Buju Banton is back on stage after 13 years!
The reggae superstar will be performing his first live concert in the U.S. in 13 years with a concert titled “Long Walk To Freedom New York.” The concert originally began in Kingston, Jamaica in 2019.
On Saturday, July 13 Buju is slated to perform at the UBS Arena in Queens, New York with our very own Dahved Levy as the host and music by Bobby Konders and Jabba.
Earlier this month, the Til Shiloh artist revealed he had been granted a visa to return to the United States, making his upcoming concert possible.
This will mark his first US performance since January 2011, when he held his ‘Before The Dawn’ concert at the Bayfront Park Amphitheater In Miami, Florida
Buju’s career abruptly stopped on Dec. 10, 2009
Buju released his first album for a major US label, Voice of Jamaica, in August 1993. He followed with 1995’s ‘Til Shiloh, one of reggae/dancehall’s most celebrated and influential releases.
Buju’s career abruptly stopped on Dec. 10, 2009 when he was arrested at his South Florida home for conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute. He was briefly released on bail that January and allowed to headline his fundraising concert for his mounting legal costs, which also featured Shaggy, Sean Paul, and Stephen and Damian Marley. A few weeks later, Buju’s Before The Dawn won a GRAMMY Award for Best Reggae Album — though he couldn’t attend the ceremony because his trial reconvened the following day. He was found guilty and sentenced to 10 years in a Florida prison.
In December 2018 Buju emerged a free man and returned to Jamaica. Four months later, he headlined his “Long Walk to Freedom” concert at Kingston’s National Stadium where he drew over 32,000 fans. His first release post-confinement, Upside Down 2020, was also nominated for a GRAMMY Award.
Over his 30-year career, Buju, whose real name is Mark Myrie, has released 12 studio albums, most of them featuring recurring topics such as consciousness, justice, freedom, and love.