On February 25th, the eight-time GRAMMY-winning musician Stephen “Ragga” Marley kicked off an intimate acoustic U.S. tour in support of his latest 5-track EP, One Take: Acoustic Jams, out November 2018 on the Marley family’s Ghetto Youths International imprint. For one month, the 23-city run will span the South, Southwest and West Coast.
Stephen beautifully deconstructs both his father Bob Marley's songs ("Small Axe," “All Day” and “Easy Skanking”) and his own (“Mind Control” and “Revelation Party”) in raw and uninhibited fashion on One Take: Acoustic Jams, his latest EP. This jam session recorded in Stephen’s living room, will come to life on the road, giving fans the rare opportunity to digest these melodic hits in an authentic, stripped-down form. In addition to vocals, Stephen plays guitar and percussion. He is backed by the rich instrumentation of Javaughn Bond (bass), Ranoy Gordon (guitar), Nicholas Laraque (saxophone and clarinet) and Craig Taylor (bass, drum and percussion).
“When you share songs in their natural form, you hear them differently, so I just followed my spirit in making the choices of what songs fit this acoustic vibe,” Stephen Marley tells Billboard.
Mystic Marley (Stephen’s daughter) is slated to open for her dad throughout the latter half of the tour. The 20 year-old L.A- based singer/songwriter is prepping her debut EP Moonboard. She recently released her debut single "Beatdown," an acoustic guitar-driven track about perseverance through adversity.
As a part of this tour, a dollar from each ticket purchased will be donated to the Ghetto Youths Foundation, the non-profit organization founded by Stephen, Damian and Julian Marley to provide aid, assistance, resources and opportunity to communities in need. In addition, fans in 19 select cities of the tour will have the opportunity to support a worthy cause by attending an ‘Exclusive Meet & Greet’ with Stephen Marley immediately following his performance, where 100% of all proceeds will go directly to the Ghetto Youths Foundation’s programs. The reception tickets can be purchased on www.stephenmarleymusic.com.
Today, Trenchtown, Jamaica, is the site of some of the Ghetto Youths Foundation's most exceptional work. This unique and vibrant community is known for producing some of the greatest artists in the world, including Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff, Peter Tosh and Toots Hibbert, yet 100% of the population still lives below the poverty line. Opening its doors in 2019, the Ghetto Youths Foundation Homework Center will be the first of its kind in the heart of Trenchtown – a sanctuary and safe haven supporting learning and personal achievement, providing mentorship and opportunity and fostering hope. More than 400 young people each month will have free access to the Homework Center. "Education is the pathway to freedom, and every child deserves the opportunity to walk down that path,” says Stephen Marley.
STEPHEN “RAGGA” MARLEY - 2019 ACOUSTIC JAMS TOUR DATES
Feb 26 (Tue) @ Varsity Theater in Baton Rouge, LA ^
Feb 27 (Wed) @ House of Blues in New Orleans, LA ^
Feb. 28 (Thu) @ House of Blues in Houston, TX ^
Mar 2 (Sat) @ Scoot Inn in Austin, TX
Mar 3 (Sun) @ Gas Monkey Live in Dallas, TX ^
Mar 5 (Tue) @ Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO ^
Mar 6 (Wed) @ Sheridan Opera House in Telluride, CO ^
Mar 8 (Fri) @ Fox Theatre in Boulder, CO ^
Mar 9 (Sat) @ Washington's in Fort Collins, CO ^
Mar 10 (Sun) @ Vilar Performing Arts Center in Beaver Creek, CO
Mar 11 (Mon) @ Belly Up in Aspen, CO ^
Mar 13 (Wed) @ Brooklyn Bowl in Las Vegas, NV ^
Mar 14 (Thu) @ Belly Up in Solana Beach, CA ^
Mar 15 (Fri) @ Garden Amp in Garden Grove, CA ^ *
Mar 16 (Sat) @ The Catalyst in Santa Cruz, CA ^ *
Mar 17 (Sun) @ The UC Theatre in Berkeley, CA ^ *
Mar 19 (Tue) @ Crystal Bay Club Casino in Crystal Bay, NV *
Mar 21 (Thu) @ Northern Quest Resort & Casino in Airway Heights, WA *
Mar 22 (Fri) @ Midtown Ballroom in Bend, OR ^ *
Mar 23 (Sat) in Historic Ashland Amory in Ashland, OR ^ *
Mar 24 (Sun) @ Mystic Theatre in Petaluma, CA ^ *
Mar 26 (Tue) @ The Roxy Theatre in West Hollywood, CA ^ *
* w/ Mystic Marley
^ Exclusive Meet & Greet Reception
