Born. 1975, Jamaica, West Indies.
In addition to Bob Marley's musical legacy, his lifestyle was evidently irresistible to the media, who considered his consumption of ganja and his siring of many offspring newsworthy. Following Bob's demise many of his relatives have entered the music business, notably Ziggy Marley And The Melody Makers, Julian Marley, Damien "Jr Gong" Marley and Ky-mani Marley (his mother was Anita Belvanis, the Jamaican table tennis champion). Critics tended to approach releases by members of the Marley family with accusations of nepotism, and to avoid this Ky-mani refused to capitalize on his father's name, in spite of the title of his debut, Like Father Like Son. The album featured cover versions of his father's hits complete with their respective dub versions, which gave the singer the opportunity to establish his recording career. He relocated to the USA with his mother when he was eight years old. He initially followed in Wailer, Bunny's footsteps as a percussionist, although he was attracted by the dancehall style, and by the early 90s emerged as a DJ. In common with his siblings, Ky-mani's vocal styling is very reminiscent of his father, particularly on "Thank You Lord", the 1997 combination hit with DJ Shaggy. The single, lifted from Midnite Lover, was originally recorded with Brian And Tony Gold until Clifton "Specialist' Dillon suggested adding Ky-mani"s vocals. The project resulted in commercial success, topping a number of specialist charts worldwide. Further hits included "Judge Not" with Patra, the stimulating "Sensimilla" and the stirring "Dear Dad". In late 1997 Ky-mani joined forces with Puente, Tito Jnr., fulfilling the Bronx-born singer's desire to record in combination with a reggae artist. Puente, a notable salsa performer, dabbled with the Jamaican sound, having recorded a version of Musical Youth's "Pass The Dutchie". The duo appeared at the annual MIDEM seminar in Miami, where both artists achieved critical acclaim for their performance.
Biography courtsey: excite.com
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***** Photo Credits Note: The top 3 Ky-Mani Marley pictures are from the kind man at reggaephotos.de
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