The statement that “Bob Marley never died he multiplied” holds true once more, as his children and grandchildren rework one of his biggest songs, “One Love” in the name of charity.
The deadly coronavirus and the subsequent shutdown of key sectors in multiple countries all over the world, has sadly left many children in the dire straits. This has forced, Stephen Marley, Cedella Marley, and her son, Skip Marley, to release a new version of Bob & The Wailers 1977 hit song in a bid to provide aid. The song and new music video should be released to the public on July 17, by Tuff Gong International and Amplified Music.
While speaking to The Associated Press sometime this week, Cedella Marley expressed her reason for selecting the song. “Daddy wrote this song like 40 years ago, a long, long time. It just feels like right now in the world we need to have some different type of unity happening. Not just lip service, but real action.”
She added, “I think we’re going to bring this song to a generation that needs to know we do care. We do care about what happens. We’re going to do a nudge and push and a shove and hopefully, the message will resonate.”
The refashioned version of “One Love” should go to UNICEF’s Reimagine, which is an arm of the organization providing aid to youths all over the world affected by COVID-19. The world-renown jewelry brand Pandora has pledged to match each dollar raised from the new release until it reaches $1 million.
Stephen Marley, the youngest of Bob and Rita’s children and a prolific Grammy winner, spoke of the core values of the original rendition.
He said, “(The) song is very special because of (its) message. It’s a song of equality. One love meaning love for everyone, for all humanity. It doesn’t matter the colour, creed or social status or anything like that. It’s appreciating the human family. ‘One heart, let’s get together and feel all right. It’s a very important statement for my family.”
Much like she might have done for the original recording, Rita Marley dropped by Cedella’s Miami home, where the song was recorded to hand over her seal of approval.
The third collaborator Skip Marley, son of Cedella, has been blazing a vibrant trail of hits since landing on the scene. The 24- year old has worked with Damian Marley, Katy Perry, Major Lazer, and H.E.R. His “Slow Down” collaboration with the neo-soul singer earned him the top spot on Billboard’s adult R&B songs chart, which was the first time that a song from a Jamaican was ever at that position.
“He put in the hard work. He’s very disciplined. He loves what he does. His voice now can reach a different generation than my voice. I think we have to use the vessels that are in front of us, sometimes, to get our message across,” said his mom.
Skip Marley added, “Still working. Still putting in the hard work. We no stop working.”
52-year-old Cedella is also continuing her work to ensure the Marley name stays a household name.
“It’s something that I actually enjoy. I’ve been doing it since I was like 13. It’s something that I’ve grown to love. I go into each day thinking, ‘How can Daddy’s voice bring about something? How can I make him more relevant today than he was yesterday?'” she said.
Urban Islandz will provide an update on the song once it is released.
