So this week a reggae singer named Buju Banton was scheduled to perform in Eureka. In preparation for this post I planned to research Banton, but then saw that the job had been done for me. So rather than re-cap what has already been written locally about this, here's an article from The North Coast Journal:
Bubba Banton's Blues
By Hank Sims
Poor Buju Banton! The reggae singer's show at Nocturnum nightclub later this week was canceled after local people swiftly organized a protest in response to the singer's history of violent gay-bashing. Illustrious chapters of this history include a hit song called "Boom Bye Bye," which lovingly describes the murder of homosexuals, and a trial charging him with participating in a gang assault and home invasion targeting six gay men. (Charges against Banton were dropped under shady circumstances.) And yet everywhere he goes, the gays are out to get him!
Let's be clear. "Homophobia" is too weak a term to describe what happens in Jamaica. Vicious, violent, murderous persecution of gay people is an everyday fact of life. There are many people in that country who live in terror because of their sexual preferences. If Banton were serious about having changed his views, as he sometimes professes, he would take ownership of a desperate situation he helped to create. He is in a position to do more to stop the violence and bigotry in his country. And he does nothing.
Poor Buju fans! Judging from blog comments, some of them feel personally persecuted by the Banton show's cancellation. There is no need for this. I think I speak for everyone when I say that if bone-dumb dreadlocked frat boys want to smoke themselves silly and bop around in dark, sweaty rooms all night -- then hey, good on you. Everyone wants to feel like they belong. But if you're going to feature a special guest who has cheered on mass murder, and who has stood back while that murder takes place ... well, people are bound to take offense, even if you don't. Tough luck, and nothing personal.
Of course, none of the heartbroken reggae fans who profess to be oh, so offended by this outrageous attack on Banton's freedom of speech would give a damn if the protests were aimed at some hypothetical shitkicker from the South. Say this shitkicker -- let's call him "Bubba Banjo" -- had scheduled a gig in town. Say he had recently signed a statement renouncing his first big hit, "Kill the Queers," and that while he was signing he winked at the camera and kept his fingers crossed behind his back. Do the noble sons of Selassie raise their bongs to demand that Bubba be given a fair shake?
I take leave to doubt it. Far more probably, they reload the bowl and never give it another thought. They want to defend their tribe, somehow, but principles don't really enter into the calculation.
The Town Dandy, October 8, 2009
Here's another article from the same publication, this same week:
Bye Bye Buju
By Bob Doran
When concert promoter Carol Bruno and nightclub owner Gil Miracle announced on Monday that a planned concert by dancehall reggae artist Buju Banton was canceled, it wasn't the first time a reggae show got the axe because of an artist's gay-bashing lyrics -- and if you look at reggae history, you know it won't be the last.
Back in 1992, Shabba Ranks, a rising star in Jamaican dancehall, was on the verge of crossover success in America and England when he found himself embroiled in controversy. Appearing as a guest on a BBC-TV music show, Shabba was asked about the incendiary dancehall hit du jour, "Boom Bye Bye," by a young Jamaican artist called Buju Banton whose patois lyrics basically advocated killing homosexuals. Defending Buju, Shabba suggested that crucifixion would be a fitting punishment for gays. The incident was widely publicized and effectively sidetracked Shabba's career.
In the years that followed, British gay rights activist Peter Tatchell would coin the term "Murder Music" to describe violently homophobic work by a group of notorious Jamaican artists including Beenie Man, Sizzla, Capleton and Buju Banton. Working with the group OutRage!, Tatchell mounted a successful blacklist campaign that torpedoed tours and even blocked musicians from entering England and Canada.
The anti-Murder Music campaign hit Humboldt in 2004 when a show by Capleton at Humboldt State was canceled in response to student complaints. There was organized opposition to a Buju appearance at the Mateel in 2006, but that time the show ultimately went on (and sold out).
OutRage! declared a victory of sorts in June 2007, when, bowing to unrelenting pressure, Beenie Man, Capleton, Sizzla and Buju Banton all signed something called "the Reggae Compassionate Act," a pledge that said in part, "We agree to not make statements or perform songs that incite hatred or violence against anyone from any community."
Signing was a calculated risk. The financial loss from being blacklisted was considerable, but many Jamaican fans, who live in a country described in a Time magazine story as "the most homophobic place on Earth," saw signing as a capitulation. Buju and Beenie both allegedly disavowed signing the statement and campaigns against their shows continue.
Buju's fall 2009 tour saw concert giants AEG Live and Live Nation pull all of his shows from their venues. The viral battle in Humboldt, waged on Facebook and on blogs, was echoed across the country. Nevertheless, Buju's management declared the tour "a success" in a press release issued Monday, claiming, "Despite the ongoing smear campaign against Banton, promoters are already calling it the biggest selling reggae tour of the year."
The release includes a message from Buju that tries to put "Boom Bye Bye" behind him: "I do not condone violence against anyone, including gays, and I have spent my career rallying against violence and injustice through music," he writes. "At this point, I can only hope that my body of work speaks for itself and that anyone still offended by the lyrics of my youth will take the time to explore my catalog or come to one of my shows before reducing my character and entire musical repertoire to a single song."
It wasn't enough for Nocturnum's Gil Miracle. "We tried for a week to get a statement from them, and we finally got that from Buju, but it was too little, too late," said Miracle in a call on Monday. "This won't end until he comes forward and really denounces what he said. In the end, canceling the show was just the right thing to do."
The Hum, October 8, 2009
Okay, now here are some of the lyrics of "Boom Bye Bye," since it's kind of hard to understand by listening to the song:
World is in trouble
Anytime Buju Banton come
Batty bwoy get up an run
At gunshot me head back
Hear I tell him now crew
(Its like) Boom bye bye
Inna batty bwoy head
Rude bwoy no promote no nasty man
Dem haffi dead
Boom bye bye
Inna batty bwoy head
Rude bwoy no promote no nasty man
Dem haffi dead
(Two man) Hitch up on an rub up on
An lay down inna bed
Hug up on another
Anna feel up leg
Send fi di matic an
Di Uzi instead
Shoot dem no come if we shot dem--
Don't want Jackie
Give dem Paul instead
Dem don't want di sweetness
Between di leg
Gal bend down backway
An accept di peg
An if it really hot
You know she still naw gon fled
A some man
Still don't want di
Panty raid
Pure batty business dem love
(Me say) Boom bye bye
Inna batty bwoy head
Rude bwoy no promote the nasty man
Dem haffi dead
Boom bye bye
Inna batty bwoy head
Rude bwoy no promote no nasty man
Dem haffi dead
From lyricskeeper.com
The local Buju show was cancelled due to direct community action. Queer Humboldt, an online resource and advocacy group, mobilized the queer and ally community via an email asking that we call and email the owners of nocturnum and People Productions. The community did just that, and within a few short days, the show was cancelled. In fact, several local representatives had drafted a letter and were going to present it to the Board of Supervisors, but the show was called off before they could do so! I feel very inspired by this action- people came together efficiently and effectively, with the use of local media and technology, and made a real difference. With that, I will end with the email sent from Queer Humboldt after the cancelation:
Sent to Queer Humboldt Friends and Supporters:
Well, it’s been said, “it takes a village”, and the village of Humboldt came together and moved a mountain.
We were able to reach Carol Bruno from People Productions this morning and had a nice conversation with her about our concerns. She had met with Gil Miracle, the owner of Nocturnum, and they decided to cancel the Buju Banton performance scheduled for this Sunday night, October 11, 2009 due to all the negative feedback they have received.
We want to thank everyone who took the time to email and call Carol and Gil with their concerns. We received many copies of emails that were so well written, coming from the hearts of our community members. It was very touching to read them all.
Carol and Gil sent me this letter shortly after our phone call this morning:
October 5th, 2009
TO: Todd Larsen/ Queer Humboldt
FROM: Carol Bruno/ People Productions
Gil Miracle/ Nocturnum
Greetings Todd,
This email is to confirm to you that after lengthy consideration, Gil and myself decided that we will cancel
the upcoming Buju Banton concert at the Nocturnum Nightclub scheduled for the October 11th, 2009.
We have been diligently speaking with the management and various activists over the past two weeks in an effort to help establish a dialogue for discussions. We care about our local gay community.
Buju did issue a statement today that we have forwarded to you today, but it doesn't change our decision.
We will continue towards positive, constructive solutions.
We regret any inconveniences this has caused to our community.
We are very appreciative that Carol and Gil heard the community’s concerns and took this action. As you may or may not know, we are not alone in having Buju Banton’s concert’s cancelled. Just take a look at the list of cities that have cancelled his performances for his most recent tour:
http://cancelbujubanton.
Buju Banton releases a press release today that can be found here:
http://www.prnewswire.com/
Buju’s record company’s press release includes the statement:
“Throughout my travels as an artist, I have witnessed first hand the senseless atrocities being suffered by innocent people around the world and my heart goes out to them. I do not condone violence against anyone, including gays, and I have spent my career rallying against violence and injustice through music. At this point, I can only hope that my body of work speaks for itself and that anyone still offended by the lyrics of my youth will take the time to explore my catalog or come to one of my shows before reducing my character and entire musical repertoire to a single song.”
While we think this is a good first step, it certainly doesn’t address all his documented anti-gay statements and relatively recent performances taken place after “the lyrics off his youth” of his hateful song, “Boom Bye Bye”.
For details on the lyrics of the song, visit: http://www.jamaicancaves.org/
We also want to recognize some of the local representatives we have here in Humboldt that were drafting a letter today in support of cancelling the performance. Supervisor Mark Lovelace, Supervisor Bonnie Neely, Eureka City Councilwoman Linda Atkins and Arcata City Councilman, Shane Brinton were the first to sign on to a drafted letter that was to be presented tomorrow at the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors 1:30pm meeting.
We also want to thank our local print and radio outlets. KMUD this morning featured David Cobb on the NoHum report speaking about Buju Banton’s scheduled performance. Tomorrow, Times Standard Reporter, Thadeus Greenson, will have an article in the Times Standard on the performance cancellation. And Bob Doran at the North Coast Journal has been in touch with us all weekend.
We are lucky to live in such a wonderful community as we have here in Humboldt.
Thank you all for your quick and genuine concern to this issue.
This is excellent coverage about an amazing response to a lame and bigoted person Julie! I read this post just after you threw it up here and have gone back to it again for inspiration. Thanks much!
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