The children of Bob Marley are leading the country's reconstruction efforts with the help of Kenny Chesney, Blues Traveler and many others.
Three weeks ago, Ziggy Marley monitored the progress of the hurricane Melissa like so many others around the world: via news bulletins and the weather channel. Working on a new album in Los Angeles, where he resides, Marley could only watch from afar as the storm fell on his native country. “I was watching the news and every now and then I would check in with my guys in Jamaica to see what was going on.”he says. “There was this agonizing wait, because you never know how terrible it can be. »
Once the worst is over and Melissa distant, Marley — son of the reggae icon Bob and accomplished artist — had to assess the damage remotely, unable to reach family and friends by phone or online during the first day of the storm. “I have seen photos of the area, in the countryside, and it is nothing but destruction”he confides. “I've been through a few hurricanes, but this one…this one was really, really bad. »
As soon as the scale of the devastation became clear, Marley and his brothers and sisters began to mobilize their collective resources to help Jamaica. Cedella And Rohan coordinated food deliveries from Florida, in partnership with Michael Capponi and its organization GEM (Global Empowerment Mission). “It’s a painful situation”declares Rohan. “As a family, we live all over the world, so we use our resources to gather supplies. This is the most important thing now. » His brothers Stephen, Damian And Julian work with their Ghetto Youths Foundation to support schools and hospitals.
As for the number of houses that URGENT will have to help restructure, Marley smiles sadly: ” A lot ! » Ironically, some of these buildings were built by URGENT originally. “We have received messages from people for whom we built houses a few years ago, telling us that everything is gone, and that they need help again”he explains.
For years, Marley allocates a portion of its concert ticket sales to charity. But in the wake of Melissahe came up with a new approach: asking the music community to give what they can, whether it's a one-time donation or $2 per ticket. “It’s the right thing to do, asking people who pay a ticket to see us to help other people too”he said. He has already obtained the commitment of Kenny Chesneywhose house on the island of Saint John had been destroyed by the hurricane Irma in 2017. Other artists like Blues Traveler And Slightly Stoopidas well as several festivals planned for 2026, have promised to donate part of their proceeds.
Despite the magnitude of the task, Marley remains optimistic about Jamaica's prospects for recovery. “I talk to people there and it’s a bad situation, yeah”he admits. “Without wanting to minimize the destruction, because there is a lot of suffering, it is the mental attitude that helps us get through all of this. The lesson for us is that material things can disappear in a day. It is our mental strength and the love we have that remains. It’s the Jamaican way. »
