As excitement builds for his performance at The Zakifo Music Festival happening in Durban on the 26, 27th and 28th of May, Damian “JR.Gong” Marley has announced that he will be treating Jo’Burg fans to a show at The Groove Live in Newtown on Friday the 26th of May at 19:00. The support artist at the venue formerly known as The Bassline is Lesotho hip hop act Kommanda Obbs. Tickets are R500 via www.computicket.co.za
Damian is currently in the studio working on his upcoming album Stony Hill. ‘Medication’ The first single off the album, featuring Stephen ‘Ragga’ Marley is out now.
Damian Robert Nesta Marley, also known around the world as “Junior Gong” and more recently as “Gongzilla” was born in 1978 to parents Bob Marley and Cindy Breakspeare, Miss World 1976. As a young adult, he developed a passion and a gift to speak for those who cannot always speak for themselves. A self-proclaimed ‘Spiritual Revolutionary’, Damian has worked assiduously to carve his own niche in music history and to add a new perspective to the Marley legacy for the 21st century.
Damian’s hit single “Welcome to Jamrock” was listed as one of the Top 100 Songs of the Decade by Rolling Stone, and at the 2006 Grammy Awards, he won Best Reggae Album and Best Urban/Alternative Performance for Welcome to Jamrock. Damian is the only Jamaican reggae artist in history to win two Grammy Awards on the same night. He is also the only reggae artist to win in the Best Urban/Alternative Performance category at the Grammy Awards. The New York Times called Welcome to Jamrock the “best reggae song of the decade.”
Welcome to Jamrock led the pathway to Damian’s critically acclaimed collaboration with Nas for 2010’s much lauded album “Distant Relatives” – a project which explored the relationships between reggae, hip-hop and Africa. The album title refers not only to the bond between the artists, but the connection to their African ancestry, which inspired the album both musically and lyrically. USA Today referred to the album as a “potent and often provocative collaboration” and by Rolling Stone as “an Afrocentric winner.” The album debuted at Number 5 on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart and Number 1 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, Rap Albums and Reggae Albums charts, with Billboard heralding the album as “a dynamic hybrid.”
The Distant Relatives Tour kicked off in May 2011, and saw Damian traveling and performing for thousands of fans all over the world, including South America, Europe, The United Kingdom, The Caribbean and North America.
Damian continued to cross musical boundaries in 2012, as he went on to partner with Skrillex for their groundbreaking track “Make It Bun Dem”, which Rolling Stone called “a monster mash up of dubstep and dancehall” and has led to several remixes of the original version. Damian recently released two other singles; “Set Up Shop” and “Affairs of the Heart” which both received widespread airplay.
Damian continues to tour with his band all over the world as a way of entertaining and healing as he continues to spread the message for those whose voices cannot be heard. He is working with his brothers Stephen and Julian under their Ghetto Youths International Label, to discover, develop and sign gifted artistes by applying their musical talent and vast experience to create new and different styles of music.
After Jo’Burg Damian ‘Jr Gong’ Marley will travel to Zakifo which happens at Blue Lagoon Beach, Durban on the 26, 27, 28 May 2017. He performs on Sunday the 28th at 8pm at the festival that over the three days features Thandiswa Mazwai, Ray Phiri, Bongeziwe, Baloji, Petite Noir, Bombino, Jojo Abot, The Soil, Nova Twins, Tiggs Da Author and more. A full event breakdown is available on www.zakifo.com
On May31 he performs in Nairobi Kenya. June 3 sees him take to the stage at Sakifo Festival in Saint Pierre Reunion. On the 4th of June he’s in Pailles, Mauritius and June 6 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Log onto http://www.damianmarleymusic.com/ for more information.
