A 'WORLD' OF REGGAE COLLECTOR'S TREASURE TROVE BRINGS JAMAICAN CULTURE TO THE FOREFRONT.

Byline: Fred Shuster Music Writer

Roger Steffens, the world's foremost authority on Bob Marley, would very much like to stand up for his rights - if he had room in his house.

The longtime reggae collector, whose priceless treasure trove of Jamaican music history fills six rooms, floor to ceiling, of his Echo Park home, obviously doesn't mind the clutter. In fact, he thrives on it.

Now, the general public can join the reggae fanatics, historians, musicians and scholars who've made regular pilgrimages over the years to Steffens' vast archives.

Thousands of artifacts from reggae's rich family tree, including album covers, photos, fliers, t-shirts, and lots and lots of records - all borrowed from Steffens - are on display through Sept. 30 at the Queen Mary in Long Beach.

``It's been a great dream of mine to be able to open this up to the public and let everyone see some of the amazing things I've collected during these 28 years,'' Steffens said. ``You cannot believe how big it's gotten at home. Really, this exhibit is a mere drop in the bucket.''

The curators of the Queen Mary's ``The World of Reggae Featuring Bob Marley'' carted seven van loads of stuff out of Steffens' house. Among the 6,000 items on display: a drum head signed by members of the Skatalites; a poster signed by the late Marley and 28 of the people closest to him; columns of ultra-rare singles, nearly all signed by the artists; and hundreds of posters from around the world.

``There's nowhere that you don't find reggae,'' Steffens, 58, said. ``And, as Jack Healey of Amnesty International says, 'Everywhere I go in the world today, the symbol of freedom is Bob Marley.' ''

Though he died of cancer May 11, 1981, at age 36, Marley continues to dominate reggae and is responsible for 50 percent of the genre sold throughout the world. At the recent Grammy Awards, the inspirational Jamaican-born singer-songwriter was honored with a lifetime achievement award.

Beginning with the birth of ska in the early 1960s and moving through rock steady, reggae, dub, lovers rock, two-tone and today's popular dance hall and techno-reggae styles, ``The World of Reggae'' is educational and entertaining.

It may be the first museum exhibit you can dance to.

``Bob Marley's music stands for something,'' Steffens explains. ``It's moral and spiritual music literally out to change the world. You couple that message with the beat, which is the beat of a healthy human heart at rest, and you have something that's irresistible. People may not know why they respond, but they know the lyrics are revolutionary.''

A film running in the exhibit's introductory area depicts the evolution of Jamaican rhythms. In a second larger area, a display brings visitors the life of Marley, whose 1977 disc, ``Exodus,'' was recently chosen by Time magazine as the best album of the 20th century.

In addition, 144 albums on one wall reveal the range of images used to market Marley's often spiritual music. Three columns are packed with more than 200 7-inch vinyl singles by Marley and his former partners in the Wailers - Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer. Music plays constantly throughout the exhibit.

``They really pulled out all the stops,'' Steffens said. ``It's a very expensive exhibition to mount.''

Recognized around the world as a reggae historian and lecturer, Steffens co-hosted the internationally syndicated ``Reggae Beat'' on KCRW-FM (89.9) from 1979 to 1987. He's the founding editor of the Beat, the reggae and world-beat magazine, for which he edits an annual Marley edition. He also co-authored the book ``Bob Marley: Spirit Dancer'' and is currently co-writing Bunny Wailer's autobiography and a definitive Marley/Wailers discography.

Recently, Steffens was interviewed for three separate episodes of VH-1's ``Behind the Music'' on Tosh, Alan Freed and the year 1970.

That year, incidentally, is generally considered the golden age of reggae, before drum machines and synthesizers replaced the living, breathing rhythm sections that gave Marley's music so much life.

``The fact that so many of these great musicians who created this music are sitting at home in Kingston, starving because they've been replaced by machines, is just sickening,'' Steffens said. ``On one level, the electronic stuff has made the music more accessible to people, but it's put the real players out of work. The feel of reggae cannot be duplicated by machines. You have to allow for something spontaneous to happen.''

``THE WORLD OF REGGAE FEATURING BOB MARLEY''

Where: Queen Mary, 1126 Queens Highway, Long Beach. Located at the south end of the 710 Freeway, on the water.

When: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, through Sept. 30.

Tickets: $10 per person, all ages.

Information: [phone].

On the Web: www.queenmary.com.

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(1 -- 2) `Bob Marley's music stands for something. It's moral and spiritual music literally out to change the world...People may not know why they respond, but they know the lyrics are revolutionary.'

- Roger Steffens, right, recognized internationally as an authority on reggae legend Marley, above