ARTIST PROFILE: The "Maestro" Ky-Mani Marley~ The "Adventurous Traveler"

Ky-Mani Marley – just seeing this last name gives one chills because your brain registers- great music. This Marley actually did not hone his musical talents until his teenage years. He moved to Miami from Jamaica at the age of 8 and became an exceptional athlete in both soccer and American Football. As hip hop began to spread in fame, this Marley like most of us born in the late 70’s, he was grasped by hip hop culture and his predisposition to music from birth began to permeate through his veins.  He began to deejay and rhyme around South Florida and in a studio session one night, Damien and an unnamed Marley brother, had him sing a hook on one of their tracks. Once Ky-Mani realized he was dually talented, both vocally and locally, he decided to launch his musical career.
Ky-Mani’s first album, Like Father Like Son (1997) made a little noise but following this album, he was caught in the storm of a label bidding war but nevertheless went on to release, The Journey” (2000) , Many More Roads” (2001), Milestone (2004), Radio (2007) and now he is back with Maestro (2015). He is probably most well known for his collaboration and one of my favorite collaboration is with the artist, Proteje.  Their song “Rasta Love” tells a witty tale of a love affair between a “society girl” and a young Rasta Yute and the video demonstrates of how the social lines in Jamaica between “Corporate” and Rasta still exist but in the end. The video shows the inside of a Rasta camp where the young lady is shown love, given jewelry and literature and treated as family. I won’t ruin the ending but let’s say that the catchy hook of “she didn’t know how to tell him, she was in love with a Rasta Man…fire was burning and burning”…..fans…check out the video above.
Ky-Mani is the only child between Bob Marley and Jamaican Table Tennis Champion, Anita Belnavis and his East African name means “Adventurous Traveler”.  Following his natural birth given names meaning, this adventurous traveler is currently on his Maestro Tour which happens to make it's way to the Nation’s Capital next Tuesday at the Howard Theatre. This is will be an audible treat for DC so check it out.  Howard Theatre tickets can be purchased here.