One of the most unusual items in my collection is this 7″ single featuring part of Prime Minister Michael Manley’s budget speech from May 5th 1973. The record was manufactured by Dynamic Sounds, produced by the Jamaica Information Service and released through the Education & National Service. It was edited by the distinguished Jamaican writer, broadcaster, actor and director Louis Marriott, who was Prime Minister Manley’s Press Secretary at the time, and again from 1979 to 1980, and has been the Executive Officer of the Michael Manley Foundation since 2000.
Prime Minister Manley delivers an eloquently worded, passionately delivered address on the limited opportunities provided to children by the nation’s education system, and introduces a number of initiatives intended to improve the situation. This recording offers an interesting insight into some of the social hardships that Jamaica was experiencing during this period. It would be interesting to know if any of our readers are aware of other such recordings, as they help us to understand the social and economic conditions that have influenced the music we all love.
LEGENDARY REGGAE 