Sharon Marley soars with ‘Firebird’

Renewed. That is the best way to describe Sharon Marley’s energy as she brings new music, new collaborations and new vibes to the table with her new album, Firebird. 

“The title itself, Firebird, is about rising up from the ashes, being reborn and taking the opportunity to start afresh. At this stage in my life, I am reborn … not Christian-wise … but every day you wake up, you are re-born, so I have that track as my new focus,” Marley explained in a recent interview with The Sunday Gleaner. 

Inspired by her beloved mother, Rita, Marley explained that the guiding light is what motivated her to tap into a refreshed love frequency. “My mother is my guiding post. I gave her the completed album with the album cover for Mother’s Day. So, for me, it felt like my mission was fulfilled in terms of having the album done and presenting it to her. So, I give thanks that I was able to fulfil that because anything could have happened,” she shared.

Speaking of family, since her children are now old enough to contribute behind the scenes, she was honoured that they chose to do so. This made the creation of this album all the more special, 

“The Marley and Prendergast families go way back, and my children, who are the Prendergast, played a big part in the making of the album, as my son, Ingermar, wrote songs on the album such as Steppa, Island, and also Forever, which is a song I did with my other son, Matthew. Donisha has some writing skills as well, which she put towards the album, and she does the visuals for my video,” Marley said.

She continued by detailing just how joyful it was to have this familial musical collaboration. “When I first ventured into music, they were babies who actually came on the Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers tour bus, and they would come onstage during the last song which was either Look Who’s Dancing or Could You Be Loved. So to now see them contributing to my solo project is amazing.”

Island, the second single on the album, speaks directly to the land of wood and water, and this stood as the whole reason for her recent visit. “I want to go down to Westmoreland and see some of the things that my daughter has been working on there, because any money that I get from Island I plan to put towards building housing opportunities for people who lost their homes due to Hurricane Melissa,” she highlighted. 

Firebird, Marley emphasised, is different from anything else she has made and she noted that some may even wonder, after listening, if it is a reggae album at all. “I find that I don’t only like reggae music. I like blues and jazz, so it’s a mixture for me that I call ‘jazz-reg’ because it has a different vibe, which is just the way I like to sing.”

A lot of people have spoken to the effectiveness of the love frequency, which has helped to calm them down as they tune into the vibrations and beat, matched by her powerful lyrics. “It’s a deep album that pulls on your emotions and feelings, as I just started working with the 422 Hertz frequency, which is a love frequency, so this album is about healing. Persons felt love coming out of it, and that is exactly what I wanted to convey. I didn’t just want to put out music for music’s sake,” she said enthusiastically. 

In a period where a plethora of reggae albums are being released, Firebird stands out for its unique ability to unite hearts by offering a different spin on ‘feel good’ music. 

“Because I put my foot in it, it’s a different type of music than what you are used to hearing all the time. I didn’t do this album to get a Grammy or no big rating. I did it for my Mom. I miss hearing her voice, and sometimes when I sing, I do hear her voice. It may not relate to the younger people, but I find my music will be relatable to a more mature audience.”

This body of work also aims to send an important message to women, encouraging them to dust themselves off and try again when things don’t work out the first time. “This album is for women to remind them of who they are and what it is that they really want to accomplish in life. Whatever it is, ignore the naysayer and go for it,” she said.

  nicola.cunningham@gleanerjm.com