Reggae, Rastafari love and politics from Ziggy Marley in Tel Aviv

“Shalom Tel Aviv, Rastafari love! Alright, let’s do this!”

By JULIANE HELMHOLD
Updated: AUGUST 1, 2018 20:59
Ziggy Marley (photo credit: ORIT PNINI)
Ziggy Marley
(photo credit: ORIT PNINI)
Somewhere between a pulsating, dynamic party and an optimistic political rally, Ziggy Marley brought his unique performance to Tel Aviv on Tuesday like only he can do.
In the intimate atmosphere of the Barby club, a staple of Tel Aviv’s music scene, a very enthusiastic crowd awaited him anxiously and was not afraid to express their love for the veteran Jamaican reggae star all throughout the concert.
“Shalom Tel Aviv, Rastafari love! Alright let’s do this!” That’s how he greeted his audience; they enthusiastically replied “We love you Ziggy!” before starting his show with “I Will be Glad,” from his new album Rebellion Rises.
In fact, most of his two-hour performance presented new material, only occasionally interspersed with older songs or covers by his famed father, Bob Marley.
Marley hit close to home for the young, liberal Tel Aviv crowd who were practically ignited by the second song, “See Them Fake Leaders.”
The audience didn’t stop cheering through the verses “See dem fake leaders/ in the place of power they sit./ From religion to politics/ riding a wave of fear./ Starting fires/ they don’t care./ Making enemies out of friends/ killing thousands, hundreds and tens./ If only they could lead/ the world to peace and prosperity.”
The political theme continued with the next song, “World Revolution,” heating up the crowd even more – talking about peaceful solutions, a new generation and, well, a world revolution.
With a seven-member band plus two perfectly in-tune and perfectly smiling background singers, Marley wowed the crowd song after song with his astounding vocal abilities and a surprisingly simple but effective stage performance.
And just when it seemed like the atmosphere was at its peak, he brought covers of The Beatles’ “All You Need is Love” and his father’s classic “One Love,” that upped the exuberance in the room to a new level.
 Marley’s generous half-hour encore included iconic songs like “Your Pain is Mine,” “Justice” and “Look Who’s Dancing Now” as well as snippets of Bob Marley’s “I Wanna Love You” and “Get Up Stand Up.” All the stars were aligned for Ziggy Marley – great location, great audience and most importantly, great performance, all making for an incredible reggae experience.


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tel aviv live music
reggae