A research and archival preservation project documenting the people, music, stories, and cultural memory of Virgin Islands Roots Reggae.
This project exists to preserve the history of Virgin Islands Roots Reggae through interviews, research, photographs, recordings, flyers, newspaper articles, and community memory.
The goal is simple: collect and protect firsthand stories and historical materials so future generations can better understand the movement, the people behind it, and its wider cultural legacy.
This project depends on the people who lived the history, witnessed it, collected it, photographed it, recorded it, promoted it, or carried it forward.
To contribute, send a brief email with your name, your connection to Virgin Islands Reggae, and the best way to reach you.
Contact the Project
Landon Lawson is an independent researcher, producer, and music professional documenting stories at the intersection of culture, music, community, and history.
This project grows out of direct relationships with artists and musicians connected to Virgin Islands Roots Reggae, along with a commitment to preserving firsthand stories, archival materials, and community memory.
Musicians, singers, producers, engineers, and collaborators.
Recording spaces, production history, and creative communities.
Family members, fans, radio voices, promoters, venues, collectors, and local witnesses.
Photographs, recordings, flyers, newspapers, and memorabilia.
Every elder is a library. Every story matters.
Many of the people who witnessed the growth of Virgin Islands Roots Reggae possess stories that have never been formally recorded. Preserving those stories today helps ensure that future generations understand the movement's origins, influence, and legacy.
The project is especially interested in memories, photographs, recordings, flyers, newspaper clippings, and personal archives connected to Virgin Islands Reggae and the communities that helped shape it.