Jo Mersa’s farewell on Tuesday
THE funeral service for reggae singer Joseph “Jo Mersa” Marley, first born of Stephen Marley and grandson of the genre’s icon Bob Marley, is scheduled for The Bob Marley Museum on Hope Road in St Andrew on Tuesday, January 17, according to insiders.
“The interment will be in Nine Miles, St Ann,” the source told the Jamaica Observer.
Jo Mersa’s grandfather, Bob Marley, was interred in a mausoleum in Nine Miles. It was not ascertained if the young Marley will be buried close to his famous grandad.
On Tuesday, a private all-white vigil was held for Jo Mersa at Fairchild Tropical Botanical Gardens on Old Cutler Road in Coral Gables, South Florida. The occasion saw several Marley family members and close friends in attendance.
American singer Lauryn Hill, Shaggy, Tarrus Riley, Etana, and members of the Inner Circle band were spotted at the 3:00 pm function.
Jo Mersa died on December 27 in Miami-Dade County of a suspected asthma attack. He was 31.
Reports are that officers from the Pinecrest Police Department in Florida found Marley unconscious inside his vehicle at a shopping centre’s parking lot. Paramedics at the scene later pronounced him dead. No foul play was suspected.
Jo Mersa — whose mom is Kerry-Ann Smith, younger sister of former Dancehall Queen Carlene Smith — was known for songs such as Burn it Down, Made It, and No Way Out.
He made his debut in 2010 with My Girl, which features his cousin Daniel Bambaata Marley. He was featured on his dad’s album Revelation Part 2: The Fruit of Life in 2016.
Jo Mersa leaves behind his wife Qiara, six-year-old daughter Sunshine and 12 siblings.
Reggae king Bob Marley died on May 11, 1981 of cancer. He was 36.