As Jamaica’s premier summer reggae festival, Reggae Sumfest culminated in the island’s tourist capital Montego Bay, the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) booth provided the perfect vantage point to observe the stellar performances and a wonderful ambience for those looking to bask in the essence of Jamaican culture.
Among the guests visiting the JTB booth was noted reggae and Bob Marley historian Roger Steffens, a first time festival attendee, who was on hand promoting his latest book So Much Things To Say which weaves decades of interviews with friends, business managers, relatives and confidants into a definitive telling of the life of the reggae king―the full, inside account of how a boy from the slums of Kingston, Jamaica, became a cultural icon and inspiration to millions around the world.
Steffens is one of the world’s leading Bob Marley experts. He toured with the Wailers in the 1970s and was closely acquainted with Bunny Wailer, Peter Tosh and the rest of the band members.
This actor, author, lecturer, reggae archivist, director and producer, has over the past four decades, evolved from photographer into the world’s premier reggae archivist. His obsession with reggae music began in 1973, when he happened across an article in a Rolling Stone magazine that spoke of reggae. A few years later, Steffens came to Jamaica with his wife looking for vinyl records and little did he know that this would have been the beginning of his extensive collection which now occupies seven rooms of his Los Angeles home and is the world’s largest collection of Bob Marley material.
“Steffens is a walking encyclopedia on reggae and Bob Marley,” said Director of Tourism Donovan White. “We need to find a way to get into his mind and record all that information.”
Having presented about reggae at the Smithsonian Institution, the Library of Congress and nine times at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Steffens says he only has one wish and that is to have his collection established at the Jamaica Music Museum, which he believes is its rightful home.
“Though reggae is truly unique to Jamaica, what has kept me coming back to Jamaica and my absolute favorite thing about this island, is the friendliness and mutual respect among all races here” said Steffens.
To learn more about Jamaica or to book your next vacation go to www.visitjamaica.com
About Jamaica Tourist Board
The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), founded in 1955, is Jamaica’s national tourism agency based in the capital city of Kingston. JTB offices are also located in Montego Bay, Miami, Toronto and London. Representative offices are located in Berlin, Barcelona, Rome, Amsterdam and Mumbai.
TripAdvisor® ranked Jamaica as the #1 Caribbean Destination and #14 Best Destination in the World in 2018. Also this year, the International Council of the Pacific Area Travel Writers Association (PATWA) named Jamaica the Best Destination for Adventure Tourism and TravAlliance Media named the JTB the Best Tourism Board Overall. Additionally, the JTB has been declared the Caribbean’s Leading Tourist Board by the World Travel Awards (WTA) for eleven consecutive years between 2006 and 2017. In 2017, Jamaica also earned the WTA’s award for the Caribbean’s Leading Wedding Destination and the Caribbean’s Leading Cruise Destination. Jamaica is home to some of the world’s best accommodations, attractions and service providers that have won several awards throughout the years.
For details on upcoming special events, attractions and accommodations in Jamaica go to the JTB’s Web site at www.visitjamaica.com or call the Jamaica Tourist Board at 1-800-JAMAICA (1-800-526-2422). Follow the JTB on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube. View the JTB blog at www.islandbuzzjamaica.com.
