“Bob Marley really made Reggae Sunsplash the phenomenon that it became.” That’s the sentiment shared by Ronnie Burke, director of the now-defunct, popular music festival first staged in Montego Bay in 1978.

He unequivocally heaps praises on the late reggae superstar for adding to the popularity, cachet, and ultimate success of the event in the very early days, having performed on the second staging in 1979.

Burke recalled that the festival was conceived as a means of filling hotel rooms in Montego Bay during the off season. Back then, hoteliers would have to close the property, and lay off staff, especially during the summer months due to low occupancy levels. The event was conceived by marketers Peter Martin and Associates and local public relations firm Berl Francis and Company, and Synergy Productions — a firm comprising Burke, Tony Johnson, John Wakeling and Don Green was brought in to produce the event.

Burke admits that the first staging of Reggae Sunsplash failed to achieve the targets, and attributes this to what he called a cloud of scepticism which hung over the festival due to the then-ingrained prejudices towards reggae music and Rastafari. But all that changed one day while they were planning the second year’s festival.

“Even we were surprised that they decided to give us a second run at the event based on what went on during during year one. I had to go up to 56 Hope Road one day to deal with something and as I drove in Bob was sitting under a tree and he called out to me. He said to me, ‘I heard you guys are planning the Greatest Reggae Festival on Earth [one of the advertising tag lines Burke’s team had come up with for the event], but that is a lie.’ I asked him what did he mean… After mi nuh deh pon di show, it can’t be the greatest reggae Show’.”

Burke explained to Marley that he had spoken to his Manager Don Taylor, who flatly turned him down based on what he had heard about the first year of the festival.

“I started telling him about our plans for year two and the future of the festival and right there and then he said ‘Tell Don Taylor that I am doing this show’. He quoted us a fee of J$10,000 and placed himself on the line-up for Reggae Sunsplash 1979, and the rest they say is history. That year rooms from Negril to Trelawny were filled with patrons and the event was a success, paving the way for many years of successful stagings,” Burke recalled.

Bob Marley would never appear on the Reggae Sunsplash stage again, and would die two years later. But before his passing Burke would have the experience of accompanying the reggae superstar to his only concert in the twin-island republic of Trinidad and Tobago, where he said he saw the icon in fine form.

“I consider it a blessing, honour, and a privilege to have been at the age to watch Bob Marley’s career and status rise brick by brick. I will continue to say that personally I believe reggae music took a huge blow when Marley died and we are yet to recover. Yes we’ve had peaks and promises and thanks to people like Jimmy Cliff, The Wailers, and others who have carried on, but thankfully he opened the door and we are the greater for it.” Burke continued.

— Richard Johnson