Ziggy Marley

Marley in 2009, photo by Prphotos

Birth Name: David Nesta Marley

Place of Birth: Kingston, Jamaica

Date of Birth: 17 October, 1968

Ethnicity: Jamaican [African, some English]

Ziggy Marley is a Jamaican singer, songwriter, musician, producer, voice actor, and philanthropist. He was a member of reggae group Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers, which consisted of him and his siblings.

Ziggy’s father was reggae singer and songwriter Bob Marley, who was Jamaican. His mother, Rita Marley (born Alpharita Constantia Anderson), was a Cuban-born Jamaican singer. Ziggy’s father had English- and African-Jamaican ancestry. Ziggy’s mother was of African-Jamaican descent.

Ziggy is the half-brother of entrepreneur and professional football player Rohan Marley and musician Damian Marley. He is the uncle of singer Jo Mersa Marley and musician Skip Marley, and the half-uncle of model and singer Selah Marley and singer and songwriter YG Marley. Ziggy is married to Orly Agai, who is Israeli, and of Iranian Jewish descent. Ziggy has three children from previous relationships; and four children, including musician Bambaata Marley, with Orly.

Ziggy’s paternal grandfather was Norval Sinclair Marley (the son of Albert Thomas Marley and Ellen Ann Bloomfield). Norval was born in Clarendon, Jamaica, and had English ancestry. Albert was the son of Frederick Marley and Hannah Jane Tiltman. Ellen was the daughter of Richard Bloomfield.

Ziggy’s paternal grandmother was Cedella Editha Malcolm (the daughter of Omeriah/Amariah Malcolm and Alberta/Albertha Willoughby/Whilby). Cedella was a black Jamaican, and was born in Rhoden Hall, St Ann. Omeriah was the son of Robert Malcolm and Katherine Bygrave. Alberta was the daughter of David/Daniel Willoughby and Hannah/Anna Downs.

Ziggy’s maternal grandfather was named Leroy Anderson. Leroy was African-Jamaican.

Ziggy’s maternal grandmother was named Cynthia “Beda” Jarrett. Cynthia was African-Jamaican.

There are claims on the internet that Bob Marley had some kind of Jewish ancestry, sometimes cited as Syrian Jewish, through his father, or, sometimes, his mother. There is no documented evidence that Bob had Jewish ancestry. The Bloomfield family line from which Bob descended, a famous family in Jamaica, is sometimes cited as having been originally Jewish; this is almost certainly false.

Sources: Genealogy of Ziggy Marley (focusing on his father’s side) – https://www.geni.com

Genealogies of Ziggy’s father – http://www.wargs.com
http://www.wikitree.com