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January 07, 2008
Reggae Treasures Missing
By: Joseph Cunningham
A large quantity of music recorded in the 1970s has disappeared from the archives of the former Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation (JBC).
According to authorities, the missing collection which includes original recordings by reggae greats Bob Marley and Peter Tosh was realized on Saturday.
Speaking on the matter, Olivia Grange, Jamaica's Information Minister said, "The possible theft of thousands of vinyl records and compact discs is a blow to the island's history."
Employees at the newly formed Public Broadcasting Corp. of Jamaica noticed the disappearances while touring the old JBC building. They had planned to use the archived material for their first programmes, Grange said.
The archives also contain such iconic videos as the 1977 visit of Fidel Castro and the 1978 'One Love Peace Concert', at which Marley famously called two bitter Jamaican political rivals onstage to join hands.
Musicians and former JBC employees have criticized the Government for not properly maintaining the archives.
"The latest development is a national disgrace," said Gladstone Wilson, former programme manager for JBC radio.