UPDATE: Reggae Singer and His Gay-Killing Song Stirs Outrage
by Don Harrison
Buju Banton’s concert at the Hat Factory is scheduled during Richmond’s Pride Festival, despite protests from activists and others about the singer’s anti-gay lyrics.
UPDATE: The Buju Banton show on Sept. 26 has been moved the Hat Factory.
A storm of protest seems to be gathering around a planned Sept. 26 performance at the Hat Factory, by Jamaican dancehall reggae singer Buju Banton.
Banton, whose controversial song, “Boom Bye Bye,” advocates the killing of homosexuals, is scheduled to appear at the National on the same date the city’s 25th annual Pride Festival will be held at the Gay Community Center, a well-attended annual event that brings together thousands of gay, lesbian and transgender people.
“Our goal really is to have the show canceled,” says Jay Squires, president of the community center. Along with other regional activists, he’s started a Facebook page protesting Banton’s appearance, which had grown to 1,600 members. “If we’re not successful in having the show stopped, it’s fair to say that there will be action taken.”
That action could take the form of a mass protest. Several planned shows on Buju Banton’s U.S. tour have been canceled because of similar pressure from activist groups in Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia and other cities.
Suzanne Paige, the National’s general manager, said earlier in the week that club officials were “trying our hardest” to get Banton show moved to another venue. On Tuesday, the show was moved to the Hat Factory, located on the Canal Walk.
Lion Heart Promotions, the promoter, also said earlier in the week that officials were working to move the show. “We are trying to move it away from the gay guys,” said Lion Heart’s manager, Kid Walker, who points out that homophobic sentiments among reggae artists is nothing new.
“Sometimes the truth hurt. The Bible tell you it’s wrong to be gay,” he says. “I come back to the freedom of speech [issue].”
Squires disagrees with that. “Free speech is not unlimited,” he says. “This isn’t about whether or not you agree with gay marriage or something like that. [Banton] has a history of calling on people to kill us.”
The controversies surrounding the dreadlocked singer, whose real name is Mark Myrie, have been simmering since he released “Boom Bye Bye” in the early 1990s. In addition to the song’s visceral lyrics — which promotes shooting homosexuals in the head and pouring acid on them — the singer was acquitted on charges of beating several gay men in Jamaica in 2007. Not long after that, he made headlines by joining other reggae stars in signing a document called the Reggae Compassionate Act, which pledged to stop homophobic sentiments in island music. But Banton quickly reneged on that signing in an interview with Billboard magazine, stating: “F—k them. I have never bashed any gays before.”
Despite recent concerns about nightclubs and public safety, city officials remain hands off. Internet rumors to the contrary, City Council Vice President Ellen Robertson says she won’t be meeting with the mayor and police chief about stopping the show. Her liaison, John Westbrook, told Style Weekly in a written statement that “Robertson has been advised by the City Attorney that the City has no jurisdiction over the National Theatre.”
Tuesday, September 29, 2009 12:30:53 AM by Anonymous
Through an effective campaign of propaganda and fear the GLBT community spearheaded by Jay Squire, Buju Banton did not play Richmond. A second night was added to the NORVA at the last minute by the promoter as the Friday night show was selling so successfully. Both shows did very well and aside from less than two dozen weak protesters on Friday there was no animosity. Buju sang peaceful sets and not once ever mentioned anyone gay or "called for the murder and torture" of gays as was reported he would do. The tactics of fear,lies and propaganda used by the community were just shameful and they would be disgusted and outraged if same tactics were used on them. What they did was irresponsible and may come back to bite them in the ass.
Thursday, September 24, 2009 7:48:46 AM by Anonymous
THANK U HUDDY!!!! FINALLY SOMEONE WITH SOME SENSE!! I CANNOT BELIEVE THEY CANCELLED THIS SHOW BECAUSE OF SOME GAY PROTEST. I SAID IT ONCE I'LL SAY IT AGAIN::: ITS SIMPLE IF YOU DONT WANT TO HEAR HIS MUSIC STAY AT HOME. I HATE THE WAY AMERICA IS TRYING TO FORCE THIS GAY LIFESTYLE ON EVERYONE. I DONT CARE ABOUT THEIR LITTLE FESTIVALS, PLEASE MORE POWER TO YOU ENJOY YOURSELF BUT DONT TRY TO STOP OUR HAPPINESS. GAY PEOPLE ARE BECOMING WAYYY TO MAINSTREAM.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009 9:34:24 PM by Huddy
Jason G.. you and everyone else you're remote controlling must get a clue. First, you must understand that you cannot possibly have any understanding of the concept of Boom Bye Bye, Buju Banton, or Reggae music as a whole, unless you are West Indian, or completely immersed in Reggae music from birth. I've read your webpage thoroughly and it is complete and extremely irresponsibly misleading. For starters, all videos you have posted referencing some sort of prevented attempt at Buju singing Boom Bye Bye in the past couple years are purely misguided, hear-say, rumor-mill type of reporting. Check Buju's song "Massa God World" / "How The World A Run" feat. Wayne Wonder (by the way, why don't you please note in your article's correction that "Massa God World" is nestled on "Buju and Friends" inbetween tracks "23rd Psaslm" and "Complaint", whose chorus and lyrics preach tolerance, of all things! Lol "why won't they do what they want, just let me do my thing, we should be thankful"). The same "World is in trouble" intro applies, and the "riddim" (or, beat) in the videos is the Massa God World riddim. PLEASE stop spreading misinformation!! Just because the engineers at those concerts are probably fed from the same rumor-well as you, they weren't educated enough to recognize the song as such.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009 9:34:04 PM by Huddy
I have every album Buju's ever made. I also have a clear understanding of the way the Jamaican music industry works. All these claims that Buju is still selling, and profiting from this song, is complete NONSENSE! In Jamaica, music RARELY belongs to the artist. The control is all in external entities. I'm sure you're aware (but didn't print) that even the ORIGINAL U.S. release of Boom Bye Bye was unauthorized, and not perpetrated by Buju or any entities in which he was in direct control. An acapella was placed to an American beat, and the song was released. In Jamaica, that's the way things work - "piracy" is not even the word. This is completely evident in the existence of different titles for "Massa God World" / "How The World A Run", released by different record companies, I'm sure with extremely dubious rights to the music contained within each CD. And the "Ultimate Collection" Best-Of series that exists for Buju and another artists.. don't make me laugh. It's created and purveyed like a street-corner mixtape. Imaginee the Top 10 Best-Selling U.S. artists from 1980 onward having their Best Of CD's released by the same Label, same format, same album art. Give me a break you'd know the artist and current management had absolutely no role in the record's release. Except for top artists, it's a literal free-for-all on an artist's work. Thus, you see the transition in Buju's current music, where he has complete control. Your page is so completely one-sided, it's unbelievable.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009 9:33:32 PM by Huddy
Third, there are serious issues with your song's translation. Mi speak patois from mi bout tree year ole, from mi yeye deh a mi knee! An even di dumbest patois-speakin buoy outta Jamaica cyan tell yu seh NOT A WORD a Boom Bye Bye have anyting fi do with "Acid". (I've spoken Patois since my eyes were at the height of my knees, and even the dumbest Patois-speaking man in Jamaica can tell you that there isn't a word in Boom Bye Bye that remotely relates to Acid.) Again, this stems from a grave misunderstanding of Reggae music. In Roots Reggae music, as an allusion to hell, all sorts of things are encouraged to burn and have fire thrown upon (and skin peels as a result.) Burning is a figurative expression of disapproval, and the artist's presumption of similar disapproval by God, and the disapproved's eminent place in Hell. This song is NOT a call to violence as you and other irresponsible rumor-spreaders are attempting to have people believe. As I read this and it saddened me, I actually began to listen to my iPod and try to listen to things with an open mind, as if I was a foreigner and had no clue of the cultural meanings behind the assorted lyrics in Roots Reggae. I heard calls to "bun a fire pon di Pope." (literally murder all Catholics, I guess??) I heard calls to "bun a fire pon a Deadas/bloodsucker." (literally murder all non-vegetarians, I guess??) I heard "dash a fire pon di bleacher dem." (literally murder all users of skin-lightening creams, I guess??) I heard "disconnect dem, from dem bow" (literally decapitate all performers of heterosexual oral sex acts, I guess??) I meet two of the qualifications from that list, and continue to listen happily, because I understand it's ONLY MUSIC. I understand the cultural background of what the artists mean by it. I dig deeper. I don't listen to the next guy, and go to the web for my translations. You seriously have to get a grip. It's mere musical expression, and not to be taken literally. I am all sorts of tolerant of gay culture. The festival in Richmond is free to go on this weekend you just won't see me there. I won't be protesting, I won't be trying to get it canceled, I'll let it be, and let the attendees be happy. Why won't you allow the attendee's of Buju's PEACEFUL shows do the same?
Watch the performances. Read the lyrics and ask yourself what exactly does Banton mean when he sings: “faggots… have to die” and that he will shoot them in the head and “burn them up bad?”
http://cancelbujubanton.wetpaint.com/
Saturday, September 19, 2009 2:42:08 PM by msabena
i'm sure the so-called gay bashing song was one of many in this performer's repertoire. if this man is a true rasta there will be no hate in his heart for anyone - including gays. that being said, everyone is not going to embrace this lifestyle and gays have to accept that. i, for one, believe homosexuality is not a viable lifestyle. my religion teaches that, as well as my cultural background - and that's all there is to that. so let me have my right to believe what i believe too! i think gay folks are in the process of shooting themselves in the foot. they- speaking collectively - act as if we have to adopt, embrace, encourage and accept all things gay or we are homophobic conservative fanatics! i'm a child of the '60s so i am definitely in the liveandletlive mode-do your thing but please don't shove it down my throat... thank you.
Friday, September 18, 2009 8:18:26 PM by Jay Squires
The show at the Hat Factory has been canceled, per a statement from the attorney for the landlord, confirmed by the Hat Factory box office.
Thursday, September 17, 2009 12:01:42 AM by FreddyK
Buju Banton is not and has not called upon people to kill us. That is a lie, as well, the guy who is the promoter is named King Walker, and he is wrong in his own way as well, the bible says no such thing, nor do many reggae artists believe in "homophobia." Those who do not walk with truth don't make it very far.
