Buju Banton

Buju Banton is one of the most famous dancehall reggae musicians.

Buju Banton (real name Mark Anthony Myrie) was born on 15 July 1973 in Kingston's slums in Salt-Lane. 'Buju' - is the nickname given to chubby-faced children, its meaning - fruit of bread tree. Banton is a surname of Jamaican musician Burro Banton, whom Buju admired in childhood. Buju Banton was one of fifteen children, his mother was the street seller, whose ancestors where Maruns, fighters who struggled against slavery and English colonizers.

Buju made his first record in 1986 produced by Robert Ffrench, the single was called 'The Ruler'.

In 1991 he started recording music for label Donovan Germain Penthouse and co-operated with the producer and composer Dave 'Rude Boy' Kelly. The first single of the Penthouse label became 'Man Fi Dead,' and the first hit was a track 'Love Mi Browning', a song about a white girl hating black Jamaicans. A bit later he wrote 'Love Mi Browning' - a hit a single 'Love Black Woman,'. But real glory came to Buju after the legendary hit - 'Boom Bye Bye'! Due to it Buju was named the most severe homophobe on Jamaican reggae-dancehall stage. Well-known tracks of this period also became - 'Batty Rider', 'Bogle', 'Women Nuh Fret' and many other.

As a result Buju Banton managed to record his first album - Mr. Mention which comprised all the singles of 90s. Signing of a contract with label Mercury was ofvgreat importance for him, it gave him a chance to get on the following level. And in the age of 20, in 1993, Buju released Voice of Jamaica (Mercury Records), an album due to which Buju became famous outside Jamaica. Sex-antem 'Willy (Don't Be Silly)' was listened to worldwide.

In 1995 he released 'Til Shiloh' of Island Records,it was nominated for Grammy. The influential musical magazine Rolling Stone named 'Til Shiloh' one of the best albums of 90s. The album of 1997 year 'Inna Heights' became continuation of 'Til Shiloh'. In 1999 he released following album under the name 'Unchained Spirit' (Anti/Epitaph). Such reggae stars as Wayne Wonder, Beres Hammond, Stephen Marley, Luciano, LMS, Gramps (Morgan Heritage) recorded songs with Banton.

In 2003 he recorded the album 'Friends For Life'. Buju Banton started his own independent record studio Gargamel Records in the capital of Jamaica - Kingston.
Buju works in his own studio and writes music, helping other young talented stars to get to the stage, as he was helped some time ago.