GETTING ZIGGY WITH IT MARLEY LEAVES MELODY MAKERS BEHIND TO BROADEN HIS MUSICAL HORIZONS.

Byline: Sandra Barrera Music Writer

One day, while doing yard work at his home in Jamaica, Ziggy Marley ``bumped'' into a dragonfly.

``It was hovering in front of me,'' Marley, the eldest son of the legendary reggae star Bob Marley, says as he recalls the encounter that gave rise to the idea for the title track of his new solo offering.

The album ``Dragonfly,'' released in April, brings the 34-year-old Marley to the House of Blues for two consecutive nights, beginning Saturday, and marks the first time he has recorded without his sibling group, the Melody Makers.

According to him, the other Marleys - Stephen, Cedella and Sharon, the latter lending backing vocals to the new record - are off producing other artists or designing clothes at the moment.

``That's not to say in the future we won't record another album,'' says Marley, who has been performing under the guise of Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers since 1979. Of course, that was before the group went on to score hits with ``Tomorrow People'' and ``Tumbling Down,'' picking up Grammys along the way.

And so, while his brother and sisters went off to do their thing, Marley was prone to follow suit.

``I had these things I need to say, and so I decided to go ahead and just say them,'' he says.

This includes a commentary about the mishandling of the environment and the effect it has on other living creatures.

In describing the song, Marley returns to his experience in the garden. Locking stares with the dragonfly got him wondering about the world through its perspective.

His curiosity transpires in a whimsical conversation with all the little critters in his garden, including a weeping tree that cries, ``What type of creature is man?''

Commiserating with nature sums up only part of the album, which weaves a tapestry of world politics and self-awareness into different styles of pop music.

Billboard calls ``True to Myself,'' the first single off the album, an ``inspiring proclamation of freedom.''

And it describes Marley as ``strong and fearless.'' You get no arguments from the singer-songwriter, who affirms, ``I am strong, and I believe in what I'm doing.''

He is the son of Bob Marley, after all, whose death in 1981 hasn't stopped people from enjoying his reggae music.

But ``Dragonfly'' is not solely a reggae album. Rather, it borrows from a musical palette that includes rock, pop and funk courtesy of guest musicians such as John Frusciante and Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

``For me, it's very interesting working with different musicians,'' says Marley, who's a fan of artists as different as jazz/pop singer Norah Jones and rapper Outkast. ``It's enjoyable, and I wanted to enjoy making this record.'' So far, all's well. The album has been catching on much faster than Marley expected.

``Some people get it too much,'' he says with a chuckle, about his concert audiences. ``They're out-singing me sometimes. Usually I don't get that so early.'' Yet like his father, Marley minces message-driven lyrics and catchy melodies.

But the music doesn't always radiate sunshine. Consider ``Shalom Salaam,'' a song that juxtaposes the Hebrew and Arabic words for ``Peace.''

Marley admits he was rather bold to tackle the song about the deadly territorial dispute between Israelis and Palestinians. ``I'm pretty, like, arrogant,'' he says, then chuckles before returning to the serious subject. ``What I'm really saying in this song is that war is going to be a relief for us if we don't find peace.''

The message is conveyed through the harsh, clanging chorus and Middle Eastern-inspired instrumental riff that comes toward the end of the song.

Another song, ``In the Name of God,'' meanwhile, finds Marley calling for an end to religiously motivated hostility.

He even goes so far as to sing, ``All religion should be wiped out so that people may just live.''

Marley defends his point, saying, ``So much wrong has been done in the name of God in all religions.''

And so, what began as a response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks has come to encompass the bigger picture.

But that shouldn't be a surprise, coming from the singer who bears more than an uncanny resemblance to his great father.

ZIGGY MARLEY

Where: House of Blues Sunset Strip, 8430 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood.

When: 9 p.m. Saturday, 7:30 p.m. Sunday.

Tickets: $40. [phone]; www.ticketmaster.com.

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Photo: no caption (Ziggy Marley)