Ky-Mani Marley

When your father is reggae legend Bob Marley it's almost inevitable a career in music will beckon. In the case of Ky-Mani Marley, the calling into music was not a natural one and as a teenager growing up in Miami, Florida his first love was sport, mainly soccer and American football. The inspiration to begin playing music came from his mother who was keen for her son to carry on the legacy of his father and encouraged the young boy to study piano, guitar and trumpet.

In 1996 at the age of 20, Marley released his first solo album 'Like Father Like Son', a collection of 22 tracks which included a number of covers of his father's songs including 'No Woman, No Cry'. Accompanying Marley on the album was bass player and producer Robbie Shakespeare, better known as half of the production duo Sly and Robbie, who used his considerable talent and experience to help create an outstanding debut album. The album generated considerable interest in the industry and Marley became the subject of a bidding war between labels before eventually signing to V2 records. Although Marley has gone on to become a respected reggae performer he has also developed a successful acting career and has played the lead role in two Jamaican films.