Ky-Mani, Beyond Marley Legacy

The late reggae master Bob Marley left a heavy legacy for any of his dozen children to follow, but at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano on Tuesday, 23-year-old Ky-mani Marley, the second-youngest of Marley’s children, showed that while he has mastered the sound of his father, he isn’t limited by it. He has other musical interests that shine through in a sound that is rich, passionate and uncomplicated.

In many ways Ky-mani (he uses just his first name) is a traditionalist, often reaching back toward Marley’s blueprint for that diamond-hard rhythm, a tight blend of keyboards, guitar, bass and drums. But at the Coach House he also slipped easily into a warm mix of reggae and R&B; for “Fell in Love,” a song that was both relaxed and emotionally urgent.

Later, Ky-mani, who recently released his debut album, “Journey,” and his five-man band and two backup singers also dived into acoustic-based balladry and songs with an unmistakable hip-hop groove, a gutsy move in front of a mostly reggae audience. Ky-mani has an emotional, expressive voice, and was an energetic, charismatic frontman.

A medley of his father’s music was more about crowd-pleasing than following his own muse. It was well-played, but hardly necessary from an artist with ideas of his own.