Ziggy Marley, Michael Franti coming to Rohnert Park

The outdoor stage at Rohnert Park’s Sonoma Mountain Event Center is about to get a big dose of love and peace, with two concerts in a row, less than a week apart.

Ziggy Marley, son of reggae legend Bob Marley, will perform at the venue Wednesday, Aug. 12, followed by singer, songwriter and humanitarian Michael Franti on Sunday, Aug. 16.

Both of them are successful musicians who seem more concerned with altruistically bringing all kinds of people together than in marketing themselves.

Marley, currently touring in support of his fifth studio album, “Fly Rasta,” released in April, has written a children’s book, hosted a radio show and even lent his name to a line of organic coconut oil and hemp seeds.

But he stressed in a recent phone interview that he remains committed to serving a higher purpose through his music.

“What I want is for us, as a society and as a species, to find peace and love and end war and racism,” Marley said. “Rather than promoting some book or something, that’s what I want to touch on.”

Born in Jamaica and now living in Los Angeles, the younger Marley still embraces his late father’s ideals, while writing and performing his own original music, still rooted in the reggae style.

“I’m not the guardian of my father’s legacy. I’m his son and that is title enough,” Marley said. “My father’s legacy is my legacy. We’re in the same business, not in terms of the music business, but in terms of putting a message across, and hopefully inspiring people across the world to do something positive.”

For Franti, an Oakland native who, backed by his band, Spearhead, has blended reggae with hip hop, funk, jazz, rock and more, the music is also both his medium and his message.

“My message is to love life, serve the greater good and rock out wherever you are,” Franti said by phone from a tour stop in Squaw Valley, punctuating his sentence with a deep laugh.

“That’s what we’re all about, is loving your family, loving your community, taking care of yourself and your health, loving music, loving dance, loving your friends and loving to party and celebrate life,” Franti said.

His single, “Once a Day,” has become something of a social movement in itself, with its refrain urging everyone to “hug somebody, at least once a day.” But the inspiration for the song came out of a family crisis.

“My son, Ade, who’s now 16, was diagnosed with kidney disease. At the time, we thought it was something that was going to rip our family apart, because it tore our hearts open,” Franti said.

“What ended up happening was the opposite. Our family bonded together to fight the disease and help him have a normal life. There was lots of crying, kissing and hugging.”

What began as a potential personal tragedy eventually became the starting point for an anthem about showing others in our lives that we care.

“That’s what I wrote the song ‘Once a Day’ about, as a gentle reminder to people as we go through challenging times. If we don’t run away from it and choose to come closer together, then we rise above it.”

You can reach staff writer Dan Taylor at 521-5243 or dan.taylor@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @danarts.