KINGSTON, Jamaica – BUJU BANTON’s ‘Rasta Got Soul’ tour is now a go, according to a report by the Jamaica Gleaner.
The media house reported that although the tour was dogged by protests from gay rights groups, it would take place at the Reggae Bash show in Miami on Saturday, November 31.
The event was in danger of being cancelled after groups such as Equality Florida wrote to city officials, including Mayor Manuel Diaz, complaining that some of Banton's music incites violence against gays.
Such music they refer to is the artistes’ 1992 anti-gay anthem, ‘Boom Bye Bye’.
According to the Gleaner, Andrew Minott of promoters Global Vybz Entertainment said that “Everything's good, everything's on.”
Minott noted that a statement from the Florida chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) admonishing the gay groups may have saved the day. It accused them of promoting censorship.
"I guess when they (gay groups) saw that letter, they backed off," Minott said.
Members of Global Vybz have had dialogue with the gay lobbyists. They recently appeared in a panel discussion with Equality Florida spokesperson Vanessa Brito on WAVS, a south Florida-based Caribbean radio station.
Equality Florida is the latest gay rights organisation to come out against Banton performing in a major US city. Similar protests forced the cancellation or rescheduling of Rasta Got Soul shows in Salt Lake City, Utah, Columbus, Ohio, Richmond, Virginia and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The groups say their protests are driven by the violent tone of Banton's ‘Boom Bye Bye’.
Banton met gay activists prior to his show in San Francisco two weeks ago and they demanded he reach out to homosexuals, including those in Jamaica.
Jamaica News