Caribbean Buzz
Despite Global Restrictions, Reggae’s Buju Banton Is Having a Fantastic Year.
He may not be able to travel or even sell out an arena at home in Jamaica right now, but for what it’s worth, reggae icon, Mark Myrie, the artiste known world over as Buju Banton, is having a favourable year.
The artist’s Upside Down 2020 album, released on June 26th, debuted at #2 on the Billboard charts. Its songs have penetrated the souls of fans worldwide already – hit singles like, ‘Buried Alive’ and ‘Helping Hand’ emphasising the need for positive, sound musical lyrics, in a world that presently seems to be drowning in negativity.
In a recent interview on New York radio station, Power105.1FM, with hosts of the Breakfast Club, Buju noted that music had over time, lost its potency. “My thing is, as a young man coming up, our music, somehow through the passage and pages of time, lost that potency to illicit certain emotions in people- not violent, but certainly that spiritual essence that we all have inside of us. I’ve been laid dormant and they’re doing everything in their power to kill it,” he said, adding, “we are the most spiritual people that walk on the face of the earth. I’m not taking anything from nobody, but Africa is where God loves to be and when we emerge with our music, we don’t always emerge to put our hands in people’s pocket. We emerge with our music to also touch the minds, the hearts – to illicit that little pearl inside of us that everyone is trying to destroy with hate, malice, contempt, greed, jealousy and all the negative energies you can ascribe to the devil,” said the entertainer.
Myrie, calmly continued to educate the hosts saying that when he first entered the music scene in the United States, he immediately realised that that country was no longer welcoming to people being uplifted. He said there was a gangster culture being perpetrated and he knew then, that the end result would be “to send all these young men to prison.”
Caribbean Buzz
Caribbean Music Awards Adds ‘Zess-Steam Artiste of The Year’ Category.
The Caribbean Music Awards, set to take place on Thursday, August 28th, has announced its 150 nominees. Leading the nominations are Jamaican artistes, Masicka and Shenseea, who have been nominated for 7 awards each, while T&T’ Patrice Roberts and Kes have been nominated in six categories. Vybz Kartel, Nailah Blackman, Chronic Law, and Kranium each earned five nominations.
The event which will take place in Brooklyn, New York, and is being hosted for the third time this year, is presented by Caribbean Elite Group. Forty categories will see Caribbean artistes vie for awards in a ceremony that is tipped to be the most electrifying yet. Voting began on April 9th via www.caribmusicawards.com and will close off on May 31st.
This year, seven new categories have been added reflecting Caribbean artistry’s ongoing evolution and global influence. New additions include Reggae – Collaboration of the Year and Reggae Song of the Year. Also making their debut are Female – International DJ of the Year,Caribbean Fusion Song of the Year, Caribbean R&B Artist of the Year, Zess-Steam Artist of the Year, and Gospel Song of the Year. Artistes nominated in this new category are Lady Lava, Father Philis, Nelly Cottoy,
Sackie, Trinidad Killa and Yung Bredda.
“From unforgettable performances to cultural milestones, the Caribbean Music Awards honors the best of the best—from Soca, Dancehall, and Reggae to Kompa, Chutney, Gospel, and more. This celebration is not just an awards show—it’s a movement that pays tribute to the vibrant heartbeat of the Caribbean,” say organisers.
Caribbean Buzz
Jamaican Dancehall Kings, Buju Banton and Vybz Kartel Put Culture and Country First.
On Friday night in Brooklyn, New York, an extraordinary tell-tale of Caribbean influence showed boldly on the outskirts and inside the downtown Brooklyn, Barclays Centre. Jamaican dancehall king, Vybz Kartel, having survived incarceration and illness over the past 13 years, had returned to the spotlight and would be appearing on stage at Barclays – something thousands, unable to travel to the artiste’s Freedom Street return concert last December, in Jamaica, had been anticipating for months.
Adidja Palmer, famously known for his Gaza-touting refrains and suggestive lewd lyrical traps, thoroughly enjoyed by the opposite sex, had been freed of a murder conviction on account of the intervention of the London Privy Council in 2024. Upon his release from behind bars, he called on the youth to stay on the side of the law and refrain from ‘badness.’ In January, Palmer was granted his US visa. He now resides in Florida, something he confirmed last Friday, during an interview with hosts of the Breakfast Club, Charlemagne, DJ Envy and Jess Hilarious.
This past weekend, Vybz Kartel returned to his glory, single-handedly luring a massive crowd on both Friday and Saturday nights to the Barclays Centre. “Back to back, never done before – sold out, so let’s talk about this,” said female Dancehall superstar, Spice in a social media video. She too had made an impact on both nights, reveling in the spirit of camaraderie and culture.
Last year, the same venue had been sold out with double shows delivered by Reggae and Dancehall icon, Buju Banton. Like Vybz Kartel, he too had been imprisoned for many years and upon his re-entry into the United States after approximately 6 years of freedom, Buju’s desirability was unmatched. This past Friday, in what no one expected, Buju Banton would appear in support of Kartel at Barclays Centre. “This is Buju Banton doing it for the culture; supporting Vybz Kartel here in Brooklyn tonight. Let’s get it right,” he said in an online video post.
Many years before, in the early years of his emergence, Vybz Kartel had been infamously reprimanded by Buju on stage, something that many fans of Kartel had not forgotten. Fast forward more than a decade later and this simple show of support has been declared a winning move for Jamaica’s culture and the country’s brand. “Don; meh mentor,” hollered Kartel upon greeting the “Circumstances” singer. An embrace and a humble admission by Buju would lead to Kartel’s admission that Buju Banton has always been the artiste he’s looked up to. “One Buju Banton; my favourite DJ ever of all time. Him inspire me,” said Palmer.
Vybz Kartel has immensely impacted Caribbean brand awareness in present day, much like Bob Marley did over 30 years ago. Buju Banton, similarly increased caribbean brand value over the past 25 years, creating historic moments globally on stages around the world, and even winning a Grammy award for his album, ‘Before the Dawn.’
Most recently, Vybz Kartel released a new single honoring God. On stage on Friday night in Brooklyn, the artiste broke down in tears while performing the track. Fans who attended the show have since called that particular part of the event, the most impactful.
