In recognition of the 35th year since the Tastee Talent Contest debuted, former judge Howard McGowan recently donated 50 vinyl albums to Tastee Ltd, the company that staged the event from 1979 to 2013.

The presentation took place last month at Tastee’s Cross Road headquarters in Kingston. McGowan, a judge for the contest’s duration and former entertainment editor at the Gleaner, handed over the records to Simone Chanpong, director at Tastee.

“Tastee has done arguably more for the local entertainment industry than any other entity. For 34 years, it unearthed talent via the Tastee Talent Contest while providing work for scores as well as free concerts annually,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

Nadine Sutherland, an 11 year-old student at St Andrew High School, won the inaugural contest. Finishing second was Paul Blake, who became lead singer of The Bloodfire Posse with Yellowman placing third.

For her victory, Sutherland was awarded a recording contract with Tuff Gong Records, owned by reggae star Bob Marley. Her initial recordings for the label, Starvation on The Land and A Young One Like Me, were hits.

Kaya by Marley, Hail H.I.M. (Burning Spear), Chicken Scratch from Lee “Scratch” Perry, Stan’ Up by Chalice, and Shinehead’s Real Rock, are some of the albums McGowan donated to Tastee for the company’s archives.

He is the latest media personality to hand over music from their personal collection. Dermot Hussey and the Barnes brothers (Jeff, Winston and Ed) made similar contributions to the Jamaica Music Museum and the government of Jamaica, respectively.

– Howard Campbell