Last week Ziggy Marley released an album of music for young people called "Family Time." The album has a whole crowd, including his mother, Rita, Paul Simon, Willie Nelson and Jamie Lee Curtis. He will play a show for kids in L.A. as part of a "What Is Reggae?" day June 6 at Club Nokia.
--
They say you get up late in the day. But you have five young children -- how do you manage that?
That's after I get up early! After I get up early, then I get up late.
--
So you work in two shifts.
Yeah, usually I wake up early and sometimes I make them breakfast, sometimes my wife makes them breakfast and I can go back to sleep. We play outside; they like to go outside.
--
That's excellent -- the kids today spend way too much time indoors.
It's true. And outside is very interesting. There's a whole world there.
--
You travel to pretty parts of the world a lot. Do they appreciate that yet?
Yeah, I think. I think so! I don't know. They show interest in nature, you know? They love the outdoors and they love to see the trees and the moon and the sun and the stars. They know a lot of things. My little son is always asking questions: "What is that? What is that?" That's a butterfly, that's a snail. They're very interested.
--
Are you going to write a child-rearing book?
I don't know about that. I've been writing some stories, working on some stories for kids. Give me a couple more years.
--
Well, with parenting, it's hard to do it really wrong.
Yeah, you have to do it bad to do it really wrong. It's a natural thing about it -- that you want to give love. You want to do the best thing for your children.
--
With this album, you seem to share credits with lots of people.
Oh yeah! It's really a team effort. And it has to do with children. Whenever children are involved there are a lot of people who wouldn't normally come because it's children. And not only is the music for children but obviously some of the proceeds from the record are going to help me develop this school in Jamaica. We call it a basic school -- you call it kindergarten.
--
And now what do you make next?
Ha ha! Well, I'm thinking about it. The next record I probably won't be thinking about kids. But musically? I want to be trying to take a trip, going on a journey. Who knows where it ends up? It has to be an adventure if I'm going to enjoy it. You know?
