No Buju Banton But His First Concert Tour Goes On

The full may have never been told but surely on the night of March 16^th, nothing will remain untold as Reggae Legend Buju Banton, otherwise known as the Gargamel, will ring from the depths of his soul the passion and love he has for reggae music and his loyal fans at the much-anticipated live performance at the Long Walk to Freedom Concert. The first stop of this concert tour will be in Kingston, Jamaica at the National Stadium.

Buju Banton and his team organized a fabulous media launch for the concert tour on January 16th at the Spanish Court Hotel –Worthington in preparation for his first live stage performance since headlining the 2011 Buju Banton and Friends concert in Miami, Florida.

Buju was not in attendance at the media launch but we were lauded by tributes of individuals who have worked with Buju over many years. Remarks were offered by university professor, Sonjah Stanley Niaah who likened the Reggae Icon to the anti-apartheid revolutionary, Nelson Mandela and Jamaica’s first National Hero, Marcus Garvey.

We aren’t even sure if any of his family members attended the media launch. Nonetheless, the sea of media representatives were entertained by the evening’s host and media personality, Debbie Bissoon. She brought much energy and vibes to the evening’s proceedings reciting some of Buju’s well-known hits such as “Untold Stories” and “Hills and Valleys” as the crowd joined in. We were also entertained by dance tributes by the L’Acadco Dance Company and a live performance by Grammy-nominated Reggae Singer, Etana.

In his absence, Buju graced us with a video message thanking his fans and the media for the love and support given to him over the years and on his return to Jamaica. The Gargamel is expected to deliver a 90-minute set and he promised that it will be “a show like no other”. The day is coming again when we shall revel in joy, and lift our voices in harmony, singing joyfully the songs that echo freedom, consciousness, and pride for so many. I strongly believe it will be a day that will go down in Reggae music’s history and the hearts of many.

The energy was as expected, well-wishers, fans, media houses and celebrities such as Capleton, Protoje, Miss Kitty, Terri-Karelle and many others came out to celebrate and witness his return to reggae music. The support was surreal.

Gargamel Music and Boom Energy Drink are prime sponsors of the event which is being organized by Solid Agency and Rockers Island Entertainment.

The National Stadium’s gates will be opened at 4:00 pm and show time at 8:00 pm. Until then, I’ll be singing one of my favorite Buju hits, “I Wanna Be Loved”.

What’s your favorite song? Tell us in the comment section below.