THE Marley family has found its newest star to carry on the legacy of their famous patriarch, reggae king Bob Marley.

Skip Marley, grandson of the legend and son of his daughter Cedella Marley, made his debut in front of a Kingston audience on Saturday night. From all indications, he is positioning himself to be a future torch-bearer for his family.

The 19-year-old had the auspicious task of closing the Bob Marley 71st birthday jam session at the Bob Marley Museum, coming after great sets from high-riding acts Kelissa, Iba Mahr and Jesse Royal.

Many thought this may have been suicidal for the unseasoned artiste but he proved them wrong.

With a rhythm guitar slung across his wispy frame, and wailing tracks from his grandfather’s catalogue, many stood in the courtyard of the famous 56 Hope Road venue, transfixed on what some expressed to be Bob reincarnate.

Rastaman Vibration, Roots Rock Reggae, Three Little Birds and One Love were part of his set. However, the coup de gras was his rendition of Chances Are.

For this ballad, Marley invited Marcia Griffiths, who had shared the stage with his famous grandparents as a member of the I-Three.

Marley also performed two of his own tracks, Life and Cry To Me, which both went over well.

His performance capped an energy-filled evening. The Bob Marley 71st birthday ambassadors, Jesse Royal, Kelissa and Iba Mahr were in fine form, each mixing tracks from the catalogue of the famous celebrant into their sets.

Kelissa did a welcome rendition of We Don’t Need No More Trouble. Iba Mahr cleverly segued from his ownWill I Wait into Waiting in Vain, while Jesse Royal sampled a few.

Other acts such as Dre Island, Runkus, McKeon, Feluke,Yvad, Bongo Herman Winston McAnuff and the Roots Uprising Band made their presence felt as they paid tribute to Marley and entertained the full house.