Mark Anthony Myrie, aka Buju Banton (born July 15, 1973) is the youngest of 15 children born to a ‘higgler’, street vendor mother in Kingston, Jamaica. A descendant of the Maroons, (the fierce freedom fighters who fended off attacks from the British colonial regiments) he was nicknamed Buju (the Maroon name for breadfruit, a starchy round vegetable) as a child; Banton is a designation bestowed upon a commander of lyrical distinction as well of the name of the Deejay who had the greatest impact on Buju’s coarse vocal style, Burro Banton.
Buju entered Jamaica’s musical fraternity at age 12 as the ‘Lambada Man’, captivated by deejay’s lyrical skills as they chat over records played by sound system selectors in the dancehall. “Being in dancehall at such a young age, seeing people with microphones, hearing the music was the most mystical feeling I ever encountered,” he recalls. “The first time I got the chance to make a song my head swell so big, I knew right there was no turning back.”
In 1991 Banton met (producer) Dave Kelly then an engineer at producer Donovan Germain’s Penthouse studios in Kingston. Soon, the teenage Deejay’s career accelerated into high gear on the strength of several Penthouse single, particularly ‘Love Me Browning’ an ode to light skinned women which caused great controversy in color conscious Jamaica. Buju’s debut album Mr. Mention (Penthouse) followed in 1992, breaking all sales records on the island and earning the young artist more number one singles than any other Reggae artist, including Bob Marley.
At just 21 years old, Buju’s 1993-release Voice of Jamaica (Mercury) featuring track such as ‘Operation Ardent’, ‘Deportee’ and the safe sex anthem ‘Willy Don’t Be Silly’, was lauded for the unprecedented social commentary it brought to the dancehall. Buju Banton, now a superstar in Jamaica, also established himself as a musical force in urban America as the first dance hall deejay to sellout New York City’s 5600 seat Paramount Theater. Banton continued to innovate, implementing the spiritual principals Banton had previously collaborated with Rancid on the title song from their 1999 album Life Won’t Wait and together they wrote ‘Misty Days’ after the groups sojourn in Jamaica.
Since the early 1990’s to the threshold of a new millennium, Buju Banton metamorphosed from a brash teenage phenomenon into a self-assured deejay and singer, visionary producer and successful entrepreneur who runs his own Aksum Recording Studio and Gargamel Productions. “I’ve been recording since I was 18 years old,” he said. “With all the struggles I’ve undergone, I could have disappeared. But my fans are my friends for life, and I love my friends. Whenever I come to them with a record, it’s got to be worthy. I always come out with my spiritual self, with music of worth, and I hope everyone can appreciate it…I want to make music that transcends time and heals the spirit and uplifts you for that moment.”
In 1998, Exworks re-released Stamina Daddy under the title Quick.
In 2009, Buju Banton was arrested on drug-related imputations in the United States and his first trial resulted in a hung jury. His 2010 album Before the Dawn won Best Reggae Album at the 53rd annual Grammy Awards.
In February 2011, Buju Banton was convicted on the same drug charge after a contentious second trial. He was released and returned home to Jamaica in December 2018.
In 2020, Buju Banton released his 25th-anniversary edition of “‘Til Shiloh” (Island Records/UMe). The collector’s edition of this special body of work included the original recordings of the critically acclaimed album, plus three new bonus tracks mixed by Buju Banton, exclusively. “Not An Easy Road”, “Wanna Be Loved” are remixes from the 1995 debut, and “Come Inna The Dance” is a new track that he initially recorded but was not included in the original album.
Discography:
Stamina Daddy (VP Records, 1992)
Mr. Mention (Penthouse Records, 1993)
Voice of Jamaica (Mercury Records, 1993)
‘Til Shiloh (Island, 1995)
Inna Heights (VP Records, 1997)
Unchained Spirit (ANTI-/Epitaph Records, 2000)
Gonna Bring Ya (Musicom, 2000)
Friends for Life (VP Records, 2003)
Too Bad (Nature Sounds/SMD, 2006)
Rasta Got Soul (Gargamel Records, 2009)
Before the Dawn (VP Records, 2010)
Upside Down 2020 (Roc Nation, 2020)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.