“I am Igbo” – explains Jamaican dancehall icon Buju Banton
The roots of Jamaican dancehall star Buju Banton go back to southeast Nigeria.
The singer revealed his Igbo heritage during his recent appearance on the popular Drink Champs podcast hosted by NORE And DJ EFN.
Speaking about his cultural background, the dancehall icon revealed to the Morons that his tribe is descended from the Igbo people.
However, Buju Banton expressed his deep concern about the current situation in his country, where he believes the land of the indigenous Maroon Indians is under threat.
The reggae legend accused the Jamaican government of allowing the influx of Chinese and other foreigners into the region, which led to the displacement of the Maroon community.
“Our indigenous way of life and our land are under threat from the current government of Jamaica, which is trying to bring Chinese and other nationalities into the Cockpit region, which is a sacred region to the indigenous peoples, to displace us Maroons as warriors.
“Maroons are some of the indigenous warriors on my island. We fought tirelessly against the British. We are called Blackmaroons. My generation is from Nigeria. By bloodline, I am an Igbo man.” he said.
Buju Banton criticizes Afrobeats
The dancehall artist revealed his thoughts on the The podcast “Drinking Champs”where he said that while Afrobeats enjoyed international success, the music was not as uplifting or reflective of the continent’s problems as the work of older African artists.
He was named an Afrobeat pioneer Fela KutiMalian legend Salif Keitaand Senegalese musician Youssou N’dour as African artists whose music had a socio-political impact.
