That Was Then, This Is Buju

I know that Buju Banton is being held in Miami on federal conspiracy to distribute drug charges, so it may be some time before he tours again. Buju Banton is in a difficult spot. His Jamaican fans expect him to follow the Rastafarian religious line and their literal belief in the Old Testament and particularly Leviticus 20:13. "Boom Bye Bye" is basically a statement of Leviticus 20:13. If Buju backs off from this belief or if he apologizes, his Jamaican fans will think that he has sold out to "Babylon." On the other hand, the mean-spirited, intense and virulent homophobia that Buju Banton has projected during his more than 20 year crusade against gay people does not go over well in the U.S., Canada, and parts of Europe. Buju has done more than just write one "kill gays" song and then sing that song from 1992 until at least 2004. He makes homophobic comments from the stage. He has a new anti gay routine that he performs. He continues to make money and/or promote his own image via the sale and downloading of the song from the internet and on CDs. Buju is known to perform very differently when he is performing in the U.S. as opposed to Jamaica or other parts of the Caribbean. Buju has said: "I do not condone violence." The important thing is: Does he agree with Leviticus 20:13 that gays should literally be executed? Homosexuality acts between consenting adult males are illegal in Jamaica. 96% of Jamaicans believe that such acts should be illegal. In the U.S. the figure is 35% (John Derbyshire).
— January 4, 2010 1:38 a.m.

That Was Then, This Is Buju

Buju's staff at Gargamel Music, Buju Banton founder and CEO, claim that "Boom Bye Bye" has never been part of his live performances. I do believe that he performed it live as recently as 2004. He has performed parts of that since then, in 2006, in Miami, and in 2007, in Guyana. Buju Banton has never really distanced himself from the hateful calls for "killing gays" and shooting gays in the head, shooting gays with an Uzi, throwing acid in gay's faces and burning gays like an old tire that are in "Boom Bye Bye." Buju Banton, did once make an apology, but he soon retracted the apology. Just as he signed and then denied that he signed the Reggae Compassionate Act. You can see his signed RCA form online. "Boom Bye Bye" can be downloaded from Amazon. It is also on YouTube with more than 1,559,000 views. For videos that show Buju Banton reiterating the anti gay statements in "Boom Bye Bye," see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46PASiOjdP4 "BUJU BANTON FIRE BURN BATTY" and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZ8Z0biU_Zw "Elephant Man Buju Banton Shabba Ranks" In the latter video he refers to the churches and asks "What have I done wrong when I say that homosexuality is wrong?" During some of Buju Banton's concerts he makes anti gay remarks throughout the performance: http://www.stabroeknews.com/2009/letters/09/24/in… This is a letter to the editor to a Guyana newspaper, Stabroek News, and the remark about Banton's anti gay comments is in reference to the 2007 concert in Guyana. Buju Banton is not alone among dancehall artistes in his "kill LGBT people" statements. http://www.petertatchell.net/popmusic/Dancehall-D… In Jamaica, there is tremendous violence and hatred directed at LGBT people. Buju Banton and some of his dancehall artiste friends must bear some responsibility for this. There are online reports by groups like Amnesty International and many other reports of this extreme violence in Jamaica. One very good account is in this Time Magazine article: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,118… "The Most Homophobic Place on Earth?" Britain has given asylum to a number of Jamaican gay men because of the extreme homophobia and violence in Jamaica. If this performance at Belly Up happens, we need to have LGBT people at the performance or other friendly people who will get a set list to share with the communities. And also so we have a record of what happens at the concert. I think it is appropriate for LBGT people to do an informational protest at the concert and it is appropriate for people concerned about the basic human rights of LGBT people anywere, including in Jamaica to join the informational protest or picket. There is more information at http://cancelbujubanton.wetpaint.com/
— October 6, 2009 2:51 a.m.

Buju Banton -- 10/17/09 at Belly Up Tavern

For some information about Buju Banton see http://cancelbujubanton.wetpaint.com/
— October 6, 2009 2:49 a.m.