Toronto-based singer-songwriter Duane Forrest has opened his show Bob Marley: How Reggae Changed the World at Adelaide Fringe. Exploring the life and legacy of Bob Marley alongside his music and the impact of Reggae, the storytelling piece takes inspiration from Duane’s connection to his Jamaican roots. We managed to catch up with Duane for a pixelated pint to find out more about the show.

You can catch Bob Marley: How Reggae Changed the World at The Lab at Fool’s Paradise on selected dates until the 23rd March at 4pm as part of Adelaide Fringe. Tickets are available through the Adelaide Fringe Box Office.

Jake: Hi Duane! Tell us about what led you to put together a music-storytelling show about the life and legacy of Bob Marley.

Duane: Hi Jake! Thanks for having me. I’ve been performing some of Bob’s iconic songs for years now during tours around the world. I noticed people enjoying the music but not really ‘getting it’. I’d get requests like ‘do the Buffalo soldier one!’ and watched as they laughed and enjoyed the song, but I realized the depth, political and cultural meaning was lost on them. So, I decided to put a show together talking about Bob’s influence on the world, but more importantly – my life.

Jake: Tell us about the process of putting together the show – how did you decide what elements to include and how did you get on rehearsing the piece?

Duane: the show is very simple. The version I’ve been touring the most is just me on a guitar sitting on a stool. Though having a band is amazing and quite fun, this stripped back version allows you to hear the story of the songs and connect with the emotional nuances within each piece. The songs I’ve chosen have touched me deeply and I have my own stories tied to them, listening to them as I grew up in Toronto, Canada, far away from Jamaica, where my parents come from.

Jake: What are you hoping the audience might take away from the experience, if anything?

Duane: that our story is in the songs. That they would hear our story and carry it with them.

Jake: Now we’re in the throes of Adelaide Fringe, what are you most excited for?

Duane: See kangaroos. I thought they’d be all over the place like our raccoons are in Toronto.

Jake: Given the themes of Binge Fringe, if your show was a beverage of any kind (alcoholic, non-alcoholic – be as creative as you like!), what would it be and why?

Duane: A ginger beer with a splash of Jamaican rum. Why, because you will feel just right after both. One love!

You can catch Bob Marley: How Reggae Changed the World at The Lab at Fool’s Paradise on selected dates until the 23rd March at 4pm as part of Adelaide Fringe. Tickets are available through the Adelaide Fringe Box Office.