JAMTV continues the search for a backdrop stolen from the Melody Makers last week. We asked many news outlets around the country to help try to locate the artwork by running this story. Stay tuned while we try to catch the thief. Here's the story:

A hand-painted backdrop with images of Haile Selassie I, a lion's head and the Star of David that was made especially for Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers, was stolen from the stage after the band's performance Saturday Aug. 23 at Loon Mountain ski resort in Lincoln, N.H.|

The artist, a local Jamaican painter, spent three months creating the artwork that accompanied the band at all their shows. This backdrop was more than just a painting, it was a part of the band's life, tour manager Mike Scarfe said. "They were almost in tears when I told them it had been stolen," he said.

The Melody Makers headlined a show at the ski resort to a crowd of 3,000. After what was described by a spokeswoman for the resort as an excellent performance, the band left the area and the crew broke down the stage. Around 2 a.m., all the equipment was loaded onto the truck - or so they thought. When the Melody Makers showed up at the Finger Lakes Performing Arts Center in Canandaigua, N.Y. the next night, they discovered the backdrop was missing. "The band feels like the theft is a personal theft from them - internally," Scarfe said.

In addition to sentimental value, the backdrop also had symbolic value. To the band, it represented life. The Rastafarian religion is a very deep and spiritual one, and the image of Emperor Selassie -- a direct descendant of King Solomon and Queen Sheba, and the man responsible for introducing Rastafarianism to the Jamaicans -- represents their leader, their god. The other religious symbols signify their roots. "It meant vibration; it feel good, good vibes," said Ziggy Marley. And when asked if he thought he'd ever see the artwork again, Marley said with a sad look backed by an innocent laugh, "I hope so, but ... no."

The band is offering a $500 reward for the return of the backdrop. Anyone with any information should contact Ari Bendersky, editor of the Daily JAM via email to arib@jamtv.com. (AB)
(photo courtesy of Elektra Records)