Cedella Marley will donate a guitar that belonged to her father, reggae legend Bob Marley, to the Island SPACE Caribbean Museum in Broward County, Florida.
Cedella made the announcement during the inaugural Reggae Genealogy music festival and concert event at Broward Mall this past weekend, where she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Island SPACE Caribbean Museum.
“I think any Caribbean museum should have a little piece of Bob. So I will be donating to the museum one of my father’s guitars. Treat it nice, okay?” she said after accepting her award on stage, presented by Island SPACE President Calibe Thompson.
Cedella has not only contributed to the preservation of Bob Marley’s legacy, but has also made significant contributions to Jamaican culture and sports.
She is the CEO of her father’s recording label, Tuff Gong International. She also helps run her family’s charitable organization, 1Love.
Cedella is the acting director of the Bob Marley Foundation, which seeks to deliver social interventions throughout Jamaica through educational and community development initiatives. Additionally, she oversees Hope Road Merchandising, LLC, a Marley family entity that manages the rights to Bob’s name and likeness, and the Marley merchandising conglomerate House of Marley.
Up until last month, she was also a sponsor and official ambassador of the Jamaica Reggae Girlz team. She most notably helped fund the team through their surprise qualification for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
She is also a three-time Grammy Award-winning singer.
Island Space honors women champions of Jamaican music
Marcia Griffiths, dubbed the “Queen of Reggae,” along with Patricia “Miss Pat” Chin of VP Records were also presented with Lifetime Achievement Awards, in a nod to the upcoming Women’s Month.
The three women were celebrated for their lasting impact on the global stage through their contributions to Jamaican music.
The significance of this recognition extended beyond the museum’s walls, as Broward County Commissioner Hazelle Rogers presented keys to Broward County to all three honorees. She highlighted the importance of blending entertainment with education, particularly within Broward County.
City of Plantation Mayor Nick Sortal echoed this sentiment by presenting keys to the City of Plantation to each of the musical icons, expressing his hope for the enduring presence of Reggae Genealogy within the community.
Rita Marley, the esteemed matriarch of the Marley family, received a private tour of the Island SPACE Caribbean Museum. She gave an endorsement of the museum’s efforts to preserve Caribbean music culture.
Island SPACE is the only pan-Caribbean Heritage Museum in the United States.
Read more: Island SPACE Caribbean Museum celebrates inaugural “Reggae Genealogy” at Broward Mall
