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Buju Banton's US tour is on
30 shows confirmed
Monday, September 07, 2009
Reggae artiste Buju Banton will kick off his Rasta Got Soul US Tour on September 12, in Philadelphia, despite efforts by gay rights activists which have led to the cancellation of a few show dates.
The deejay's Gargamel Music outfit notes that the show will indeed go on as there are a number of set show dates. "We are disappointed by the hasty cancellation of a few shows by Live Nation/House of Blues and Goldenvoice/AEG, but fans will be happy to know we have over 30 confirmed shows that are definitely playing and we are working to replace the cancelled dates," a release stated.
According to Buju's handlers, the artiste was 15-years-old when he wrote Boom Bye Bye in response to a widely publicised man/boy rape case in Jamaica.
It was not a call to violence. The song was re-released on a popular dancehall rhythm in 1992 and caused a huge uproar after receiving commercial radio play in the States. Following much public debate back then, Buju decidedly moved on.
The Gargamel camp stresses that Buju's consistently positive messages of peace, love and enlightenment have never been lost in the music. His 1995 Grammy-nominated album, 'Til Shiloh, marked a spiritual and musical transformation that yielded the classics Untold Stories, Wanna Be Loved and Murderer, which personified the horrific increase in gun crimes in Kingston's inner city.
Gargamel Music further states that long before Hollywood raised its collective consciousness about Darfur, Buju shone a light on the genocide happening in Sudan on Unchained Spirit in 1999. His Friends For Life (2003) and Too Bad (2006) projects were both acknowledged with Grammy nods for Best Reggae Album.
The artist's love for humanity is not just demonstrated in words but also in deeds. Twelve years ago, he responded to the AIDS crisis in Jamaica by launching Operation Willy, an organisation focused on raising monies for HIV-positive babies and children who lost their parents to the disease. For three years he served as a celebrity spokesperson for Upliftment Jamaica, a US-based non-profit committed to working with underprivileged youth back home.
The management company notes that despite these personal and professional accomplishments the lobbyists seem hell-bent on destroying the livelihood of the artiste. They note, "sadly, their 17 year fixation on waging war against one artiste has prevented them from turning this initiative into a larger, more fruitful discussion that could perhaps effect real change".
Buju Banton's US tour is on
30 shows confirmed
Monday, September 07, 2009
Reggae artiste Buju Banton will kick off his Rasta Got Soul US Tour on September 12, in Philadelphia, despite efforts by gay rights activists which have led to the cancellation of a few show dates.
The deejay's Gargamel Music outfit notes that the show will indeed go on as there are a number of set show dates. "We are disappointed by the hasty cancellation of a few shows by Live Nation/House of Blues and Goldenvoice/AEG, but fans will be happy to know we have over 30 confirmed shows that are definitely playing and we are working to replace the cancelled dates," a release stated.
According to Buju's handlers, the artiste was 15-years-old when he wrote Boom Bye Bye in response to a widely publicised man/boy rape case in Jamaica.
It was not a call to violence. The song was re-released on a popular dancehall rhythm in 1992 and caused a huge uproar after receiving commercial radio play in the States. Following much public debate back then, Buju decidedly moved on.
The Gargamel camp stresses that Buju's consistently positive messages of peace, love and enlightenment have never been lost in the music. His 1995 Grammy-nominated album, 'Til Shiloh, marked a spiritual and musical transformation that yielded the classics Untold Stories, Wanna Be Loved and Murderer, which personified the horrific increase in gun crimes in Kingston's inner city.
Gargamel Music further states that long before Hollywood raised its collective consciousness about Darfur, Buju shone a light on the genocide happening in Sudan on Unchained Spirit in 1999. His Friends For Life (2003) and Too Bad (2006) projects were both acknowledged with Grammy nods for Best Reggae Album.
The artist's love for humanity is not just demonstrated in words but also in deeds. Twelve years ago, he responded to the AIDS crisis in Jamaica by launching Operation Willy, an organisation focused on raising monies for HIV-positive babies and children who lost their parents to the disease. For three years he served as a celebrity spokesperson for Upliftment Jamaica, a US-based non-profit committed to working with underprivileged youth back home.
The management company notes that despite these personal and professional accomplishments the lobbyists seem hell-bent on destroying the livelihood of the artiste. They note, "sadly, their 17 year fixation on waging war against one artiste has prevented them from turning this initiative into a larger, more fruitful discussion that could perhaps effect real change".
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