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Ziggy Marley Expresses Never-Ending Love To Wife Orly On Her Birthday, 16th Wedding Anniversary

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ziggy-orly
Ziggy Marley, Orly MARLEY

Ziggy Marley paid a heartfelt tribute to his wife and president of Tuff Gong Worldwide, Orly, on his social media pages on her 50th birthday on Tuesday, which was also the day of the couple’s 16th wedding anniversary.

Orly, a former governor of The Recording Academy’s Los Angeles Chapter Board, the entity that decides eligibility for nomination and consideration for the Reggae Grammys, was serenaded by her 51-year-old husband who posted a throwback picture taken on their wedding day in 2004, and another of her as a toddler, on his personal Twitter, Instagram and Facebook pages.

“Blessed birthday and a happy sweet 16 wedding anniversary to the light of my life Orly. Love many waters cannot quench. ps. one lifetime isn’t enough to love you,” he wrote, amidst a series of heart icons.

Orly was also lauded on Ziggy’s Tuff Gong Worldwide Instagram page, where nine photos were posted featuring her, the Rebellion Rises singer, and their four children.

“Today we wish a happy birthday AND 16th wedding anniversary to our fearless queen, amazing daughter/granddaughter/great-granddaughter/sister/friend, mother of dragons and much more, Orly Marley! Blessings on your special day and all the days to come,” the post read.

His nephew Zion Marley, son of Lauryn Hill and his brother Rohan Marley responded with clasped hands and wrote: “Blessed birthday Auntie”.

Musician Tom Morello, television personality Reza Farahan, and Entertainment Tonight host Kevin Frazier, were among the celebrities who sent best wishes to the couple, while the Tomorrow People artiste’s followers hailed the couple, sending greetings, featuring cakes, balloons, and praying emojis.

“I love, love.   I loved meeting your beautiful wife in Hilo Hawaii 16 years ago!  I gave her a Tee-shirt I made of your Father. You are a perfect pair and it reflects in all you do.  Congratulations and continued love and blessings,” one fan Tonya Marie Miller noted on Facebook.

Orly, who is Israeli descent, is a former vice-president of William Morris Agency. The couple has four children; one daughter, Judah Victoria, and three sons, Gideon Robert Nesta, Abraham Selassie Robert Nesta, and Isaiah Sion Robert Nesta.   Ziggy is also father to three adult children from previous relationships, a son Daniel and daughters Zuri and Justice.

In 2014 Orly was elected a governor of the Los Angeles Chapter of The Recording Academy, the largest of its kind in the US.

That occurrence which, two years later, sparked huge controversy amongst Jamaican musicians in the Reggae and Dancehall fraternity, who had long contended that the Reggae Grammy nomination and selection were biased, and members of the Marley clan were usually unfairly favoured over other Jamaican artistes who had better albums.

In 2016, veteran Reggae singer Freddie McGregor, had also blasted the Orly-led Recording Academy’s Los Angeles Chapter of the Grammys for their annual picks for the Best Reggae Album.   McGregor described the Reggae arm of the organization “an embarrassment of indescribable magnitude to Reggae music” after it turned out that one-half of the nominees were based in California.

“I think what is happening is a slow deliberate deletion of our music form, and if we don’t have Jamaicans on a panel to determine the best reggae album, how can white people decide that for us?  It is a disgrace that the country that has created such a powerful music is now relying upon foreigners to tell us what is good Reggae music,” McGregor said in a Gleaner article.

“When we allow non-Jamaicans to be the judge of our own Jamaican music, we have certainly lost it, and the reggae Grammy is officially a toy and a plaything for the West Coast of the United States,” the McGregor had contended.

That year Ziggy won the Grammy for his self-titled album Ziggy Marley, while the other five nominees consisted of Sly & Robbie with Devin Di Dakta & J.L’s Reggae For Her
which was produced by Tuff Gong International and Taxi Records; Californian J Boog’s Rose Petals; Raging Fyah’s Everlasting; Californian band Rebelution’s Falling Into Place and Virginian Ban SOJA’s Live In Virginia.

Months later executives of the Grammy Awards’ South Florida Chapter invited several members of the Reggae and Dancehall music fraternity including Mr. Vegas and producers John Fx and Major Lazer to a meeting to address the concerns which they said were indeed valid.