Fans of Buju Banton, and the Reggae Community breathed a sigh of relief when he was granted bail in November. Banton was arrested in December 2009 on suspicion of conspiracy to possess and distribute five kilograms of cocaine, Buju (real name Mark Anthony Myrie) was locked up in Tampa's Pinellas County Jail for eleven months with multiple delays on his trial.
Following his release on $250,000 bail (made possible with the help of Stephen Marley, son of Reggae Legend Bob Marley), Banton is focused on creating a show to perform live for his anxious fans, friends and supporters. His latest release, Before the Dawn, has been nominated for 2010 Grammy’s Best Reggae Album, and Banton plans to celebrate his freedom on Martin Luther King Jr. weekend at his star-studded reggae festival in downtown Miami . The show, appropriately titled Buju Banton and Friends: Before the Dawn Concert, will feature some of reggae's biggest living icons, including Sly & Robbie, Freddie McGregor, Gramps Morgan, and Shaggy, as well as close friends Wayne Wonder, DJ Khaled, and the Marley family.
"We were supposed to have this concert in December," Buju explains. "But it worked out that we are now doing this on Dr. King's birthday, a man who sacrificed his life to liberate the people from oppression. Now that's how Jah works!"
Find out more about “Buju Banton and Friends: Before the Dawn Concert”
Buju Banton could possibly face new charges on his return to court in February. He could be faced with four counts of cocaine and gun charges instead of the two for which he was tried last September.
In an attempt to increase the likelihood of a conviction, Prosecutor James Preston secured a new grand jury indictment late last year, listing three counts of cocaine-related charges against the four-time Grammy nominated reggae artiste, whose real name But Banton’s legal team, led by David Oscar Markus, is fighting the new indictment on the grounds that it is not permissible for new charges to be brought on old information and that the weapon charge was a violation of the Fifth Amendment.
"We were supposed to have this concert in December," Buju explains. "But it worked out that we are now doing this on Dr. King's birthday, a man who sacrificed his life to liberate the people from oppression. Now that's how Jah works!"
ReplyDeleteMy prayers go out to Buju that everything goes well. I've been a fan since before he dread up. Blessed Love to you.
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