Ziggy Marley recently appeared on an online music podcast blog, capping off a year that has seen him release a live DVD, perform headlining shows all over America, partake in several charity campaigns and hand-pick some of his favorite songs for a reggae anthology. The platinum-selling reggae musician granted the podcast and exclusive interview, speaking with Renata Sadunas on a variety of issues.

Ziggy briefly touched on learning to play music as a boy, which shaped the career that would earn him a considerable following worldwide. "I took a couple of classes, then bought some books and then taught myself. I started out with the guitar and then the piano came after," stated Marley. "I'm not the greatest at any of them, but I can make a record. But what it does, actually, it nurtures creativity, because you're not intellectually as good as other people who know it and go to school for it and can read it, so it forces you to be creative."

Following up on intellectual ability, Ziggy took a moment to give his two cents on the United States presidential election. "One of the most important things in a leader is to inspire. If a leader is intellectually great...but cannot inspire people, he is not a leader," stated Marley. "The main thing about Barack Obama--he inspires. If that's the only thing he could do, inspire people, then that's worth it."

Demonstrating that his political interests stem from a young age, Ziggy singled out a family trip to Zimbabwe among his strongest boyhood memories. "For me it was like a trip to the moon," Marley recalled. "I'd never been on such a long train ride. It was something brand new for me...opening up my eyes to the whole colonialism and independence and revolutionaries. We did meet some of the revolutionaries that fought for the independence of Zimbabwe at the hotel where we were staying...it kind of molded my African concepts."

Ziggy also revealed some of his future plans, including his next musical project. "I'm working on a family record," stated Marley. "I think it's important to speak to children today. I've done a lot of records and I've spoken to a lot of adults, and now I want to speak to children...We're also in the progress of reworking some of Bob's music for children, too."

Another project Ziggy has been working on is the much-anticipated Bob Marley documentary, set to be directed by Jonathan Demme for release in 2010. "It's going to be about (Bob) Marley, but it's going to be from a perspective that you have not seen," said Ziggy. "This is one where (the family) are involved, so it's going to go very deep and it's going to reveal things that have not been revealed. There are still things to know about my father."

For the entire interview, including more on Ziggy's upbringing and a book recommendation, visit ChordStrike, Amazon.com's online music blog podcast.