It was the return of the prodigal son, and a flock of over 30,000 fans welcomed Buju Banton home with adoring arms at the National Stadium in Kingston on March 16. Buju did not disappoint, delivering a two-hour plus set that veteran tour manager and booking agent Copeland Forbes described as “emotional, spiritual and full of happiness.”Forbes, who has witnessed countless reggae spectacles including the One Love Peace Concert in 1978, said the Long Road to Freedom is “the greatest live show I’ve seen in Jamaica.”
The concert saw Buju performing all the hit songs fans love. He also shared the stage with longtime collaborators Beres Hammond, Marcia Griffiths, Wayne Wonder and Gramps Morgan. Forbes said once Buju appeared on stage in full white and started with a prayer, “it was like someone begging for forgiveness.”He added that, “It was great from start to finish. All the artists were amazing.”There were abbreviated performances by Chronixx, Koffee, Cocoa Tea, LUST, Ghost, Agent Sasco, Romain Virgo, Christopher Martin and Delly Ranks.
They set the pace for Buju who was deported from the United States in early December after spending just over seven years in prison on cocaine charges.The concert was announced in January and attracted significant support from Jamaica’s private sector. Tickets sold rapidly and music insiders predicted a crowd on par with the full houses that attended Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz soccer matches over 20 years ago when they qualified for the World Cup in France.The Kingston show is the first of similar events Buju has lined-up for the Caribbean. There will be concerts in Barbados, The Bahamas, Grenada and Trinidad and Tobago.He is also scheduled to perform at Summerjam in Germany in July.
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