Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers’ third album “Conscious Party“ released under the Virgin Record label was the first Platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association Of America (RIAA) to be earned by female Jamaicans 32 years ago on August 27, 1991. It was previously certified Gold on June 30, 1988.
The Melody Makers reggae group was formed with pre-teens Ziggy Marley with Sharon Marley, Cedella Marley, and Stephen Marley.
Their definitive reggae album Conscious Party was released in 1988 and spawned the hits “Tumblin’ Down” and “Tomorrow People”. It won the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album in 1989.
They are one of only a handful of Jamaican reggae or dancehall acts with the platinum album achievements to their names and the only females Jamaicans with a RIAA Platinum album certification. Their father Bob Marley is the only Jamaican act with a RIAA diamond certified album for the compilation, Legend: The Best Of Bob Marley And The Wailers.
The only other females to earn Platinum certifications in the US include Nyla from the group Brick and Lace for her feature on the Light It Up (Remix), with Major Lazer and FUSE ODG released in 2015. The song went Platinum, March 1, 2017 and then double Platinum in September 15, 2021 for earning sales and streams of 2 million units.
Marion Hall formerly Lady Saw also rode in on the coat tail of a Sly and Robbie produced feature on No Doubt’s ‘Underneath It All,’ to earn her first Platinum single in the US, making her the first female dancehall artist to earn the achievement.
Melody Maker Sharon Marley took some time to talk with Kshema Francis-Pitt on Irie Fm about her musical success journey and discuss what life is like as a member of Reggae’s royal family.
“Growing up in Trench town was so fun,” she says reflectively.
“We had a great childhood, our aunt is really the foundation for us, when I say my aunt, I mean my mother’s aunt. She was the foundation for us, it was her house that Bob went to live when he moved to Kingston,” she continued.
In her book No Woman No Cry: My Life with Bob Marley, Sharon’s mother Rita Marley describes how she was raised by her Aunt Viola on Greenwich Park Road.
Sharon says she didn’t realize she was from a celebrity family until age ten when Bob and Rita got shot, because in her view her aunt was also a well known member of the community and she enjoyed childhood freedoms in the inner city community of Trench Town.
“After they got shot this is when we realize we cant live like we used to live in Trench Town,” she says.
The attempted assassination of Bob Marley which occurred on December 3, 1976, at 56 Hope Road, the current location of the Bob Marley Museum, is the subject of Paramount’s One Love autobiographical film set to be released next year.
Seven armed men raided the residence of the reggae musicians Bob and Rita Marley two days before Bob was to headline a concert in an attempt to quell recent violence in Jamaica. Marley was non-political but, many viewed him as tacitly supporting the prime minister Michael Manley and his democratic socialist agenda. Marley and three others were shot, but all survived.
Sharon describes the series of events that immediately followed form her perspective.
“That was the first time, we, knew what fear was because the police car came for us in the middle of the night, it was like 12/1 o’clock and we were already sleeping,” she said.
“We saw the blue lights flashing at the gate, that moment in time will be forever printed on my soul. It made the bond between us so strong, Ziggy, Cedella, Stephen and myself… we still didn’t realize what had happen but we know what we saw, that they were hurt” she continued.
The lesson learned from that childhood trauma she says is “collective security for surety.”
She says growing up she was alway shy by Track and Field gave her a new spring of confidence. She tried her had at a few things until she returned to her family legacy and a career in music just after her father died.
“Track was my way of coming out of my shell, tracks really got me out there, I love doing art in high school. I tried acting, never really liked it and I have worked in different fields in business, I like midwifery, for some reason, I thought I was gonna be a pediatrician, then our father passes away so they the only natural progression was music,” she said.
In 1989, she made an appearance in the movie “The Mighty Quinn” as “Jody”. Her song “I’m Hurting Inside”, which features Sheryl Lee Ralph and Cedella Marley, appears on the soundtrack.
Her first song “Children Playin In The Streets” she says was written by Bob himself but he never get to see them perform it.
“Children playing in the street was recorded with Bob at the Museum, where the studio was at the time, the first take was Ziggy Steve and Cedella..after I came back to Jamaica(From Canada) we went back in the studio and did it together,” she recalls.
“Children playing in the streets was a real life experience, that song was written by Bob..he did not get the opportunity to see us on stage, Children playing is the only song he would have participated on physically”
The Yoga practitioner says she believes her father is connected to her and her family in the spirit, “I am sure he is watching us now because we are connected through the spirit.”
She says sometimes people refer to her as a former member of the Melody Makers but that is a title she rejects and says, “I will always be a member is Ziggy Marley and The Melody Makers.”
Her latest song Butterflies In The Sky was released released last week after a 20 year hiatus from the music industry as a singer.
