Like father, like son. When Ziggy Marley stepped out in front of 200,000 fans at Pol’And’Rock Festival to perform “One Love”, he paid tribute to his father’s legacy with such passion and power. Ziggy was the spitting image of his father, but more importantly, sounded just like him and sang with the same conviction. 50 million viewers just couldn’t get enough of this feelgood celebration of Marley’s legacy.
Ziggy delivered the performance at the main stage of the free Polish festival in August 2019, marking his first appearance in the country. The eldest son of Bob and Rita Marley, Ziggy was touring behind his solo album Rebellion Rises, and wove classic Wailers material into his set list. In addition to Ziggy’s vocals and guitar being on point, we have to give it up for his band, who absolutely captured the feel of the Wailers’ music so convincingly. The way the crowd responded with such joy said it all, and the singalong with the crowd at the 5:10 mark felt amazing.
Taking on “One Love” is no small feat for any artist, even one with eight Grammy Awards under his belt at the time. The track dates back to a 1965 ska recording by the Wailers before Bob famously reworked it on 1977’s Exodus, using the melody from Curtis Mayfield’s “People Get Ready”. For Ziggy, interpreting the piece onstage was far from a routine nostalgia exercise. He had spent his entire life absorbing the nuances of his father’s music, before launching his own breakthrough with the Melody Makers in the late eighties.
That bond deepened significantly just two years before the Polish festival. While preparing the anniversary project Exodus 40, Ziggy returned to the original multi-track tapes, curating fresh mixes that included “One Love”. He later admitted that deconstructing those vintage recordings directly altered his perspective as a songwriter, inspiring the creative direction on Rebellion Rises. By the time he reached Poland, the track was not just a family heirloom but an active influence on his contemporary sound. From that same Pol’And’Rock Festival appearance, Ziggy Marley delivered another Bob Marley classic with a performance of “Jamming”.
The reaction on the ground confirmed the emotional pull of those classics. Onet’s reviewer noted that Bob Marley favourites drew the most enthusiastic applause of Ziggy’s set, sharing space with Ziggy’s solo staples such as “Love Is My Religion”. Playing a massive free festival organised by the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity Foundation gave the gathering a communal feel, matching the song’s original call for global harmony.
The performance later found an enormous second life online, becoming the most popular video on Ziggy’s YouTube channel. Listeners marvelled at the musical genetics on display. One fan remarked that “if you close your eyes and listen, you can still hear Bob’s voice,” while another simply noted that “he inherited his father’s voice.”