The first scents Rohan Marley remembers hark back to his childhood memories: Mint and sage used by his mother in the kitchen, the airy sweetness of, and the comforting trace of freshly laundered linen hanging on the clothesline. As an adult, the signature scent of each of his brothers became a part of the way he dissected fragrances. Now his father Bob Marley’s legacy is further immortalised with the release of Marley Fragrance, six fragrances divided into three collections of bold and soulful scents, each inspired by Marley’s timeless message of harmony, love, and togetherness.

Crafted in collaboration with IMH Fragrance, a niche American fragrance house known for its anecdote-driven luxury scents, the collection was brought to life by master perfumers Doug Falcone, Yann Vasnier, Kevin Scozzaro of Swiss fragrance house Givaudan, and Clement Gavarry of DSM-Firmenich.

Gavarry, his peer, fragrance development manager at DSM-Firmenich, Rachael Larsen, Rise Distribution founder Jean David Sebaoun, and IMH Fragrance Product Development Manager Jonathan Pierron, were among the guests who made the trek to the Gap Café for the Marley Fragrance Private Sensory Launch hosted by Rohan Marley and Jamaica Observer Senior Associate Editor, Lifestyle & Social Content Novia McDonald-Whyte.

The café, which boasts panoramic views of the misty Blue Mountains, and on a clear day makes it possible to see as far as Kingston and Port Royal, created the mellow mood for guests to experience the reggae legend’s legacy in a whole new way. Guests had the full attention of Marley and the fragrance heads who had flown in for the brand’s official local debut. With the pitter-patter of rainfall outside, the sensory experience commenced with a three-course meal that incorporated fragrance notes by award-winning Chef Alexa Von Strolley.

With rain forecast, many thought they would miss out on the sensory fragrance experience, set up on the café’s lower deck, but grey skies turned blue just long enough for them to explore the notes and nuances of each fragrance with the team of Gavarry — the nose behind Place of Peace Eau de Parfum, Larsen, Sebaoun, and Pierron. “We’re going to go through some of the ingredients that make these fragrances what they are. We have peace, unity, and love, all representing the values of the family and of the island, and really bringing the Bob Marley morals into what we’ve produced here today,” said Pierron as he pointed to the fragrances that had been separated in their respective groups on a tablescape beautifully decorated with the flora and fresh ingredients associated with scent. “Fortunately, we were able to work with very talented perfumers to bring that to life.”

With its creator on hand, the focus turned to Place of Peace, a fresh, soothing, and delicate feminine fragrance with familiar notes of agave, Earl Grey tea, clary sage, white musk, and patchouli. “We want to invite you all to smell the top notes that have been put out here. What a top note of a fragrance is, is the very first initial impression, it’s bright, it lifts, and sets the tones for the fragrance, a lot like the opening melody of a song,” suggested Larsen. “The idea of the fragrance was to capture the tranquility of the rainforest,” she added. The duo sprayed branded Marley fragrance test strips with fragrance notes and dispersed them, challenging guests to guess what they were.

At the end of the experience, Mellow Mood emerged as Marley’s favourite, while Satisfy My Soul and Lights Down Low got the nod from singer and actress Sevana. Guests left the experience with a wealth of knowledge and a trio of feminine or masculine fragrances, depending on gender.

Photos: Karl Mclarty & JRoyal Productions

(Photo: JRoyal Productions)

CEO and founder of Kaya Herb House Balram “Bali” Vaswani caught up with Jamaica Observer Senior Associate Editor, Lifestyle & Social Content Novia McDonald-Whyte. (Photo: JRoyal Productions)

Grammy Award-winning artiste Stephen Marley (standing, left) and his son Yohan Marley caught up with tablemates (seated, from left) Maytee Martinez, her fiancé Rohan Marley, Jamaica Observer Senior Associate Editor, Lifestyle & Social Content Novia McDonald-Whyte, and Rise Distribution founder Jean David Sebaoun. (Photo: JRoyal Productions)

The immersive fragrance experience was led by (from left) Rise Distribution founder Jean David Sebaoun; IMH Fragrance Product Development Manager Jonathan Pierron; senior perfumer for DSM-Firmenich and the nose behind the Marley Place of Peace Eau de Parfum Clement Gavarry, and DSM-Firmenich Fragrance Development Manager Rachael Larsen. Also photographed are Rohan Marley’s assistant Max Miller and Mystique Integrated Director of Operations Kathryn Davis. Photos: Karl Mclarty & JRoyal Productions)

Mellow Mood and Place of Peace Eau de Parfum (Photo: JRoyal Productions)

Maytee Martinez, her fiancé Rohan Marley, Bob Marley Group General Manager, attorney-at-law Lecia-Gaye Taylor, singer and actress Sevana, and IMH Fragrance Product Development Manager Jonathan Pierron during the immersive fragrance sensory experience. (Photo: JRoyal Productions)

Coffee beans used to clean the nose in between scent-testing (Photo: JRoyal Productions)

Satisfy My Soul (Photo: JRoyal Productions)

Simmer Down tickled BrandED CEO Norma Williams’ fancy (Photo: JRoyal Productions)

Founder of Marley Coffee Rohan Marley (third right) immortalised the moment with (from left) singer and actress Sevana; Rise Distribution founder Jean David Sebaoun; DSM-Firmenich Fragrance Development Manager Rachael Larsen; IMH Fragrance Product Development Manager Jonathan Pierron; and Senior Perfumer for DSM-Firmenich Clement Gavarry (Photo: JRoyal Productions)