SKIP Marley, grandson of reggae king Bob Marley, shared his brand of music with an elated audience at Birmingham’s Town Hall on Victoria Square located in England’s West Midlands region last Tuesday. It was the reggae singer’s first concert in Birmingham.

Joining him on stage was the Chineke! Orchestra, singers JP Cooper, and Birmingham’s R&B singer Ruby Turner, who all performed Bob Marley and the Wailers’ standards including One Love, Redemption Song, Satisfy My Soul, Is This Love, I Shot The Sheriff, and Exodus with a classical twist.

The Birmingham Mail reported that the fans were swaying and their heads were bopping to the musical tribute. Also, the concert hall was decorated with colours of the Jamaican flag in keeping with the Caribbean island’s 60th anniversary of Independence from Great Britain as well as a mark of respect for the athletes who are competing at Birmingham 2022 Games.

Marley, 26, said he was happy to be in Birmingham.

“It feels good, I feel very blessed to be here, everything is nice. Birmingham has a nice vibe, I like the energy and I like the people, a lot of different kind of vibes and different cultures,” he was quoted as saying.

Bob Marley and the Wailers had performed at a gig at New Street’s Odeon in Birmingham in 1975.

Asked whether he feels like he is following in his grandfather’s footsteps Skip Marley said: “Whenever I come to England I feel like that when I am stamping the grounds. It is my first time performing with an orchestra so that in itself is a nice experience for me, the plus is they are playing my grandfather’s music re-imagined and this is the first time I have heard it.”

“They are very talented musicians and it is very beautiful. It [orchestra versions] makes the songs full, that’s the best description I can say, it sounds fuller and there is more emotion,” he added.

Reggae king Bob Marley died on May 11, 1981 of cancer. He was 36.