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Stephen Marley Interview German version / English version
Text + Photos: Benjamin Poljak
5. Juli 2008
Grammy winner Stephen Marley, one of the progeny of Bob the "King of Reggae" Marley, visited Berlin on his European tour in July 2008. The concert at Ostbahnhof was supposed to start early, the official word being "Stephen Marley will come on stage at 8:00 p.m. as planned." "Great," I thought, "then I'll be able to get back home fast." But as it turned out, we had to wait for the Melody Makers band member for quite a while, and if I recall correctly, it was around 11:30 before Stephen finally appeared on the stage. Stephen's voice is a carbon copy of his father's, and he sang many of Bob's famous songs – everything from Could you be Loved to Get up, Stand up to Simmer Down and many more hits. I'd say that about 80% of the material he performed was from his father's repertory; the remaining 20% were his own tunes, mainly from the new LP "Mind Control." Too bad he didn't sing the brand new phat tune he sings with his brother Damian on the "Mission Riddim".
The interview was supposed to take place backstage after the show. As usual, we didn't have a lot of time: Stephen's manager granted us all of 10 minutes with him. I was well prepared and armed with a list of questions so I wouldn't forget the things I was especially burning to know. Unfortunately, due to the time pressure I didn't get all my questions answered. Anyway, here's the interview: A lot of questions and Stephen Marley's often very brief, smart replies.
Pullupmp3: This isn't the first time for you in Berlin - is it?
Stephen Marley: No, the 7th. I've been here with Ziggy, Melody Makers...
Pullupmp3: Did you have time to walk around a bit and took a look at Berlin?
Stephen Marley: Not this time.
Pullupmp3: Have you ever done a sightseeing tour or anything like that?
Stephen Marley: No sightseeing tour. I've been in the hearts of the People. And they take me with them everywhere they go.
Pullupmp3: "Mind Control" in 2007 was your first solo album. Can we expect a new album for 2008?
Stephen Marley: 2008? No man - still in Mind Control.
Pullupmp3: Your father made Reggae music big. How does it feel for you to follow in his footsteps?
Stephen Marley: It is a honor. It is a privilege for me. And it is our duty to keep pushing, keep the message out there and keep trying to affect people's lives with positive energy, positive music and that is good vibes.
Pullupmp3: As the son of a legend, do you ever feel under pressure?
Stephen Marley: Pressure? A good pressure. I mean it is like... it keeps you on the right path, keeps you on that straight and narrow. So I wouldn't say it's pressure, but if I should say it's pressure it's a good pressure.
Pullupmp3: How do your brothers and sisters handle it?
Stephen Marley: Handle what?
Pullupmp3: Having a father who's a huge legend in music.
Stephen Marley: I mean, we are the children of that man and there's no pressure in being ourselves.
Pullupmp3: You still live in Florida - right?
Stephen Marley: Sometimes. We have a Studio there so we do some recordsings.
Pullupmp3: But you still spend time in Jamaica now and then?
Stephen Marley: Jamaica is home.
Pullupmp3: Have you ever experienced what it means to be alone?
Stephen Marley: Huh? (Looks at me quizzically)
Pullupmp3: Have you ever experienced what it means to be alone?
Stephen Marley: Alone?
Pullupmp3: Because you have a big family, always people around...
Stephen Marley: Never alone.
Pullupmp3: How many siblings do you have?
Stephen Marley: 12.
Pullupmp3: How has music changed since the old days, how is it different today?
Stephen Marley: Technology, there's a whole heap of things, you know.
Pullupmp3: Would you change anything in the dancehall business if you could, and if yes, what would it be?
Stephen Marley: I would change... you see, we have a lot of hustlers like my father saied that before, we knows who is a real musician and those who's just come to hustle. There's a lot of hustling, because it's so easy to jump on a beat and... you know... not enough efforts is putting into the music. You know it just makes Bang bang boom bang bang... you have to have effort, the thought process, the whole thing. My father in the old days they use to rehearse month before they recorded. Nowadays when you go in a studio and you come out back in an half an hour. He he he. You hear that effects in the music. It's here today and gone by tonight. No potency. We need more potency.
Pullupmp3: What about all the digitalization? Do you support MP3 Downloadshops and Selectors spinning CDs?
Stephen Marley: If I support what?
Pullupmp3: MP3 Downloadshops?
Stephen Marley: I don't know what that is. What is that?
Pullupmp3: (slightly incredulous that I have to explain this) You know, a website where you pay to download reggae tracks?
Stephen Marley: Yes man of course. Get the message out there. As long as it is being done the right way, me support.
Pullupmp3: And the selectors that using CDs nowadays...
Stephen Marley: Versus records you mean?
Pullupmp3: Yeah. Do you more prefer vinyl or don't you care one way or the other?
Stephen Marley: Me tell you. I have a lot of records between me an Damian, we collect records still, but at the same time we don't let anything fence us in. If we get the vibes from a CD, so let it be.
Pullupmp3: Please tell me something about how you live?
Stephen Marley: My way of life is rasta. For us it's more than just a lifestyle, we take a vow of separation and to the almighty, drink no strong drinks, see no dead as long as we take that vow of separation, no razor shall come up on my head. (touches his dreadlocks)
Pullupmp3: So you believe in Rasta as a good - right?
Stephen Marley: Believe? No, we know, we not believe. When you believe you are not sure.
Pullupmp3: Unlike many other Rastas, you don't sing about gun lyrics or do badman tunes - why not?
Stephen Marley: I don't sing about Gunlyrics? (gives me another quizzical look as if he can't believe I'm asking him that or he don't understand my question)
Pullupmp3: Yeah, I don't think I ever heard anything like that from you… (There are others in the room, and I look to them for support.) Or am I wrong?
Stephen Marley: Well I mean I don't live that type of a life.
Pullupmp3: How do you feel about people glamorizing guns and stuff in their tunes.
Stephen Marley: Who glamorize it? That is the wrong way. That is how I feel about that - wrong way.
Pullupmp3: Can you give me your own definition of Reggae and what it means to you?
Stephen Marley: Reggae is really the pulse, it's the heartbeat. Reggae is that force, that energy, that music, that liberates you.
Pullupmp3: You like soundclashes?
Stephen Marley: Yes.
At that moment I 'm given a sign in that it's time to wrap it up.
Pullupmp3: Do you have any other talent you can use to express yourself, besides singing or producing music?
Stephen Marley: Soccer. Ha ha ha...
Pullupmp3: Thanks for your time.
Discographie:
Mind Control (2007) and a lot of Singles.
Web Site:
http://www.stephenmarleymusic.com/, http://www.myspace.com/stephenmarley
Special thanks to Perry and Reggaeinberlin.de, who made this interview possible - Big Up!