On Saturday, July 6th, 2024, eight-time GRAMMY Award-winner, Emmy-recipient, musician, producer, author, humanitarian, and philanthropist Ziggy Marley brought his Circle of Peace Tour to the Marin County Fair in San Rafael, CA. Walking into the fairgrounds, everyone was talking about seeing Ziggy.
It was a sweltering hot day, but people came in droves for the positive vibrations that were sure to ensue.
The available seats in the venue filled up quickly and the surrounding area was packed full of families on blankets for hours before the show was to even start! Promptly at 7:30pm, an audio recording of quotes from memorable speeches—including JFK, MLK, and Bob Marley speaking on race equality, human rights, and peace—came on over the speakers, rendering all in respective silence. Well, that is until they heard Bob’s voice, prompting everyone to go crazy. Ziggy and the band then came out as the crowd exploded!
The set consisted of a mix of his hits, as well as his father’s, with so many emanating themes of peace, unity, and love, including “Shalom Salaam”, “Forever Loving Jah”, “Circle of Peace”, and “We are the People”. There were quite a few people dancing at this point, but also many people still sitting… but then, everyone seemed to take the next song as an invitation to “Get Up, Stand Up”! It was a real dance party for the rest of the night!
Next up in the set list was “World Revolution” and then, one of my favorites, “Love is My Religion”. Ziggy Marley then slowed it down a bit with “Is this Love” (although the crowd was still standing, ready for “Look Who’s Dancing” next). Everyone was so happy and having so much fun –it really was one of the most fun shows I have been to in a while!
With the recent release of biopic One Love showcasing tribute to Bob Marley’s journey and legacy, coupled with Ziggy’s messages of love, peace, and unity through this Circle of Peace Tour, it was so appropriate to end the night with an encore of “One Love”. The feeling of admiration in the venue was palpable; I’m pretty sure I speak for everyone there that we didn’t want it to end! Thank you to Ziggy and his band for an unforgettable night!
Photography by Sara Taylor
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