Positive Vibrations: Julian Marley, 'Awake'

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IF YOU HAD guessed that Julian Marley was trying to say something with the title of his latest record, "Awake" (Ghetto Youths), you wouldn't be wrong.

"It's the awakening," the 34-year-old Marley said. "All of the songs on the album have some kind of awakening vibes. 'On the Floor' is a party kind of song where you've got to be awake. It's kind of a motivating album, positive vibrations. This album comes like a cup of coffee to me. The idea, the concept [was:] what name could centralize this whole album so you can get one message."

Note the use of the phrase "positive vibrations," which might as well be synonymous with Marley's late father, Bob. That's no accident; Marley is acutely aware of the legacy his father left on the world — not just reggae music — and maintaining that standard is a charge he and his many musically inclined siblings carry on every day.

"I feel responsible in a sense because we have something good to say," he said. "If I never had that much to say, I would say, 'Hey, it didn't matter.' It's a very great responsibility."

For better or worse, Marley, and his brothers — Stephen, Ziggy and Damian "Jr. Gong" being the most famous — are stuck with the name and the weight it carries. And it's better to embrace it, he says, than to fight it.

"You can't get away from the name," Marley said. "We are the sons. We can't get away from it. A name is just a name, what you have inside of that is special — that will surpass."

Although the uncanny vocal similarities between father an son on "Awake" make Julian Marley's pedigree obvious, the album also shows how different a path the younger Marley is trying to trod. The disc shows Marley meshing his traditional reggae with hip-hop, dub R&B, soul, dancehall and pop music. The familiar upstrokes and steel drums are as present as ever, but they're augmented by a far more expansive production.

"It's good to be diversified," he said. "Also, I love all different types of music. I listen to Curtis Mayfield, old school music."

"Violence in the Streets," for example, is a dark portrait of Jamaica; with verses from Damian Marley over a hybrid hip-hop/dub beat.

"I kind of got that feeling [that there's] too much violence now," he said. "The kids in the dark alleys. ... 'Violence in the Streets' — Damian is on it. He's talking about some real-life stuff — it's hard core."

Stephen also appears on "A Little Too Late," a song the two brothers will undoubtedly play during their U.S. tour. Stephen is opening for Julian this time around — the Marley brothers tour relentlessly with each other, and Marley said there will certainly be a healthy dose of their father's songs included in the show.

For his part, Marley says he's seeking to keep reggae's sound alive and current.

"For me, all I can do is rely on the music," he continued. "I try something new, add some elements into this music. ... I feel like reggae is roots, you can keep up, you can still pick up an old time sound and enjoy yourself in the hip-hop world."

» State Theatre, 220 N. Washington St., Falls Church, Va.; Wed., Oct. 14, 7 p.m., $21; 703-237-0300. (East Falls Church)

» Recher Theatre, 512 York Rd., Towson, Md.; Tue., Oct. 13, 7 p.m., $20; 410-337-7178.

Photos courtesy Ghetto Youths International