BUJU BANTON (JAM)

This year Ilosaarirock has managed to persuade two of the most famous dancehall reggae artists to leave the sunny Jamaica and to face the more unstable weathers of Eastern Finland: besides Clifton George Bailey III a.k.a. Capleton, also Buju Banton will appear at Ilosaarirock.

Buju Banton (originally Mark Myrie) was born in Kingston in 1973. Watching dancehall artists practically for all his tender years was an experience that drove Buju irresistibly toward joining the mighty musical history of his home country himself, and indeed he was only twelve when he started making his own music. After several hit singles, Buju's first album Mr. Mention was released in 1992 when the artist was still only nineteen years old.

The debut album made Buju one of the most popular reggae artists in Jamaica in a jiffy, but Til Shiloh, Buju's third album, is generally considered his most important and influential record. Musically, it represented a turning point when the artist moved slightly from dancehall towards Roots Reggae and synthesizers gave way to a real studio band.

The years have made Buju Banton a self-reliant, well-versed artist, producer and visionary. His live performances are in a class of their own, so you'd better be well prepared for harsh competition over who rules the Relax Stage this year!

< back