by Howard Campbell
KINGSTON, Jamaica – A strong cast of performers will pay tribute to Jo Mersa Marley at his third Birthday Celebration, scheduled here for March 8 at the Bob Marley Museum. Jo Mersa, the son of Grammy winner Stephen Marley and grandson of Bob Marley, died in Miami, Florida in December 2022 at age 31.
Stephen Marley heads the list of acts. The multiple Grammy Award winner will be accompanied by his brothers Julian, Kymani and Damian. His sons Hymn and Yohan and daughter Mystic Marley, will also perform, as well as Jo Mersa’s cousins, Skip and Soul-Rebel.
“For me personally, my brother was and is the bridge between the gap of a generation before us and my generation. He has that old soul, that old feel of deejaying, singing, producing, just his way of thinking. Yet, he still can blend it with what’s happening now,” said Yohan Marley.
Bounty Killer, Tarrus Riley, Spragga Benz, Jesse Royal, Bugle, Agent Sasco, Jah 9, Lila Ike, Ras I, Christopher Ellis, Natalie Rize, Jaz Elise, Jemere Morgan, Kelissa, Black Am I and Amlak Redsquare are also on the Jo Mersa Marley Birthday Celebration.
Ellis, the son of rock steady legend Alton Ellis, recalled his special bond with Jo Mersa.
“Me and Jo share the same birth date, March 12, and I’ve spent months and months with Jo living in his house. I got to learn with him and vibe with him. He would always ask me, ‘What do you think of this, Ellis?’ Even when it’s sick, he would still wanna hear some approval,” he said.
Born in Kingston, Jo Mersa was raised in South Florida. His recording career began in 2010 with the song, My Girl, a collaboration with his cousin, Daniel Bambaata Marley, son of his uncle Ziggy Marley.
Jo Mersa collaborated with his father on Revelation Party, a song from Revelation Pt. II: The Fruit of Life, Stephen’s 2016 album. He also released two EPs — Comfortable in 2014 and Eternal, which came out in 2021.
