THE KORNER

‘In Di Pen’ On Independence Day: So Seh Di Gargamel

FAIM Hub | August 9, 2021

While most Jamaicans reveled in di excitement dat came wid celebrating di island’s so-called Independence on August 6, weh also coincide wid di ongoing celebrations fi di island’s Track and Field dominance in di ongoing 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Grammy award-winning Reggae artist and icon, Mark Myrie, more popularly known as Buju Banton, was not in a festive mood.

Di 48-year-old ‘Til Shiloh musical architect tek to di popular social media platform, Instagram, fi offload some of him ponderings to him over 1.3 million followas inna wah 18-minute-long video.

Buju, appearing pensive, start him lecture wid a reluctant and sarcastic acknowledgment of “Independence Day”.

“Greetings on dis so-called Independence…wi supposed to have,” him seh. “We know we are ‘in di pen’, but the level of passivity mek yuh question wa kinda Independence unuh have. Are you able to express your thoughts freely? Are you able to launch and establish businesses without the encumbrance of the state?”

Buju Banton

Di Gargamel, donning a yellow turban and a white T-shirt in di video, den went on to highlight wat him believed was “a deadly media blackout” happening in Jamaica.

After hailing Sunshine Radio as being “brave enough” to highlight wat him deem as “pressing issues” facing Jamaica and di world at large, him clarified him cryptic “media blackout” message.

“When I say ‘media blackout’, [I mean] my people are not aware dat people all over di world are standing up for dere rights.”

Him continued: “[Most] radio stations are filled wid frivolous tings dat only serve to distract di people from wat’s coming! Everybody is pushing a particular narrative dat only serves to dumb down my people even more – only tings dat serve to distract dem are being highlighted… yet you’re independent? Unu betta wake up!”

Di veteran entertainer’s tirade was characteristic of him long-time persona as a man and messenger of di people, having previously criticized di Jamaican government, in a similar fashion, at di onset of di COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, just a few months removed from him being released from prison inna di US on drug-related charges.

Him criticisms den did strongly rooted in him opposition to di COVID-19 protocols. Him was recorded as saying: “Jamaican people need fi wake up. Mi nah wear no mask cause mask nuh mek fi man. Wi waa done wid dis mask-wearing bullshit inna Jamaica. Who fi dead a go dead, and who nah go dead haffi jus live. We tired of you intellectual fools trying to tell us how fi live our lives.”

Dis time around, him criticism dem are in a similar vein.

“You see wat happened in St. Vincent and di Grenadines? A serious someting! Unuh don’t get nuh news from unuh media ‘bout wah deh happen nuhweh else, because all a dem in concerted effort to block di people dem from communicating. Dat’s why six feet apart and all dem fuckery deh important so unuh cyaa communicate or share unuh ideas.”

Buju did adamant dat dem weh entrusted to deliver to us di news and di truth had betrayed us. “Those people in media weh unu love and trust, they have betrayed us? Di government has betrayed us! Di police have betrayed us!”

Di Gargamel

Him fellow entertainers nuh dodge di verbal bullets eida.

“Most a di entertainers I expected fi speak up fi di people dem have said nothing – nobody nuh waa talk! … Mi see unuh destruction a come! And mi si dem a fool unuh! All dem want unuh duh a dance and party and live like fool and waste unuh life and nuhting positive is being contributed fi di upliftment of my people, who they are aiming all guns at… and you don’t see it!”

Di Gargamel sealed dat section of him rant off wid some chilling words: “Yuh busy a run around and doing everything except realizing dat dem coming to kill wi bomboclawt! Mi cyaa save all a unuh innuh! Di most mi can tell unuh fi duh a fi save unuh self!” Him furda implored him fellow entertainers fi turn off dem devices, “wake up” and find out “wat is really going on in di world!”

Buju Banton den aimed him sights right back at di Jamaican government. “We were told we would have been quarantining for two weeks because of di pandemic, but den two weeks turned into 18 months, yet none a unuh seh one raas ting! Most a unuh run up and dung and a guh wid it, and mi just fall back and a watch unuh bloodclawt – cause mi cyaa save all a unuh!”

Him powerfully colourful rant even fly inna di direction of di Jamaican man dem weh him described as being “confused” and lost, who kill women and children, failing to realize dem did suppose fi be protectors of dem.

“All wi have are men who are busy killing each other and women and kids. Do not know what they stand for as men in Jamaica and how we are protectors of our women, protectors of our families and protectors of our community… dat is di way we were. We knew dat understanding and loving each other were very important for our forward mobilization as a race of people who desired change! Now all of that has been wiped out by dese so-called gun men and bad man, whose pants dem tighter dan di woman dem. Most of them are ‘G-A-Y!’”

Di Gargamel let loose him battle cry: “So mi a call all di real man dem: soon and very soon, we have to stand up fi defend not only dis nation… we have to stand up and defend each other! … Save up unuh rounds dem ‘cause we might need dem later…wi a nuh di warriors but wi know di warriors dem out deh…but wi know one ting..one ting, yes…wi a warrior of a different order…a spiritual order…and in dis time…we walk alone cause wi nuh fight gainst flesh and blood but a spiritual wikkedness and a dark force covering the earth who rule in high and low places specially in my country…they rule with a heavy hand and they’re very oppressive!”

As him wind dung, Buju mek an appeal: “Let us stand up and be men in dis nation so di next generation can come and remember us as men who stood up when our nation was at a crossroad!” Let’s get back to a place of love!” Di reggae legend even made a surprising declaration, which seemed to imply dat him was wrongly imprisoned. “Unuh put I inna ‘wukhouse’ innocently enuh, but mi tank unuh…”

Him signed off wid one final message, seemingly directed at the Jamaican government: “A time go come when unuh cyaa walk or drive down di streets a Jamaica – unuh affi go drive wid police, soldier and every bloodclawt ting, because di wickidness weh unu duh to dah nation yah, if unuh tink seh we naah document it, unuh mek a terrible mistake!”

Di video has since amassed over 349-thousand views, and was co-signed by notable figures such as Lila Iké, who commented an ‘on target’ emoji; Rohan Marley, son of the legendary Bob Marley, Stefflon Don, and others.