Tribute to Marley

The legendary Bob Marley. Photo/file

A diverse line-up of the best musicians in the country are converging on the city in early December, celebrating the music of Bob Marley.

The musical director for the event is Jason Kerrison and he admits to being pretty intimidated by the scope of the concert when he first signed on.

Ria Hall is coming full circle when she will perform a Bob Marley tribute in early December

"Well, you don't get much more legendary than Bob Marley, he's definitely up there. It did freak me out at first, and then I got a sense of who was going to be involved, they are all just so good. It's so exciting to do this," he says.

Kerrison is looking forward to collaborating with all of the artists and hopes to share the stage with them.

"I've always wanted to play with Paul from Supergroove and also Shelton and I have talked about doing something together, so it's really exciting for me as a performer."

He said as the musical director he's looking forward to seeing how the different artists give their own interpretations of Bob Marley songs, while still retaining the spiritual essence of his music.

"My role is to find the right musicians for the right songs and right set. It will be making sure everyone is happy going forward. I'll probably just be running around putting sugar in everyone's tea at the concert."

He says while the reggae groove is something that first attracts most people to Marley's music, reggae artists perform through a spiritual lens which often sets them apart from mainstream and rock musicians.

"I have toured with UB40 and it is very much a spiritual atonement for them." As a songwriter he is inspired by Bob Marley.

"He was never afraid to speak his mind in the lyrics and give his world view to other people. Just being open and honest and vulnerable, it puts you up for ridicule. His songs are just so honest - his sense of oneness, unification and opening up people's eyes to that."

Ria Hall will also be performing at the concert, and like Kerrison, she is looking forward to performing with the other artists.

I was stoked and when I realised who the line-up was. I thought oh my gosh this is going to be amazing.

Ria Hall

Reggae and Bob Marley have been huge influences on her own music and that genre is where she first started her foray into original songwriting.

She says Bob Marley is timeless. "It's the message that makes his story and his legacy live thorough the generations. Everything he said is so relevant today and will always be relevant. His musicianship and the way he structures the songs is amazing. You can feel the genuine aroha that he had, and it resonated across the globe."

Also paying homage to Bob Marley will be Tiki Taane, Boh Runga, Logan Bell (Katchafire), Laughton Kora (Kinetic, Kora), Anna Coddington, Fran Kora (Kora) and P Digsss (Shapeshifter).

the fine print
What: Bob Marley: Celebrate The Legend
Where: Wharepai Domain
When: December 9
Tickets: Earlybird general admission $59+BF (strictly limited), adult $65+BF, and VIP $129+BF (includes choice of Picnic Box).