Buju Banton’s choice of the title of Nelson Mandela’s famous autobiography for his 2019 world tour might seem as an odious comparison to some, but to his millions of fans it has stirred nothing but excitement, anticipation and speculation. For on December 8, 2018 Buju will be released from his 10-year incarceration in a Federal prison in the USA and return to the bosom of his adoring fans.
Speculation is rife about where the iconic reggae and dancehall artiste will perform in his first stage act, but all doubt was put to rest recently when Buju’s former manager Donovan Germain (who remains his close friend and confidante) confirmed that Buju’s first performance will be in Jamaica sometime early in 2019.
In a sit-down chat with jamaicaglobalonline, Germain dismissed suggestions that the artiste has a massive stockpile of new songs written while in jail ready to be performed, recorded and released once he is again free. Naturally, some of his first songs will likely be influenced by his experience of the last ten years of confinement, but Germain is adamant that Buju will not want his music going forward to be defined by the experience of incarceration. He also threw cold water on a claim by UK-based reggae sound system selector Blacker Dread who is quoted in a March 2018 Billboard magazine article as saying that he had a 13-track album with Buju ready to be released the moment the artiste is out of jail. According to Germain, there is no way such an album could represent Buju and he went further to say the artiste’s management had taken legal action to prevent the album (such as it exists) from being released.
Unlike the rapid denouement to Nelson Mandela’s release in 1990 after 27 years in jail, the anticipation of Buju Banton’s release has had a long build-up since the date of his eventual release was known. Buju and his management have since created and kept up the hype of his return, first through his Instagram posts like this one in late March this year:
At the same time he asked his fans to be patient “because suffering may endure for the night, but joy cometh in the morning.”
The hype was elevated to another dimension with the June 8 announcement of the launch of the artiste’s official website BujuBanton.com, with its home page showing a clenched fist and a countdown to his release with the refrain throughout of ‘Buju Returns’.
Buju’s absence has only been physical, for if anything, his music has become even more popular in the dance halls, at parties and over the airwaves, as fans and followers have kept something akin to a permanent vigil as they await his return. In the nine or so years since his incarceration, reggae and dancehall music have become increasingly popular internationally, and this too has helped to keep his presence and music alive. The equally popular Beres Hammond is quoted in the Billboard article of March 30 as saying:
“Buju Banton’s music makes bad people wanna do
good. In my estimation he would do more good out
here than being in there……. we’re missing one of our
messengers ya know? This is me speaking from the
heart. We need people like him out there.”
In that same article, Pat McKay, Director of programmes for Sirius XM speaking in anticipation of Buju’s return added:
“It would be great if something could happen that
would sort of balance with what seemed a great
negative when he was removed from the music
making community. I hope something good
happens in a big way.”
Should fans be concerned that Buju might not be able to re-kindle the flames of his former glory? The writer of the influential Billboard article suggests that Buju’s music might be out of tune with contemporary trends especially as music in Jamaica has moved towards more hardcore dancehall and pop fusion. But Donovan Germain is not worried, pointing to the fact that Buju Banton’s music was never static, as any review of his musical style will show.
For Germain, every generation has its own standout artiste; Buju Banton was the standout of his generation in the same way that someone like a Chronixx is today. It is the ability to adapt to changing trends and musical tastes that is the hallmark of a truly creative artiste which he has no doubt Buju Banton is.
One year ago Buju Banton told fellow Jamaican international artiste, Sean Paul that fans should “expect greatness again”. The expectation is high and the anticipation is great.
1 comment
I had no idea that this on line treasure exsisted. I, so appreciate being able to connect to Jamaica, it’s unique people and culture of yesteryears, today and tomorrow. Jamaicans and the messages across the diaspora, are prophetic.
Comments are closed.