Buju Banton

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My introduction to reggae music was this gruff, half-chanting, half-singing, “sing-jay” known as Buju Banton. Two of his masterpieces, “Destiny” and “Wanna Be Loved”, energized me and made me a reggae fan for life. Thank you Buju Banton!

Buju Banton, a.k.a. Gargamel, was born Mark Anthony Myrie on July 25, 1973, near Kingston, Jamaica, in a poor area called Salt Lane. The youngest of 15 children, his mother nicknamed him “Buju”, which means breadfruit and is bestowed on chubby kids. “Banton” is a Jamaican word for a respected storyteller.

Bursting onto the Jamaican charts in 1992, both “Bogle” and “Love Me Browning” were massive hits. Not one to shy away from controversial topics, the latter song expressed Buju Banton’s preference for light-skinned women. What followed was a re-recorded “Boom Bye Bye” which caused fury in the U.S. and Europe for its anti-gay message, nearly ruining his career (he later made a public apology). That year Buju broke Bob Marley’s record for the most #1 singles in a year.

Seamlessly blending roots and dancehall reggae, Buju Banton’s lyrics often dealt with violence, especially gun violence, which caused the death of two of his close friends in the music business. In the mid-1990s, Buju embraced Rastafarianism and grew dreads. The revolutionary album “Til Shiloh” in 1995 was really his debut as a cultural, roots reggae artist, and paved the way for more spirituality in dancehall, denouncing violence. Buju Banton’s music grabs you and relentlessly prods you onto the dance floor!

One of reggae’s most socially aware artists, Buju Banton has collaborated often with artists like Beres Hammond, Toots Hibbert of Toots and the Maytals, Morgan Heritage and Stephen Marley. While his lyrics early in his career were full of sex and homophobia, his messages in recent years are of love, peace, justice and positivity. In 2007, Buju Banton was one of several reggae artists to sign the Reggae Compassionate Act, promising to refrain from performing homophobic songs.

Voted Comeback Artiste of the Year in 2005 by the Jamaica Observer newspaper based on the quality of his live performances and his run of hardcore dancehall hits, Buju’s release of “Too Bad” in 2006 proved that his skillful storytelling and unparalleled vocal talents are still going strong. Buju was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2007 for “Too Bad”, his 4^th Grammy nod.

In Jamaica it seems there is always a Buju Banton single on the charts!

Visit Buju Banton’s official website at: http://www.gargamelmusic.com/#startand his MySpace page at: http://www.myspace.com/bujubanton.

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