Jamaican officials say a huge collection of music from the 1970s that includes original recordings by reggae icons Bob Marley and Peter Tosh has disappeared from the archives of the former Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation (JBC).

Olivia Grange, the country's information minister, revealed Saturday that thousands of vinyl records and CDs have probably been stolen.

Jamaican officials say many original recordings of reggae artists, Bob Marley, pictured here in 1979, and Peter Tosh may have been stolen from an archive.Jamaican officials say many original recordings of reggae artists, Bob Marley, pictured here in 1979, and Peter Tosh may have been stolen from an archive.
(Canadian Press)

"The latest development is a national disgrace," said Gladstone Wilson, former program manager for JBC radio.

Wilson and other former JBC employees have blamed the government for not properly securing and maintaining the archives, an audio-visual history of the island.

Grange said workers at the newly formed Public Broadcasting Corp. of Jamaica noticed the missing material earlier this week while touring the old JBC building. They were planning to use the archived material for their inaugural programs.

The archives also contained old videos, including the 1977 visit of Fidel Castro and the 1978 One Love Peace Concert, in which Marley famously called two Jamaican political rivals onstage to join hands.

Marley, who died in 1981, hit the top of the charts with his band the Wailers with singles such as I Shot the Sheriff, No Woman, No Cry, Could You Be Loved, Redemption Song and One Love.

His posthumous best hits album Legend (1984) is considered the bestselling reggae album ever, with sales of more than 12 million copies.

Peter Tosh, born Winston Hubert McIntosh, was with the Wailers before pursuing his own successful solo career. His album Equal Rights included hits such as Downpressor Man, Stepping Razor, Apartheid and African.

In 1978, Mick Jagger signed him as the first act on the new Rolling Stones record label. Tosh released a total of three albums on the label. He was also chosen to be the Stones' opening act on their U.S. tour. 

Tosh died in 1987 in a violent robbery attempt at his home in Kingston. Because he was a longtime critic of the Jamaican government and politicians, many have questioned the circumstances in which he died.

With files from the Associated Press