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One Love: An Interview with Cedella Marley

I had the opportunity to interview Bob Marley’s Daughter, Cedella Marley, which was AWESOME by the way! The interview was in conjunction with helping her promote her new children’s book, One Love. The heartwarming and beautifully illustrated picture book tells of a young girl and her parents inspiring neighbors to restore a park in their multi-cultural neighborhood. Based on one of Bob Marley’s most beloved songs, it celebrates his joyful spirit and unforgettable lyrics, bringing them to life for the new generation. I am super excited and grateful to have One Love in our book collection!

So. Check out the interview. I’m so proud of it! I usually don’t do celebrity interviews. It just hasn’t been my thing, honestly. I guess it takes really feeling connected to that person in order to ask them meaningful questions. Cedella was such a delight to interview. She inspires me. It literally took me 5 minutes to come up with my interview questions. Ok, enough of me rambling. I have a great giveaway supporting her book after the interview. To enter the giveaway, please use the Rafflecopter form further down. Comments are open to those who would like to comment without getting buried in giveaway entries.

Hello, beautiful!

How did the One Love children’s book come to fruition?

I’d written two previous books inspired by my father’s lyrics, and was ready to do another based on One Love, one of his most popular and beloved and one that children love to sing.

Do you have any plans to turn more of your father’s songs into books? I’d love to see what 3 Little Birds would look like!

You won’t have to wait long! I’m working on a picture book adaptation of 3 Little Birds right now! It will be published by Chronicle Books in 2012. I’d love to do even more!

When your children are faced with issues brought on by their peers, how do you help your children see the light in the situations? How do you instill the fundamentals of self-love in your children?

I come from a large family, and one of the things I’m so grateful for is that my parents let each of us know we were special in our own way. We were all Marleys, but we each had our own talents and strengths. Since they were small I’ve reminded each of my three boys that he is special and has wonderful gifts that are his alone to give to the world. I can’t always protect them from what their peers will say and do, but my goal is to give them the strength and confidence to know they can overcome and hold their heads high in any challenging situation.

I’ve seen some of your original clothing designs, they are so fly! I’ll take one of everything, please! 🙂 Can you explain a little bit about your design process? What inspires a specific design? What gets your creative juices flowing?

I’m inspired by everything I see and experience! Nature, the ocean, the textiles and colors of Jamaica I remember from my childhood and the beautiful young people I see walking around Miami and the looks they put together. And of course, music always gets my creative juices flowing! Music is a constant in my design studio.

In what ways do you practice “One Love” in your everyday life?

I’m fortunate to have many facets to my life. I’m a wife, mom, daughter, sister, and aunt as well as a designer, author, musician and businesswoman. In each of these roles I strive to act with integrity and treat others with love and respect. I’m very selective about the projects I take on. I ask myself how will this book, song, design or business venture bring joy and beauty to people’s lives, and what more good can come of it?

As a well-grounded businesswoman in control of her own destiny, what are the 3 core values you live by?

I’m inspired by my father’s songs as always, and live by:
“One Love” – Treat others and the world around you with love and respect.

“Every little thing’s gonna be alright” – I know I the strength to overcome any challenge.

“Get Up, Stand Up” – Speak out against injustice. Use your voice and your life to create a better world.

This is a random question, but do you practice yoga?

No, I don’t practice yoga. I’m a p90X Mom. 🙂

Win a One Love Prize Pack!

Giveaway will close on October 27th, 2011 at 12:01 AM EST. A winner from the U.S. or Canada will be randomly selected and announced in this post in red. Check out my Giveaway Rules if you have any questions. Good luck!

one love book

Prize Pack includes a copy of One Love, limited edition doll, and buttons.


I received a copy of One Love, the above prizes to give away, and the amazing opportunity of interviewing Cedella Marley. All words are my own except the words of Cedella Marley :).

Jill Myrick

Wednesday 26th of October 2011

What a great interview with such a special person. I can only imagine how wonderful and different the world would be if everyone lived by her philosophy on how she treats others. Her spirit shines through in her smile.

stephanie barmann

Wednesday 26th of October 2011

I loved the interview!  I love she is writing books based on her fathers lyrics!

Holly

Friday 21st of October 2011

This is such a great interview. You did a fantastic job with it and I love her attitude!

rajean

Friday 14th of October 2011

She exudes confidence and love, a tribute to how she was raised. Beautiful inside & out. Nice job with the interview. I love the book cover, I'm sure the illustrations inside are wonderful.

Me

Friday 14th of October 2011

She is gorgeous! Great interview. 

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