Roger Steffens is known for his work as a radio host, voice actor, actor, lecturer and more but his most iconic title is being known as the great Reggae archivist. Steffens has the largest Reggae archive in the world which includes a collection of the most extensive Bob Marley artefacts in the world. The genesis of this impressive collection dates back to over 50 years in 1973 when Steffens bought a second-hand copy of The Wailers’ first album, “Catch a Fire.” Steffens has since sold his expansive archive to businessman Joe Bogdanovich, an old friend of his, in a multi-million dollar deal.
The 82-year-old New York native has been a longtime fanatic of Reggae music and has devoted his time and money over the years to ensure that Reggae’s legacy and history has a place to call home. His love for Reggae came about around the same time he began his collection. Steffens was enamoured by the genre and stated that he was “always attracted to both the spiritual and political aspects of the music” in an interview with Variety.
His obsession, as he calls it, was furthered by a Rolling Stone article by Michael Thomas in 1973, where he says, “Reggae music crawls into your bloodstream like some vampire amoeba from the upper psychic Rapids of Upper Niger consciousness.” Steffens was captured by the journalist’s passionate words about the genre and never looked back.
Steffens’ Reggae archive has been a part of some of the momentous work that showcases the genre’s history.
The most recent being the producers and directors using the archive for research for the Bob Marley biopic,“One Love” released in February this year. His archive has also been used by over 80 authors for research not just for Reggae or Bob Marley but for Rastafari culture, Ethiopian history, and the Bible, as Steffens has collected any item he came across on those topics over the decades. In 2001, the public got a taste of Steffens’ archive with an 8-month showcasing in Long Beach, California. The exhibit was given the title of “The World of Reggae.”
Over the years, Steffens has been presented with many opportunities to sell his archive with offers from institutes, organisations and businessmen from all parts of the world. His main goal was to always have his archive in Jamaica. “It’s been a series of attempts over the last 30 years or more to get my life’s work to Jamaica where it truly belongs,” Steffens says In an interview with World Music Views. His search for the right seller came to an end with Josef Bogdanovich. Roger and Joe have been friends for over 40 years, making Steffens well acquainted with Bogdanovich’s work in furthering the legacy of Jamaica’s music.
The CEO of Downsound Records was the right pick due to the plans he had for the archive. Bagdonovich is the head of the Reggae Sumfest held annually at Catherine Hall in Montego Bay which he has begun to transform into “the biggest performance centre in the Caribbean.”
The archive is set to be a part of this centre as a place of entertainment for patrons to visit during their stay on the island. Bogdanovich believes it is important for Jamaica to be the archive's home, and he tells Variety that it is “a privilege and a huge responsibility to the culture of Jamaica.” Joe mentions in his interview on the television show On Stage that Steffens’ work with the archive is not over as he will be greatly involved in carrying on its legacy in Jamaica.
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