August 6th, the official date of the anniversary of Jamaica's independence is already several months behind us, but the Jamaicans will continue to celebrate their independence throughout the rest of the year. 'Reggae Golden Jubilee: Origins Of Jamaican Music' was preceded by a lot of similar releases on other labels, but the fact this box was compiled especially for the VP label by none other than Edward Seaga, turns it into yet another must-have. JLP-politician (Jamaica Labour Party) Seaga is probably better known/more notorious (delete as appropriate) as the eternal opponent of PNP figurehead Michael Manley and because of his alleged links to the American secret service (something that earned him the nickname 'CIA-ga'), than for his contribution to Jamaican music history. That being said, his role in Jamaican music should not be minimized either: Seaga is Jamaica's longest sitting Member of Parliament, the only living member of the legislature that drew up the Jamaican Constitution and with his WIRL label (West Indies Recording Limited, the subsequent Dynamic Sounds Recording) he was already active in the nineteen fifties, recordings artists like Byron Lee & The Dragonaires, Slim Smith and Joe Higgs & Roy Wilson. The hundred songs spread over four discs give the listener a nice overview of the first half-century of Jamaican music history. Reggae aficionados will probably already own most of the songs in this collection, but what sets this box apart is the fact VP Records took the trouble of providing each track with a short introductory text (in addition to contributions by journalist and reggae connoisseur John Masouri, radio presenter Dermot Hussey and VP chief Christopher Chin). Reading about the music history of Jamaica while listening to it at the same time, what more could one wish for to pass the cold dark of winter? Perfect gift for the festive season!