Had Bob not died at the age of 35, he would have turned 69. Damian - now 35 - says he'll be playing plenty of his father's songs to pay tribute to him.
"There are so many songs to choose from," Marley tells TimeOut down a dodgy phone line from his home-away-from-home in Miami. "I'm a big fan of my father's music and it's always a pleasure to sing his songs."
He won't confirm which tracks he'll be playing, but recent setlists have included everything from Sun is Shining and Confrontation to Is This Love and Could You Be Loved.
Those signature hits, with their uplifting, summery vibes and unifying themes of peace, love and harmony, helped Bob become a worldwide musical icon respected and celebrated to this day.
And it's fair to say they'll be well received by the reggae-mad crowd lapping up the sunshine in Rotorua.
Damian says he "represents" his family name everywhere he goes - but he doesn't feel a responsibility to carry on his father's legacy, saying it's something that happens naturally.
"I am my father's son, and I always will be. I represent him, like I represent my entire family, with everything I do.
"[It's not] something I have to sit around and calculate or carry around. We live it."
Besides, the most famous Marley sibling is a reggae star in his own right, having released three solo albums, as well as collaborating with Mick Jagger, Dave Stewart and Joss Stone in the supergroup SuperHeavy, and touring here behind his excellent 2011 collaboration album, Distant Relatives, with rapper Nas.
Then there's Welcome to Jamrock, his Grammy-winning 2005 smash single that is still the centrepiece of Marley's live shows. He says fans don't realise the song's hard-hitting reggae thump had a serious underlying message about crime and violence in his homeland.
The year the song was released, Jamaica recorded the world's highest murder rate. But Marley says those kind of statistics are glossed over in travel guides for the island.
"It was really about exposing a bit more of what Jamaicans face as opposed to what the tourists who come to the island experience, and what is promoted internationally of the island." He's hopeful the song helped change perceptions, but says the country still needs to make further advancements: "I would say that people are working towards change but I wouldn't say it has manifested change."
He still follows his homeland's headlines from Miami and is "proactive and concerned with helping positive change occur".
The best way he believes he can do that is through his music. Along with his Nas and SuperHeavy sideprojects, Marley has also worked with dubstep bullies Skrillex and Rusko, hip-hop icons Cypress Hill and pop stars Gwen Stefani and fellow Raggamuffin headliner Shaggy to help expand the genre's boundaries.
Despite his efforts, Marley thinks reggae deserves more exposure than it is currently getting.
"A lot of people's perception of reggae music might be off because they don't know how popular it is around the world. Business-wise we might not be one of the most organised genres [but] there are countless numbers of reggae artists. I was told today that New Zealand is involved in the reggae scene - that speaks to how popular the genre is."
That's the understatement of the year. With everyone from Che Fu to King Kapisi, Tiki Taane, Soljah, Ardijah, House of Shem, Aotearoa Reggae All Stars and Sons of Zion on the bill, it's likely Damian Marley will feel right at home at Raggamuffin.
And he's promising nothing but good times when he hits the stage on February 1 alongside three of his Ghetto Youth labelmates.
"I'm looking forward to it. I always have a good time [in New Zealand]. The concerts are always fun and the people are always energetic."
Who: Damian Marley
Where: Raggamuffin festival, with Shaggy, Sons of Zion, Che Fu, King Kapisi, Tiki Taane
When: Rotorua International Stadium, January 31-February 1
Essential listening: Welcome to Jamrock (2005), Distant Relatives (with Nas, 2011), Set Up Shop - Vol 1 (with Ghetto Youth International, 2013)
More information: raggamuffin.co.nz
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- TimeOut
