SHEMA McGregor, Jamaican-born daughter of reggae legends Judy Mowatt and Freddie McGregor, will be part of The Wailers’ line-up on their British tour, which visits Leeds O2 Academy tonight in celebration of Bob Marley’s music.

Shema’s mother was a member of Marley’s I-Three, while her father is Freddie McGregor, award winning singer and performing artist and head of the family’s Big Ship recording empire. Inside that empire, Shema records and produces alongside her hit-making, producing and performing brothers, Stephen ‘Di Genius’ and Daniel ‘Chino’ McGregor.

Now, Shema, an adept singer of reggae, dancehall, gospel, pop, and soul ballads, is joining The Wailers for a March tour steered by founder Aston “Familyman” Barrett, joined in solidarity with original Wailers’ band members Julian Junior Marvin and Donald Kinsey, plus Aston Barrett Jr, Joshua David Barrett, Owen “Dreadie” Reid, Javaughn Bond and Marley sound engineer Dennis Thompson.

Inspired to reunite, The Wailers are touring with a Marley message of peace, unity, and one love on a tour that will see them play The Wailers’ iconic album Legend album live on stage in its entirety, including such hits as Three Little Birds, I Shot The Sheriff and Jamming.

“I started with the group last November,” says Shema, who lives in Boston, Massachusetts. “It came about because my mother gave me a call to say she’d been asked to tour with The Wailers, but she doesn’t tour any more, so she asked if I would do it. I thought about it and when I talked to Aston, who I knew from before, I thought, ‘you know what, it would be cool to get a feel of what it’s like to be a Wailer. It sure is an honour to do it.”

Shema visited her mother in Jamaica to help her prepare for The Wailers. “I was there recently, and I said, ‘I’m doing these shows; what would you have worn when you sang with Bob?’. I look to her as she’s such a useful source of information, and now I’m performing like her, dancing like her, singing like her, and reflecting her on stage.”