Story of the Song; 'Til Shiloh' made after spiritual crisis

Mel Cooke, Gleaner Writer

On Wednesday, April 22, 2009, Buju Banton launched his Rasta Got Soul album at the University of the West Indies, Mona campus. He ended up speaking extensively about his formative years in music, as well as the experiences which led to the making of his landmark 1995 'Til Shiloh album. As Buju awaits sentencing, it is a story of trials and travails which is worth telling again.

Buju Banton was red hot in Jamaica, with Browning, Black Woman, Gol' Spoon and a slew of his songs 'running' the dancehall and radio in the early 1990s.

In 1993, he went on a European tour, ending up at a very prestigious venue in Paris after 12 shows. Backstage, waiting to perform, "me hear de place a mash up. Me sey a God himself return!"

He went to look and, in demonstrating what he saw, Buju put the microphone back on the stand to act out Bim Sherman's performance. Then there was a man who cried "Mama!", which was poet Linton Kwesi Johnson. To top it off, Burning Spear "deliver such a set, if them call me right away me run come back a Jamaica".

'shame-puppy' performance

"Me do my ting like a shame puppy," Buju said of his lacklustre performance that night, adding that he was the first deejay to tour Europe, going from venue to venue.

The next day, a dejected Buju saw Lee 'Scratch' Perry and said to him, "I want music". There was laughter when Buju imitated Scratch, saying, "You have to go and make the music that people want to hear from a humanistic approach."

Then there were strange experiences on the tour. Buju's head inexplicably burst and his foot swelled mysteriously, Buju describing the bundle of mishaps as his first experience with "spiritual wickedness".

A set of 12 Bibles were sent for and everybody in the touring party got one. Still, one night the keyboard player collapsed onstage, again inexplicably, and they rushed him to an exit that Buju had spotted before ("Everywhere I go inna Babylon, I waan know how fe come out," he said, to laughter).

And his worst experience was to come, as one night on that initial French tour, he was performing and "I, Mark Myrie, son of a black man, tell you dis, I see a white man come pon de stage an touch me. I feel weak! I run off the stage and drop inna Reuben (the chef) han'." When Buju told him what had happened, "Reuben sey him no see no one".

"So we flee dem!" Buju said. "Come back a Jamaica come work pon de record." That record was 'Til Shiloh, the 1995 set that marked Buju Banton's growth into Rastafari. He said that a lot of 'Til Shiloh is based on his initial European experiences.

Among the references to Shiloh in the Bible is Genesis 49, chapter 10, which in the King James version states: "The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be."

Buju Banton's brief title track for the 1995 set affirms his then new-found faith, as he sings:

"Strangest feeling I'm feeling

But Jah love we will always believe in

Though you may think my faith is in vain

'Til Shiloh we chant Rastafari's name"

"'Til Shiloh was great, but me still no satisfy," Buju said, adding that he was splitting into two persons musically, the dancehall and the roots reggae personae.

Then came Inner Heights, which also delved into many tribulations, Buju referring to the lyrics from Close One Yesterday.

On his first trip to Africa, he was walking on the border of Uganda and Sudan. He was warned not to go any further, because of the janjaweed militia. When he came back to Jamaica Buju's "next song was Sudan".

Track listing for 'Til Shiloh

1. 'Til Shiloh

2. 'Til I'm Laid to Rest

3. Murderer

4. Champion

5. Untold Stories

6. Not an Easy Road

7. Only Man

8. Complaint

9. Chuck it So

10. How Could You

11. Wanna Be Loved

12. It's All Over

13. Hush Baby Hush

14. What Ya Gonna Do?

15. Champion (Remix)