jamrock has been building, are you planning something special for this show?
DM: No, just great music because every show is special in its own way.
Taken from the Jamaica Observer
www.jamaicaobserver.com
Damian 'Jr Gong' Marley
Gearing up to hit the stage
By Chantal Jenoure TeenAge Club President
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Reggae heir apparent Damian "Jr Gong" Marley was recently nominated for two Grammy awards in the Best Reggae Album and Best Urban/Alternative Performance in the R&B category. And according to Marley, "It feels good, and being nominated for a second award is a step towards us being acknowledged outside of our genre."
Damian 'Jr Gong' Marley
TeenAge recently caught up with Marley while he was preparing for the Welcome to Jamrock concert event that takes place this weekend to ask him a few questions about life, the production process and his plans for the future.
Chantal Jenoure: How does the synergy with your brother Stephen inspire the production process?
Damian Marley: It inspires it a lot. We've been working as a team from the beginning and because he's my big brother and he's done this before, I can draw from his experiences.
CJ: Certainly you've been living a privileged life, but your songs reflect the struggles of the street. How do you still manage to connect with the people?
DM: We're not really secluded from the rest of the family around, and it's not hard to find out what's going on in your neighbourhood or country - just watch the news.
CJ: Your performance at Sumfest was blistering, but we noticed that you've changed your band from The Uprising to The Empire. How do you think that this change has affected your performances?
DM: Well, The Empire are younger musicians. The Uprising was really my brother Julian's band, and when he started recording again, I had to find another band. The Empire brings a fresh energy to my show and they are second generation musicians like myself.
CJ: It's sometimes hard to place your music in a particular category, whether reggae, dancehall or hip-hop because you fuse hardcore dancehall with roots reggae. How do you see your music?
DM: Dancehall was originally a place. Roots reggae was the Dancehall of the '70s; it's a part of our Reggae culture. So I don't try and place it in a particular category, because the sound is the difference that makes it dancehall or roots reggae. You decide what category you want to place my music.
CJ: What has the feedback from your tour been like?
DM: It has been great. The first couple of weeks, I opened for U2 and it was a great experience. I performed in front of sold-out arenas, and so I reached a lot of people that probably wouldn't have come to see my show. A few dates after that, when I went on my tour, were sold out.
CJ: After the tour, what are your plans for next year?
DM: Well, I want to go on a tour in Europe, Japan, Sweden and probably back in America.
CJ: Many people thought the next single from Welcome To Jamrock was going to be Khaki Suit. Why did you choose Road To Zion?
DM: Because of the topic of the song. It bridges the gap between Jamrock and something different, but it still has that street flavour.
CJ: How do you want do you want to be viewed by your fans?
DM: To me, the greatest thing is being viewed - it's an honour. I just want everyone to take something personal from my music.
CJ: The buzz for Welcome To Jamrock has been building, are you planning something special for this show?
DM: No, just great music because every show is special in its own way.
Taken from the Jamaica Observer
www.jamaicaobserver.com