Ziggy Marley, PAJAMMIN'
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[0:45]Welcome to Totally Booked With Zibi, I'm here today with Ziggy Marley, this is the most
[0:50]close name to mine ever, so special occasion.
[0:54]I will read Ziggy's bio, and then we're going to talk about pajama.
[0:58]Yeah.
[0:59]Ziggy Marley is an eight-time Grammy winner, Emmy winner, musician, producer, humanitarian,
[1:06]and author with a long history of projects for kids and families, including the picture
[1:10]books I love you to, my dog Romeo, and music is in everything.
[1:15]He is the eldest son of Reggae Icons, Bob Marley, and Rita Marley, when he's not making
[1:19]music or writing books, Ziggy likes to play chess and soccer, and enjoys cooking and gardening.
[1:25]He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Orley, and their children.
[1:28]Welcome.
[1:29]Baby.
[1:30]Yeah.
[1:31]Okay.
[1:32]Congratulations on pajama and your latest book with a great this is.
[1:39]Yay.
[1:40]Tell everybody a little bit about pajama and how it came to me.
[1:43]Here pajama and I'm so the context of it is that when I speak to my kids, when I want
[1:50]them to do something, I make up songs, I make up rhymes, I make up jingles, so I speak
[1:55]to them true music, a lot of times, where there's bedtime or time to brush your teeth.
[2:00]I usually make up some kind of song, you know, for example, like my youngest one is
[2:05]nine on, but when the others were younger, when it was time to brush your teeth, you know,
[2:09]I would make up a sound of a brush up, brush up, brush up, brush it on the top, brush it
[2:14]on the top.
[2:15]Come on.
[2:16]Keep going.
[2:17]Keep going.
[2:18]I might have to use this one.
[2:19]So I will communicate your music and my imagination and their imagination.
[2:21]We're using, you know, the kids' imagination as well.
[2:24]So pajama isn't that vain where, you know, we're going to go with the pajama part
[2:28]of that time for bed.
[2:29]Let's go pajama.
[2:30]I'm a father of a son called Jamin and, you know, I took the energy from that and kind
[2:35]of just created this alternative language to speak to kids through really my music, you know?
[2:41]Does it work?
[2:42]Yeah.
[2:43]It works.
[2:44]Yeah.
[2:45]It works.
[2:46]It works.
[2:47]Definitely work.
[2:48]I have proof, you know?
[2:49]Yeah.
[2:50]Ready?
[2:51]Do you mind?
[2:52]I like you.
[2:53]I need fun.
[2:54]It's called the audiobook.
[2:55]That's coming out.
[2:56]It's going to be not reading, but singing it.
[3:00]Oh, well, you can sing this.
[3:01]Go ahead.
[3:02]It's for you on the part.
[3:04]I'll read this one.
[3:05]I'll read this one.
[3:06]All right.
[3:07]It started in the day, way before sleep at the time.
[3:11]The excitement was built in for a very German-filled occasion.
[3:15]The plans were made.
[3:16]The invite sent today's year and tonight is next.
[3:20]The perfect time to do this thing.
[3:22]It's an old tradition, a German.
[3:25]There is no wind.
[3:26]There's no how.
[3:27]You can start the party now, right now.
[3:29]I sit waiting for the sun to set, then I'll take a bath and get all dressed.
[3:34]Mix and match in colors.
[3:35]We can help each other through polka dots or stripes.
[3:38]You can wear whatever you like.
[3:40]Superheroes, dots, soccer balls.
[3:42]It doesn't matter.
[3:44]Because we're pajammin.
[3:46]I'm pajammin with you.
[3:47]We're pajammin.
[3:48]I hope you like pajammin too.
[3:50]Oh, ha ha ha ha ha.
[3:52]Amazing.
[3:55]So how old are your kids?
[3:58]So my oldest, I have seven kids.
[4:00]My oldest is like 30, 30 something.
[4:03]My youngest is nine.
[4:05]My daughter, Judah, she's 20, just during 20.
[4:08]She's in college.
[4:09]Gideon is 18.
[4:11]He's getting ready to go to college.
[4:14]You're from 14 year old, and as they are nine,
[4:17]I'm going to have two older daughters to in them 20, you know.
[4:20]So what is your secret to parenting here?
[4:23]Secret.
[4:24]I don't know if that's secret, but you know,
[4:26]we just traffic lead by example.
[4:29]Words, words can do something, but example,
[4:31]really teaches children.
[4:32]That's how I grew up.
[4:33]I grew up learning by example.
[4:35]Seeing, observing.
[4:37]So how you live your life is how you're going to teach your kids.
[4:40]You know what I mean?
[4:41]So we live a life of love and charity,
[4:44]helping chat about being respectful, you know.
[4:47]And every now and again, you have to say something.
[4:50]But the majority is by example.
[4:52]And tell me a little more about all your humanitarian work.
[4:55]Humanity and work.
[4:57]Well, it's all humanitarian work for real.
[5:00]This is humanitarian work.
[5:02]We're all the only just spreading some giant love, you know.
[5:06]But we have a foundation called Urge where we
[5:09]always foster children, education basically.
[5:13]So yeah, but every day is humanitarian work.
[5:16]Life is a humanitarian work.
[5:18]Yeah.
[5:19]Very true.
[5:20]Yeah.
[5:21]When did you decide you wanted to start writing children's books?
[5:24]Like what brought that on?
[5:26]I know this is not your first book.
[5:27]Right.
[5:28]No, well, I mean, it started when I did a children,
[5:31]a record for children, called Family Time.
[5:34]Normally, I was a few years ago.
[5:37]And I don't know.
[5:38]Because I feel like, you know, we were out here to do something,
[5:44]you know, you were on different levels, right.
[5:46]Some people feel most of you.
[5:47]But what are you to do something with each other?
[5:49]I share stuff with each other.
[5:51]So when I figured out that I am here to raise a consciousness
[5:57]to spread love, you know, that's a part of why.
[6:00]I was like, I've been making records for a while.
[6:03]But then something said you have to speak to children.
[6:05]Because that's the only way, really.
[6:07]The only way is when it starts young.
[6:09]You can't...
[6:10]The children's not going to happen with, you know, the children
[6:13]with the children will be wanting to see in the world.
[6:16]It's going to come from the seeds that we're planting with the children.
[6:19]It's just saying it's too late for all of us.
[6:21]Yeah.
[6:22]We're just going to give up at this point.
[6:25]No, no, you're not going to give up.
[6:26]They're going to plant the seeds.
[6:27]Oh, okay.
[6:28]We're planting.
[6:29]Yeah, you're going to plant the seeds, you know.
[6:31]That's what we're here for.
[6:33]We're going to plant the seeds.
[6:34]And then nourish the tree to grow into sort of fruits are good.
[6:37]Okay.
[6:38]Not badly.
[6:39]This is why you love gardening, right?
[6:40]Yes.
[6:41]This is why we learn from gardening.
[6:43]Yeah.
[6:44]So...
[6:45]No, yeah.
[6:46]I mean, so that's why I really went into that children's space.
[6:51]Because it's something to say you have to speak to children.
[6:54]That's the only.
[6:55]Like, I'm with them all the time.
[6:57]Yeah.
[6:58]You better get out of this.
[6:59]Yeah, I mean, what are you even doing here?
[7:01]Leave.
[7:02]Yeah.
[7:03]So, yeah.
[7:04]That's my incentive.
[7:06]And it's true.
[7:07]So, you know, yeah.
[7:08]I'm happy.
[7:09]And it's a part of how I'm a child.
[7:10]I'm my imagination.
[7:11]Yeah, you know, I'm a child, really.
[7:13]Tell the truth.
[7:14]I mean, I'm the age thing on my body or what.
[7:17]I still have a child like mine.
[7:21]I'm still learning.
[7:23]I'm still taking in things.
[7:25]I'm still evolving as a child.
[7:27]And I'm not there yet.
[7:29]So, mine is very open.
[7:31]A child with seven other children.
[7:33]It's like a big play group.
[7:35]True.
[7:36]True.
[7:37]True.
[7:38]That's true.
[7:39]That's true.
[7:40]That's true.
[7:41]How do you try to spread so much love at a time
[7:44]where there feels like there is so much hate?
[7:47]Yeah, I think about something.
[7:49]You know, you get kind of like down on them about it.
[7:52]You know, I'm saying, but if they can do so kind of,
[7:56]if they can spread it, then I can spread love.
[8:00]So, they're so adamant about their hate.
[8:04]We have to be even more adamant about our love.
[8:07]It's all the way because it's only the willingness
[8:09]to their dreams, right?
[8:11]So, if he's willing to spread anger and hate
[8:15]and we are not willing to push back with love and positivity,
[8:19]then it's about love with us.
[8:21]Mine will strong.
[8:22]I'm going to have a strong will.
[8:23]I'm going to get frustrated and down some time,
[8:26]but love is so much stronger than what's done here.
[8:30]It's so much more powerful.
[8:32]So, we like going, yeah, we just...
[8:34]And it feels good to love.
[8:36]It feels good to love.
[8:37]There's not like love.
[8:38]It feels like a good feeling.
[8:40]It's a donor.
[8:41]Love is an opera.
[8:42]So, it feels good for love.
[8:44]I have that in you.
[8:45]And I love for everyone, really.
[8:47]Even those who might not like you or whatever,
[8:50]but I'm not against anyone, really.
[8:53]You know what I mean?
[8:54]We just have to be willing for just as they are,
[8:58]even more than they are to spread their it.
[9:01]We have to be more willing to spread our love.
[9:03]That's all we're going to do it.
[9:05]So, maybe love is an opera will be your next book.
[9:07]Love is.
[9:09]We do a book together.
[9:11]Okay.
[9:12]See?
[9:13]Perfect.
[9:14]Yes.
[9:15]You heard it here first, everybody.
[9:18]Do you have other books in the works?
[9:21]Not right.
[9:22]I mean, I've been working on some music.
[9:25]You know?
[9:26]So, I'm getting rid of them.
[9:27]Did you tell us about your upcoming tour and everything?
[9:30]Upcoming tour.
[9:31]Yeah.
[9:32]We have some shows here close by in Ventura in a couple of weeks.
[9:36]Within the fall, I'm going on tour with one of a great legend.
[9:40]There are artists in reggae music called Burning Spear,
[9:42]who is like a father figure to me in the music.
[9:46]You know?
[9:47]He's in the CM Vin as my father.
[9:49]And those people that were respecting the arts
[9:51]that we do.
[9:52]So, I'm going to tour with him.
[9:54]And that for me, that's very historic.
[9:56]I'm very significant as a student of...
[10:00]That art, you know, this is like one of the masters of the art, you know. Yeah. So it's good to be with one of the masters as a student, you know. Yeah, because you're always learn it's like tutorial.
[10:13]And speaking of your dad, you have a documentary that you produced that you're re-releasing. I tell me about that.
[10:19]Here with the documentary a few years ago, the family did. I was an executive producer along with my mother.
[10:26]It's kind of the definitive documentary, which we were a part of. The family was a part of. So yeah, we were just, it's just it hit birthday this year.
[10:35]So, you know, we released it for a limited thing and people can't shake it out. So if they more really get in depth and we'll look a bit more more about him.
[10:44]This documentary is a good one for that, you know. Is there anything in there that's a big surprise to people who feel like they know?
[10:51]I'm sure these are not going to be in your, that is a big surprise. I mean, I don't know how much people know. But this is from the people that work closest to him. You know, speaking about what he meant speaking about himself. So you get a different perspective. Yeah.
[11:05]And what was it like for you growing up with such an important iconic father who's also a father figure just so many.
[11:13]When I remember I grew up, then it wasn't like that. When I was growing up, he wasn't, it wasn't like no. Right. So, so different time.
[11:21]He was a, you know, he was a well known musician in Jamaica. Artists were respected love. So, you know, he was like, he was somebody when I was growing up.
[11:30]Well, not this big icon that he is no. And growing up with him was, it wasn't, it's just a musician travel, you know, studio with a period of friends. It wasn't, there was no big thing about it or anything.
[11:42]I would say, oh, wow, it was, you know, it was, for us, it was normal. There's no life. And what music was around all the time, music.
[11:49]And we talked about by example. So the example that we see him, that we see him showing us is work ethics work work hard, you know, discipline, the music fitness your body.
[12:02]I started as a boy. Also home treat people is humbleness humility. You know, I started to learn from that too. So that's what it was like. I mean,
[12:13]get big on big as time goes on. And you can realize as you as you grow with his growth, you realize him in meaning more and more to the world, you know, and becoming much more gravitation for people and things and stuff, you know.
[12:31]So you say, like, it get big on bigger. You can see that done. Yeah.
[12:35]So it never makes you feel like nervous. Like, oh, how could I produce an album that could ever be as big.
[12:41]Oh, yeah. This is my own neurosis.
[12:45]No, man, look how you're not thinking about it. It has been who you are. You know, you just make it.
[12:49]You just being the same. You're not being a sentence or problem.
[12:52]You're trying to be, if you're not being who you are, you're true car, you know, you choose have then that you're going to think about those things.
[12:58]But if you're just being you. Yeah. I mean, maybe I think you're not that that comes and goes, but it's not a dominant thing that's on your all the time.
[13:08]You know, obviously, you hear people talk or whatever, but I mean, and after a while you grow and learn.
[13:14]And you kind of just become from a caterpillar to the butterfly. Yes.
[13:18]I mean, that's, it's got true stages. Yeah. Yeah.
[13:22]So when you're creating, when you're creating a book or you're creating a song or you're creating, how do you get into that mindset?
[13:29]And how like, what is the magic? How does it happen?
[13:32]Well, I mean, it kind of, you know, we get harder throughout time because I mean, there's so much creative, creative out there going on.
[13:41]How can your creativity? You're so much dear. There's so much information.
[13:46]But then it's like, there's a magical element, but in no, like at present time, the magical element is only a part of it. It's not all of it.
[13:58]It's also a scientific element to it. No. Yeah.
[14:01]Because in early in my career, it was only the magic. It was good. It was good. But no, you learn. You learn. And you grow.
[14:09]And you realize some reality that is beyond the magic. No idea that there's a scientific thing going on where sometimes you have to start thinking more.
[14:20]I actually don't know because as I said, there's so much songs written, music, meaning. So sometimes I really ever put aside the magic. I really come with like knowledge.
[14:29]You know, like real, I start thinking about things. And I've been thinking about things more now. And it works. It's a good. It's a growth. And it works for me.
[14:38]So the magic is always the beginning of it, though. You know, the magic is the beginning. If it's not magic at the beginning, then like that is out.
[14:49]Yeah, you can start without the magic. So the magic is always the beginning. And then some of the practical stuff comes in play later on.
[14:57]It's like how people talk about marriage. You don't know the magic in the beginning. Forget it. It's not going to get better.
[15:04]Anyway, off topic.
[15:06]Anyway, okay.
[15:09]So what is your, what are your hopes and dreams on this tour for you? You're going to be reading the book. I know you're going to the grove and you're doing lots of other fun things.
[15:19]When you talk to a crowd, like what is it? You're most hoping like what are what are you hoping that this book does aside from bring joy, which I assume is a big piece of it.
[15:29]And I don't tell you that I'm hoping for anything. No expectations. I like it. No expectations.
[15:36]No, I'm just, I've wrote this in a, you know, people here and I'm sharing it and I have no expectations.
[15:42]I hope there's whatever it goes for you. Let it do. I don't, I don't want to do what I wanted to do. I want to do what it does for you.
[15:50]I don't have no sata. I need this to do this. It's up to the, the reader or the family or the kids to get what they get. I don't.
[15:58]I did the work. I did the art. I did the thing and I'm satisfied with that and I'm happy and I'm happy people take a look at it and, you know, get joy from it, but no expectations.
[16:09]So what's something that you still haven't done in your life that you still want to do?
[16:14]My team was skydiving for you. I like, I like anything that flies. I like stop that fly. You're playing birds. You know, like that.
[16:25]So, but I'm scared of that. Yeah. So maybe don't do that then.
[16:30]But we have it. I don't know. And a flying plane. I like, I like to fly planes too.
[16:34]Yeah.
[16:35]Did you see the rocket? Did you, did you see the rocket, the SpaceX rocket rocket took off from this night?
[16:42]Yeah. Yeah.
[16:43]Too late for that one. Yeah. Yeah.
[16:46]Do you have any advice for aspiring creatives of any type?
[16:50]Yeah, well, I'll share experience. I'll share experience and if that helps someone, you know what I mean.
[16:55]Come or experience different. Like, the advice I give someone might not work for them.
[16:59]So I would also give my experience and say that for me, so discipline, it's not, it's not a fly by night.
[17:07]It's not like corrupt. It's not a hell of a gun. It's like, it's a discipline.
[17:11]It's a, it's a lifestyle for me.
[17:15]And it's have meaning, it's have meaning that is not just a selfish thing.
[17:21]You know, cause, yeah, I mean, it's have, it's have a deeper meaning.
[17:26]Mm-hmm.
[17:27]Putting the work. You've got to work. You've got to work. You've got to live it.
[17:31]You've got to work it. Keep working. Keep working.
[17:34]keep, you know, I learned to like write on everything in my head. No.
[17:38]Even if it's, if don't make any sense.
[17:40]One didn't make sense. You know, like later on, there's a thing I've been working on,
[17:44]and I'll go back and say, oh, yeah, this makes sense with that. No.
[17:47]But anyway, it didn't make any sense at the time. So yeah, man, just, yeah, just keep work at your art.
[17:53]Work at your art. We're a live your art. Work at it.
[17:56]If you can, you know, do as much as a video if you're passionate about it.
[18:00]Yeah.
[18:01]And what are you most afraid of?
[18:02]Afraid.
[18:03]What am I afraid of?
[18:05]Sky diving.
[18:06]Oh.
[18:07]We took that off the menu, remember?
[18:11]We are not.
[18:12]No, but I'm too. What is in my afraid of?
[18:14]I mean, you have feelings of fear that comes and goes.
[18:18]But if I have a face that I'm willing to face, it's, I mean, fear.
[18:23]I don't know. I mean, I'm sure I'm fearful of something, but I don't know.
[18:28]I'm jealous of that answer.
[18:30]Yeah.
[18:31]Not sure.
[18:32]I'm not sure.
[18:33]All right.
[18:34]I'm not sure.
[18:35]How often are you getting back to Jamaica?
[18:37]Every now and again, not much, but every now and again, I'm going home.
[18:40]Usually it's just some of the work that you volunteer and work that we do.
[18:43]Be the home for people that don't have arms out of it.
[18:46]You know, feel a community.
[18:48]So when I go to Jamaica, I really don't go to vacation.
[18:50]I really go for it.
[18:51]Give back, you know?
[18:52]Mm-hmm.
[18:53]Yeah.
[18:54]Amazing.
[18:55]Well, thank you for inspiring all of us.
[18:56]I know I am totally inspired.
[18:58]Thank you all for being here.
[18:59]And thank you for coming.
[19:00]Thank you for coming.
[19:01]Thank you.
[19:02]Thank you.
[19:03]Thank you.
[19:04]Zigbee.
[19:05]Thank you for listening to Totally Booked with Zigbee, formerly Momstone.
[19:09]I have time to read books.
[19:10]If you loved the show, tell a friend, leave a review, follow me on Instagram at Zibi Owens
[19:16]and spread the word.
[19:18]Thanks so much.
[19:19]Oh, and buy the books.