The Tropixs (Los Angeles, California) – Ziggy Marley has always spread a message of peace and love with his music, but now it is being formally recognized.
The Grammy-winning Reggae superstar was among five honorees recognized by the Creative Community for Peace (CCFP) at the organization’s second annual Ambassadors of Peace gala on Thursday in California.
The organization, which was founded by music executives Steve Schnur and David Renzer in 2012, seeks to highlight art and music as a means to attain peace, to support artistes and to counter the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement being waged against Israel.
The “Love Is My Religion” singer was presented with the CCFP’s inaugural special artiste’s award for peace.
“I’ve been going to Israel since I was a teenager…Israel was a storybook place for us. We felt a connection to it through our father, through our beliefs,” Marley said while collecting the award.
“I’ve been going back ever since. We don’t play in Israel for political reason; we play for the people to spread our message of justice, love and peace for all people… Going to Israel for me is no problem because we go for the people, not the politics,” the singer continued.
The glamorous ceremony was attended by over 400 entertainment industry executives, which was held in Los Angeles at the home of entertainment attorney and CCFP Advisory Board member, Gary Stiffelman.
Ziggy Marley, who is married to a woman of Israeli descent, has been criticized in the past for performing in the country as many claim it is a disgrace to his father’s name and message.
The award is not the first time the Reggae superstar has been recognized in this capacity as he was previously honored by the Jewish National Fund with a Shalom Peace Award in 2015.
