‘Navel string cut in Jamaica’ - Stephen Marley insists ‘the rock’ is family’s true home

Reggae royalty Stephen Marley is shutting down talk in some quarters that the Marley clan has turned its back on Jamaica.

A son of legendary reggae icon Bob Marley and singer Rita Marley, Stephen is insisting that despite their worldwide fame and success, their roots remain firmly planted in the island they call home.

"Our navel string cut in Jamaica ... we nuh abandon Jamaica," Stephen declared during an interview with THE STAR.

While acknowledging that the Marley family travels the globe spreading music and message, the Grammy-winning singer insisted their roots remain firmly planted in Jamaica.

"But, you know, the world is ours ... and we have work to do and it entails going out there, and delivering a message to each corner of the Earth, you know what I mean? But Jamaica, we hold dearly and it will always be home. It will always be that special place. Only Africa compares to Jamaica to us ...but yeah, Jamaica is home," he said.

Stephen last Thursday presided over the grand reopening of the refurbished Tuff Gong International studio on Marcus Garvey Drive in Kingston. The iconic facility carries powerful history. Decades ago, the building was owned by the Khouris, and legend has it that Bob Marley was once turned away from the premises when he tried to record there with American singer Johnny Nash.

But Bob never forgot.

Years later, the Marley family purchased the very same complex, once known as Federal Recording Studio, in the 1980s.

"That was the Gong ... that was Bob, though. Him believe in what he was doing and in the music, and him believe in God," Stephen said.

"It's a very proud moment, you know, and it has been, just coming to the point where the family owns the facility, where Bob once seh one day him a go own it. So that is a part of the mission ... to fulfil Bob's vision," Stephen told THE STAR.

Industry insiders who attended the launch hailed the massive transformation of the complex and praised the Marley siblings for breathing new life into one of reggae's most historic spaces. Throughout the evening, music industry persons and others spoke highly of the grand transformation of the complex and commended the Marley siblings for the initiative.

Stephen stressed that Tuff Gong belongs to the people of Jamaica -- not just the Marley family.

"We're grateful for the people's support and love ... and this is our family's effort, but this is for Jamaica. It's not a family studio, it's Jamaica studio ... Tuff Gong. So, it's for all of us," he said.

The legendary compound now houses a state-of-the-art recording studio and an active vinyl pressing plant, keeping Jamaica's analogue music heritage alive.

Stephen revealed that the push to modernise the facility actually came from his enterprising sister, Cedella Marley.

"Cedella, Cedella, Cedella. And, we all know [that] time is moving and it's about that time to update the facility and freshen up, and present it for the next generation, so that them can come and enjoy this facility and utilise this facility," he said with a laugh.

Even as he celebrates the Marley legacy, Stephen is preparing for an emotional tribute to a loved one gone too soon. On March 14, Stephen will host a special concert at the Bob Marley Museum honouring the memory of his late son Joseph 'Jo Mersa' Marley.

"It's three years since Joseph's transition .... celebrating Joseph's birthday ... and this year we're doing it a bit different. We wanted to have some reverence in the presentation and some spirituality as well ... and this presentation entails that. One would have to come and experience it more than we can explain it in words," he said.

Behind the superstar persona, Stephen admitted the grief still runs deep.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah .. it difficult, but mi haffi do it. Him take it [the music] serious, you know, and he was growing ... maturing into it very nicely. We're proud of Joseph. So ... Saturday the 14th, show time is 8 p.m. for the acoustic segment and then, after we finish that, time for party."

Jo Mersa Marley, born in Kingston on March 12, 1991, died in Florida on December 27, 2022.

The young reggae artiste left behind a musical legacy of his own, including the 2014 EP Comfortable and his 2021 album Eternal.