*Buju Banton's Sentencing Trial Schedule*

After being charged guilty of two drug and one weapons charge, Buju Banton's sentencing trial is set for June 16. He faces a lot of year of prisons but it's not yet a life sentence as i hear people talking about  he already had a life sentence. That's is incorrect and I&I, as well as other MILLIONS of people all over the world, are praying for a different turn of events and we're not loosing hope to see Buju free again.

During this past month of February Buju won a Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album on Valentine's day and the day right after his re - trial begun in Tampa, lasting a week, and resulting in a guilty sentence. After a hung jury resulted in a mistrial, a different jury found the singer guilty after deliberating for nearly 12 hours.

"Banton’s attorney, David Markus, has asked for the singer to be released from custody pending his appeal,” the Associated Press reports. “Markus also has filed a motion asking the court to acquit Banton or grant him a new trial.”Buju Banton’s sentencing will be held on June 16 2011.

Jah Army Stand UP!Freedom Fighters Stand Up!Free Buju!

*Reaction to Buju Banton's Verdict*

A number of radio station in Barbados and all over the world are showing solidarity to Buju and playing his music.The whole Reggae and Dancehall communities , Fans and Industry, are  still in shock! Social  network  sites, Facebook & Twitter on top of the list, have been buzzing non - stop on  how 
verdict is unfair and sour and how everyone feel for him!
Wayne Wonder, a famous artist and also Buju's close friend, wrote on his facebook : " Lets all keep the prayers going for Mark,we all have to stay strong and stand by him!". Was just last week, a day before his trial re-started, that Buju won the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album,"Before The Dawn", and many saw that as a sign of good luck for the upcomig trial for an artist that is been already plagued by tour & annullments when he was supporting his previous release " Rasta Got Soul". Buju always knew it's not an easy road,but still...there was a lot of hope and prayers andnow a lot of disappointment is mounting and everybody can't wait for his lawyer to appeal.
OPTIMISTIC SOUL! Free Buju! Jah Army Stand Up!


Just Added! Ragashanti Reaction!

*53rd Grammy Awards Feb 13 2011 Reggae Nominee*

The 53rd Grammy Awards will take place Febraury 13th and won't reflect the taste of reggae records buyers.They rank Damian Marley and Gyptian above any nominee,but this year 5 nominees are all not in the top 10 Charts and that's a bit unsual. At the Grammy they' re not trying to choose the top selling albums but more trying to reflect the values of Recording Academy.

Albums as "Distant Relatives" by Damian Marley and Nas , top selling album of the year, and also Gyptian's album are being dismissed.

Who is in charge of the selection of Grammy Winners? Well the selection begins with US based Recording Academy members and with record companies submitting entries which are then screened again for category and eligibility placement, then they do another ulterior selection for the nominating process that will determine the 5 finalists in each category, and then with the final voting, they get have the Grammy Winners.

The 2010 Nominations for Reggae Grammy Awards are :

-Before The Dawn by Buju Banton

-Isaacs Meets Isaac by Gregory Isaacs & King Isaac

-Revelation by Lee 'Scratch' Perry

-Made In Jamaica by Bob Sinclar and Sly & Robbie

- One Pop Reggae by Sly & Robbie And The Family Taxi and Legacy:

An Acoustic Tribute To Peter Tosh by Andrew Tosh

The 53rd Grammy list of nominees is led by the embattled Buju Banton who marks is 5th Grammy nomination and is also facing next monday the new trial with 2 more charges on him, for a total of 4 charges. 

Reggae artist and son of Bob Marley, Stephen Marley, holds the record for most Grammy Award wins in the Reggae category. He has won a total of five trophies  three times as a member of the sibling band, The Melody Makers, and twice as a solo act. Shabba Ranks became the first deejay to take home a Grammy. First in 1992 for As Raw As Ever, then he followed up in 1993 with X-tra Naked. Other Jamaican acts to take the Grammy Award for Reggae include, Shaggy, Sean Paul, Damian 'Junior Gong' Marley, Beenie Man, Inner Circle, Bunny Wailer and Burning Spears.

*Buju Before The Dawn Concert 01/16/11 Mia*

Buju Banton will make his  return on the stage, after not being

performing  live  for over an year ,  for  the   higly   anticipated 

show "Before The Dawn" Concert  in Miami     during    Martin 

Luther King Jr Weekend.

Produced by Rocker's Island Entertainment, the Buju Banton 

& Friends Before The Dawn Concert will also feature gigs  by 

some of Jamaican music's elite: Stephen Marley, Sly & Robbie,

Wayne Wonder,Gramps Morgan, Shaggy & Freddie McGregor,

with even more names to be released in the next few  weeks  so 

staytune with MissGaza and come back for updates..

As previously announced the Buju Banton & Friends BeforeThe 

Dawn Concert is set for Sunday, January 16  in downtown  Mia 

at Bayfront Park Amphitheater.

Buju is currently waiting for retrial to take place in    febraury  

he's looking forward the january's gig as a way to thanx  &   re-

unite with his fans & supporters after missing from the scene for 

so long and receiving a lot of  love & support.

Before The Dawn is also his  profetic last album's title which got

him his fifth Grammy Nomination for Best Reggae Album Cat.

and it is already been defined one of the best of his whole  career.

The album is being mainly recorded in Kingston @ Buju's own rec.

studio, Gargamel Music Studio, and is packed with powerful songs.

Banton was previously awarded by the Recording Academy for his 

albums "Rasta Got Soul","Friend For Life" & "Inna Heights" in the

years 2009,2007 and 1999.

*Reggae Grammy Awards*

The Grammy Awards will be presented in Los Angeles on February. 

The Reggae Grammy is part of the Grammy Award by 25 years and  

includes a Best Reggae Album category,which is the most important.

Unluckly, The Reggae Grammy Award will be presented  in the  pre -

show, which won't  be  televised.

The Reggae category at the Grammy Awards, originally referred to 

as  Best Reggae Recording, was first introduced in  1985  and  band 

Black Uhuru received the first award for their album, Anthem. 

The name of the category was changed to Best Reggae Album in '92.

The list of nominees for this year Best Reggae Album  is led by  Buju 

Banton,whose Before The Dawn was released earlier this year while 

he was incarcerated in a Tampa jail on drug charges. The  album   is 

said to be a prophetic piece of work and marks his fifth Grammy nod.

Another important nomination is for the album Isaacs  Meets  Isaac. 

This album is a collaboration between the legendary  Reggae crooner, 

Gregory Isaacs and South African - based Reggae  singer / songwriter, 

King Isaac.

Veteran artist and producer, Lee 'Scratch' Perry makes another of his

appearances at the Grammys,as he is nominated for his album,named

Revelation. Perry won his first Grammy back in  2003 for  the project

Jamaican E.T.

Jamaica's rhythm twins, Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare,that are 

also known as Sly & Robbie,have a double nomination for the awards. 

They are nominated  for Made in  Jamaica which also features  singer 

Bob Sinclair, and One Pop Reggae which includes The Family Taxi.

This time, the second generation reggae act is represented by Andrew 

Tosh, son of legendary Wailer, Peter Tosh. The younger Tosh's project, 

Legacy An Acoustic Tribute To Peter Tosh seems to have hit  with 

the Grammy voters , earning the nomination.

Reggae artist and son of Bob Marley, Stephen Marley, holds the record

for most Grammy Award wins in the Reggae category.He has won a total 

of five trophies  three times as a member of the sibling band, The Melody

Makers, and twice  as  a solo act.

Shabba Ranks became the first deejay to take home a Grammy. First in 

1992 for As Raw As Ever, then he followed up in 1993 with X-tra Naked.

Other Jamaican acts to take the Grammy Award for Reggae are Shaggy, 

Sean Paul, Damian 'Junior Gong' Marley, Beenie Man, Inner Circle, 

Bunny Wailer and Burning Spear.

*Buju Will Perform in Miami January 16th*

Good News!                                                                                                                                                The show can go on  for Jamaican reggae star Buju Banton.
A federal judge Wednesday gave Banton, real name: Mark Myrie ,
permission to perform at a January 16th concert in Miami.
Judge James Moody overturned a previous decision by Magistrate
Judge Anthony Porcelli not to grant the Jamaican-born artist 
permission to perform on the reggae show.
Banton, had on November 23  applied for permission to perform 
at the concert, originally scheduled  for December 26, but 
Porcelli dismissed the motion on the grounds that the artist was
 a flight risk. Until wed there was an overturningin the ruling! 
He's permitted to work as long as the security measures
are provided.
The concert, dubbed Before The Dawn, will be held at the Bay Front 
Amphitheatre in downtown Miami and will feature Banton and other 
prominent reggae artists. The concert, which is being produced by 
Rockers Island, is named after Banton's album, released in September
while he was behind bars.
David Oscar Markus, who is the singer's lead attorney said "We are 
thankful to Judge Moody for letting Buju work. It was surprising that 
the government opposed it even though they have no problem paying 
a convicted drug dealer and IRS scammer $3.5 million for setting 
people up" Banton's legal team had contended during the trial that 
Banton was entrapped by the US Government with Johnson's aid.