Mark Golding recalls ‘amazing experience’ at Peter Tosh’s last concert on museum visit

Leader of the Opposition Mark Golding, an avid fan of reggae legend, Peter Tosh, took a walk down memory lane recently when he paid a visit to the newly reopened Peter Tosh Museum.

Golding, who was received on arrival by Pulse executives Kingsley Cooper, Safia Cooper and Romae Gordon, shared his brief experience in the music business while he was a law student, having produced a concert back in the ‘80s featuring reggae acts including Gregory Isaacs, Beres Hammond, Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers and several others.

He also recalled seeing Tosh at the Superjam concert held at the National Arena in 1983.

“I remember the atmosphere, it was quiet and all the lights went down and you could hear his [Tosh’s] voice before you actually saw him. He had the M16 guitar and his crucifix ... once he got into full song the place went wild, it was an amazing experience,” said Golding.

The concert, Tosh’s final live performance before his untimely death, was produced by Pulse.

Moved by the events of September 11, 1987 in which Tosh’s home was invaded and he was shot, Golding recalled going to the causality ward at the University Hospital upon hearing the news. The shooting would lead to the death of the reggae superstar.

Golding, who chatted with staff members, spent a considerable amount of time looking at the exhibits in the museum and following the narrative of Tosh’s life. Of special significance to him was Tosh’s newly installed award, conferred posthumously by the government of South Africa, earlier this year for his heroic struggle for equal rights and justice worldwide.

The Member of Parliament for South St. Andrew, which includes Trench Town where Tosh lived since the age of 15, Golding said he found himself “deeply engaged in the newly introduced exhibits, including the distinguished Order of the Companions of O.R Tambo in Silver”.

Continued Golding, “I extend commendation to the Pulse team, the Tosh family and all the other individuals who played a pivotal role in bringing this remarkable establishment to fruition. Their collective efforts have undeniably yielded a praiseworthy result. The museum is a must-see for locals and visitors alike.”

The Peter Tosh Museum is located at the Pulse Centre, 38A Trafalgar Road, St Andrew.

Golding visited the museum which was reopened on Tosh’s birthday, October 19.

Tosh was conferred, posthumously, with the award by the Government of South Africa in April 2023. The Order Of The Companions Of O.R Tambo is named for the late Oliver Reginald Tambo who dedicated his life to the freedom struggle and the overthrowing of apartheid.

The award states: “The Order of The Companions of O.R Tambo in Silver Awarded to Mr. Peter Tosh (Winston Hubert McIntosh), posthumous, Jamaica, for his contribution to the liberation struggle using his musical talent to advance the liberation cause worldwide through incisive and awareness-raising lyrics in his music, signed, Cyril Ramaphosa, president of the Republic of South Africa.”