Damian Robert Nesta Marley, also known around the world as “Junior Gong” and more recently as “Gongzilla” was born in 1978 to parents Bob Marley and Cindy Breakspeare, Miss World 1976.  As a young adult, he developed a passion and a gift to speak for those who cannot always speak for themselves. A self-proclaimed ‘Spiritual Revolutionary’, Damian has worked assiduously to carve his own niche in music history and to add a new perspective to the Marley legacy for the 21st century. 

At the age of 13, Damian began performing in a group called “The Shepherds” which comprised of Shiah Coore (son of Third World guitarist Cat Coore) and currently a member of his band, and Yashema Beth McGreggor, daughter of reggae singers Freddie Mcgreggor and Judy Mowatt and then began touring with his brothers, Stephen, Ky-mani, Julian and Ziggy. 

By 1996, Damian had already made his stamp as a different kind of Marley when he released his first solo album “Mr. Marley”, a heavily dancehall-influenced album produced by his brother Stephen Marley.  His second album “Halfway Tree” was released in 2001 by a major record label and showcased Damian’s unique gift for blending dancehall, reggae and hip-hop styles.  This album won Damian much recognition and remained on the Billboard Top Reggae Album Charts for 158 weeks and earned him his first Grammy for Best Reggae Album in 2002. 
While honored by this recognition by the global music fraternity, Damian continued to work in the studio, laying the groundwork for the tracks that would become his highly anticipated album, “Welcome To Jamrock”. The lyrics in this album presented Marley as a true spiritual revolutionary, as he used his talent to evoke a spiritual change while trying to enforce a better way of thinking.  He is described as “rhyming with the conviction of a street preacher with the intellect of a university economist”.  

Damian’s hit single “Welcome to Jamrock” was listed as one of the Top 100 Songs of the Decade by Rolling Stone, and at the 2006 Grammy Awards, he won Best Reggae Album and Best Urban/Alternative Performance for Welcome to Jamrock. Damian is the only Jamaican reggae artist in history to win two Grammy Awards on the same night. He is also the only reggae artist to win in the Best Urban/Alternative Performance category at the Grammy Awards. The New York Times called Welcome to Jamrock the “best reggae song of the decade.” 
Welcome to Jamrock led the pathway to Damian’s critically acclaimed collaboration with Nas for 2010’s much lauded album “Distant Relatives” – a project which explored the relationships between reggae, hip-hop and Africa. The album title refers not only to the bond between the artists, but the connection to their African ancestry, which inspired the album both musically and lyrically. USA Today referred to the album as a “potent and often provocative collaboration” and by Rolling Stone as “an Afrocentric winner.” The album debuted at Number 5 on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart and Number 1 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, Rap Albums and Reggae Albums charts, with Billboard heralding the album as “a dynamic hybrid.”    

The Distant Relatives Tour kicked off in 2011 and saw Damian traveling and performing for thousands of fans all over the world, including South America, Europe, The United Kingdom, The Caribbean and North America.  

Damian continued to cross musical boundaries in 2012, as he went on to partner with Skrillex for their groundbreaking track “Make It Bun Dem”, which Rolling Stone called “a monster mash up of dubstep and dancehall” and has led to several remixes of the original version.  Damian recently released two other singles; “Set Up Shop” and  “Affairs of the Heart” which both received widespread airplay. 

Damian continues to tour with his band all over the world as a way of entertaining and healing as he continues to spread the message for those whose voices cannot be heard. He is working with his brothers Stephen and Julian under their Ghetto Youths International Label, to discover, develop and sign gifted artistes by applying their musical talent and vast experience to create new and different styles of music.  

Damian is currently in the studio working on his upcoming solo album.

A platform for Reggae music worldwide. Empowering Artists / Building Community.

𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙄𝙣𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙘𝙩:
rootfire@rootfire.net
𝐖𝐞𝐛𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐞: https://rootfire.net
𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤: https://www.facebook.com/RootfireNet/
𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦: https://instagram.com/rootfire_intl/
𝐓𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫: https://twitter.com/rootfire_intl

Hella Mega Tour w/ Green Day, Fall Out Boy, Weezer + The Interrupters coming in 2021 - http://hellamegatour.com

Grammy-nominated reggae/hip-hop/alternative artist. The new self-titled album, Matisyahu, is out now on vinyl, digital and CD.

Calistro “Junior” Vasquez is a singer, songwriter and jingle writer, born in Lubbock and raised in West Texas. He has been playing professionally for over 45 years. Began playing guitar at the age of ten and fronted his first band at age 11. From the early 70's to the early 80's, Junior fronted several bands, including Peyote, Texas Rain, Junior's Farm, and Rhema, and traveled throughout Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma. They opened for several national acts including David Alan Coe, Styx, Batdorf and Rodney and many more..

In 1981, Junior had a spiritual awakening and pursued mostly Christian music playing with his wife Mickie and good friend Tom Walter in a band called "Burning Heart".
Junior also served as a worship leader for over 35 years in several local churches, currently at The Gathering of Lubbock.  During the decade of the 90's Junior and Mickie traveled extensively throughout the states playing motivational music for Amway conventions. It was also during this time that Don Caldwell asked Junior to perform some nostalgia music at the now famous Cactus Theater in Lubbock, Tx. Junior accepted the invitation and performed music and theater at the Cactus for several years. 
Junior played the part of Richie Valens in the musical "Buddy” The Buddy Holly Story." It ran for a couple of years. 

In 2002, Junior wrote and produced his first jingle and has had great success in that field. He has become increasingly known and highly sought in the West Texas market for the past several years for that "special knack" or natural ability he has for writing and producing advertisement jingles. He has written over 125 jingles.
 In 2004 he played the part of Cola Martinez in the musical drama “The Soul of The West” written by Red Steagall, Andy Wilkinson and Ann Lockhart. He was joined on the stage with Barry Corbin, Wilford Brumley, Buck Taylor, Michael Horse and Ann Lockhart. They performed the musical at Bass Hall in Ft. Worth, George Washington University and many other locations.

In 2009 “It"ll Turn Around" his freshman cd of all original material was released. In his musical endeavors he has made many friends, one being West Texas legend Lloyd Maines who is on the cd project playing steel guitar and dobro on several songs. Other West Texas legends playing on the project are Steve Williams, Mike Carraway, Donnie Maines, Cary Banks, Jay Lemon and special guest Alan Munde on banjo. Most importantly Junior has his whole family involved in the project. Micah his son is playing bass on several songs, Mikaela oldest daughter sings a duet and background vocals, Mickie is playing piano and background vocals and his youngest daughter Tori is singing three songs he wrote for her. 

In 2014 he was a supporting actor in the independent released movie ”The Arroyo”. He played the part of sheriff Ed Barton. 

In 2019 he released his second all original solo cd “Random”.
Currently Junior and his wife Mickie are performing house concerts, private engagements locally and abroad.

Guy Nitsan is following