Cover Aston Barrett Jr in 'Bob Marley: One Love' (Photo: courtesy of Paramount)
Aston Barrett Jr in 'Bob Marley: One Love' (Photo: courtesy of Paramount)
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Aston Barrett Jr, who starred in the biopic ‘Bob Marley: One Love’, shares that he wants to continue spreading the reggae icon’s message of love, hope and positivity
Bob Marley (1945-1981) was the first Jamaican musician to achieve international superstardom with his Jamaican ska, rocksteady and reggae band, The Wailers. Together, they captured the hearts of many with songs that depicted the social conditions in Jamaica in the 1960s.
Decades later, the son of the bass player in Marley’s original band, Aston Barrett Jr, takes up Marley’s baton to continue the band’s legacy to spread world peace and love.
They will be coming to Hong Kong for the first time to perform at Central’s Observation Wheel and AIA Vitality Park on April 5. The concert will feature songs from iconic albums such as Legend (1984) and Exodus (1977), along with numbers from the album One World (2020), which earned the Grammy nomination for Best Reggae Album in 2021, and the new album Africa Unite (2023).
Tatler recently caught up with Barrett Jr to talk about Marley’s legacy and more.
Above Aston Barrett Jr (Photo: courtesy of the musician)
Aston Barrett Jr (Photo: courtesy of the musician)
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What do you look forward to the most in your first visit to Hong Kong?
[On the music side,] I’m very eager to meet Hong Kong musicians because I’d love to collaborate with them. Apart from that, [we’re keen on] martial arts [alongside] reggae music. Everything that I’ve done in martial arts [as a hobby] has always been based on Bruce Lee.
How is Bob Marley and The Wailers’ legacy relevant to contemporary times?
Bob Marley has a message for everything that’s going on in the world. My belief is that his message is to uplift everyone. That’s why it lives on today. Reggae music is spiritual music, and we’re all spiritual beings. We all might have different bodies and come from different places, but our spirits are the same. So Bob Marley and The Wailers’ music, which is roots music, excites the spirits of everyone in the world.
What is your favourite memory of your father Aston Barrett, as well as Bob Marley and the rest of The Wailers?
I’ve never met Bob Marley. But when I play his music, it’s like I’m talking to him. My father lives by what he preaches. I grew up listening to him [play music]. He sat me down and taught me about the feel [of the music], which is the number one thing for music. You can learn the theory, but without the feel, it’s hard to get it.
I also knew Uncle Tyrone [Downie], Uncle [Earl] “Wire” [Lindo] and Uncle [Alvin] “Seeco” [Patterson]. I was lucky to be on stage with all of them one time. They taught me wisdom and gave me words of encouragement.
Above Bob Marley and the Wailers at the ‘One Love Peace’ Concert in Kingston, Jamaica, with Jamaican Prime Minister Michael Manley (left) and his political opponent Edward Seaga (third from left) (Photo: Getty)
Bob Marley and the Wailers at the ‘One Love Peace’ Concert in Kingston, Jamaica, with Jamaican Prime Minister Michael Manley (left) and his political opponent Edward Seaga (third from left) (Photo: Getty)
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Now that you’ve inherited your father’s role, what new vision will you bring to the band?
I’m bringing new music [through our new albums]. But the [key] vision is to continue the original legacy of spreading peace, love and unity.
I want to give people hope. For example, we were all on the same boat during the pandemic. [We want to convey] the message of optimism. We want to let people know that our true nature is to be good and pure like a new-born baby.
How has reggae music evolved? What does it mean to the world today?
Reggae music was the people’s music. It was music for the people who couldn’t really speak [up]. That’s how they were able to get their message out. Today, reggae music has made Jamaica more international as it has brought so many people to Jamaica, and so many people have fallen in love with it. People around the world want to play reggae music, which is good, because that was what Bob Marley said, “My music will get bigger and bigger until they find the right people.”
Above Aston Barrett Jr (Photo: courtesy of the musician)
Aston Barrett Jr (Photo: courtesy of the musician)
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You played your father in the biographical movie Bob Marley: One Love (2024). What was it like?
There were a few people who are the sons of [the original members of] The Wailers. We all became family. The movie showed me more about my father. I had heard all the stories he told me, but to live it and feel it and then to come back to playing the band, I feel I’ve become a “lion”. My mind is ready to spread more music. I realised that Bob and The Wailers went through a lot to pave the way for us to play music and [to voice our social sentiments].
What’s next for you and The Wailers?
A new album that’s probably going to be released in June. I went hardcore in the studio with this one. The [sound] engineering [team] and I were there working on using different equipment for months. We went digital; we tried analogue. And there’s a lot of words to enlighten people.
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Zabrina is the Senior Editor, Arts and Culture of Tatler Hong Kong. She specialises in performing arts, visual art and film. Her wanderlust was first fuelled by the Mighty Rovers Antarctica Expedition 2010. Over the years, she has interviewed A-list artists and filmmakers, including Oscar winners Chlóe Zhao and Tim Yip, Golden Horse winner Sylvia Chang, In the Mood for Love cinematographer Christopher Doyle, Pachinko author Min Jin Lee, and Coachella’s first Chinese solo singer Jackson Wang. She won gold at the WAN-IFRA Asian Media Awards for her 2021 feature on the waves of hate crimes targeting Asian Americans.
