Sound’s good: Ziggy Marley concert poster

“Hi, hi, hi, high / Marijuanaman, marijuana man / Say we gonna save the land.” So go the lyrics of Ziggy Marley’s 2016 joint “Marijuanaman.” On February 3 and 4, the oldest son of the late Bob Marley will perform both his dad’s jams and his own reggae hits at The Sound, a new 1900-capacity venue nestled inside the Mission-styled Surfside Center on the east side of the Del Mar Fairgrounds.

Generally, weed smoke is prevalent when Marley performs, whether at reggae festivals or other concert scenarios. “I’m not opposed to it,” says Rose Record, owner of Rose Reggae in Normal Heights, even though she’s smoked the California-legal psychoactive only three times in her life. “I do not have a problem with people smoking weed. I actually love the smell of it. It gives me this nice feeling. Grounded.” She has been selling Jamaican- and reggae-influenced products at reggae concerts and festivals for 23 years, including Ziggy Marley and Bob Marley memorabilia.

Eight-time Grammy winner Marley will be the inaugural headliner at the new venue, which is run by Belly Up Entertainment. According to Alexa Carcamo, Belly Up Entertainment marketing manager, “California State Laws in regards to smoking [say] that it is not allowable to smoke indoors, and the law outdoors is that it has to be 20 feet away from exits/entrances/windows. Also, all laws regarding smoking tobacco apply to marijuana and vapes as well. It is always illegal in the state for someone to use marijuana in a public place… So our policy would be no smoking or vaping of any kind inside the building, and a smoking area outside the building with ash cans will need to be identified.”

That’s the official line, anyway. But Rose Record notes that “I’ve been to the Belly Up a few times, and I’ve never seen anyone get thrown out of the event for smoking weed… Now, cannabis is accepted; even President Biden’s cool with it. The venues always post signs and warnings online that say ‘No smo

king.’ And, of course, they’re talking about marijuana, and sometimes they have dogs out there sniffing, and they search your car, and search the person. But when you’re inside the event, you can smell marijuana, and people are discreet with it.”

Marley once said in Reader’s Digest that he’s been smoking marijuana since he was nine years old. “I was very young, too young,” he recounted. “I wouldn’t have let myself do it in my father’s place. But it was a part of our religion [Rastafarianism]; we’re one of those ancient cultures with traditions that modern society wouldn’t accept.” Roughly two years after Marley smoked for the first time, he and his siblings — Cedella, Sharon, and younger brother Stephen — formed the Melody Makers. Eventually, their Conscious Party album, with the classic track “Tomorrow People,” won a 1989 Grammy for Best Reggae Album. The following year, the group copped a Best Reggae Album Grammy with One Bright Day.

Ziggy Marley last played in San Diego at Petco Park in May 2021, a year that also found him doing a Belly Up livestream concert. He’s also played the Belly Up itself several times, as well as area venues such as Humphreys (2017), Observatory North Park (2014), and Harrah’s Resort (2010). He’s been a staple of Del Mar reggae festivals, appearing there nearly annually since the early 2000s. The upcoming Sound concert, officially titled Ziggy Marley: A Live Tribute To his Father, will be performed on a large theatrical-style stage, laid out in the new venue with the main floor front and center, surrounded by balcony seating and additional seating underneath the balconies. An enormous circular mood light mounted on the high ceiling plus multiple spotlights should provide a distinctive vibe to the live event experience, with irie Rastafarian reds, greens, and yellows to enhance the immersive experience.

There’s yet to be an official list made available of the songs Marley will be performing. Here’s hoping favorite joints will be included, such as “Herbs an’ Spices” from the 1991 full-length Jahmekya, “African Herbsman” from 1993’s Joy and Blues, and “One Good Spliff,” off 1999’s Spirit of Music.