This past Saturday night was E-P-I-C!
The long awaited Buju Banton “Long Walk to Freedom” concert tour, finally touched down in The Bahamas and it’s safe to say that Buju still has it; just like we remember!!!
eLIFE242 was in the thick of the crowd that descended upon the Thomas A. Robinson Stadium to witness history. After his release from prison in December 2018, it seems like the world was anxiously awaiting his return to the stage; and if you missed it last week; not only did you miss poetry in motion, but you missed pure vibes, great times and a once in a lifetime experience.
No need to worry though, we were there, just a few feet away from the stage and caught the Gargamel in all his glory! Honestly, we really didn’t know what to expect leading up to the concert, though as social media was ablaze with complaints about the artist lineup, people selling their tickets, others making plans to stay at home and Netflix and chill and a ton of people who just didn’t seem interested.
Making matters worse, when the run of show was revealed and it noted a 4:00 p.m. start time, Bahamians were up in arms and laughed off the event as another flop. And while the timing isn’t what we’re used to when it comes to Bahamian concerts, it seems the event started right on time and…yes, many Bahamians missed the opening acts due to the early start time. Clearly Bahamian time was in full affect! Our crew never arrived until after 9:00 p.m. But in all fairness, it was made quite clear that Bahamians weren’t interested in seeing the likes of Lil Duval and Kodak Black (who performed AFTER the Gargamel) on a Buju Banton stage. The comedian even joked about it himself on social media. h
Based on what we saw via social media as we headed to the grounds, the the crowd was super thin during the first four to five hours of the event. We got there just in time to catch Glen Washington’s set. He was phenomenal and was a great act to set the tone for the rest of the night.
Gramps Morgan of Morgan Heritage was another amazing act to watch as he serenaded the crowd with his amazingly beautiful voice. That man could sing! He shared the spotlight with his son who is clearly following in his father’s footsteps. It was a treat to watch this set as it not only provided great music, but amazing inspiration.
Nigerian singer, songwriter and producer Davido was a breath of fresh air and beast on the stage too! The crowd went insane when he performed his hits “If” and “Fall.” Honestly, even the songs we didn’t know we were vibing out to as the afro beats present in his music was just dope AF! We would definitely pay money to see him again!
AND THEN AROUND 1:45 A.M., IT WAS SHOW TIME!
To a roaring crowd, phones, lighters and hands in the air, Mark “Buju Banton” Myrie graced the stage in The Bahamas for the first time in over 20 years. Opening with his hit “It’s Not An Easy Road,” and flawlessly taking us through his legendary discography. Everything from “Wanna Be Loved,” “Hills and Valleys,” “Destiny,” “Brownin’,” “Champion,” and even a few of his buddy Beres Hammond’s joints had us singing and dancing along.
Buju was a forced to be reckoned with on stage as he never seemed to get tired or weary. This man gyrated, wined, boogled and jumped his way right back into our hearts, not missing a beat and making us remember why he fell in love with him in the first place.
What drove it all home for us though was his apparent love The Bahamas. He took time out to speak on the levels of crime, gang and gun violence and everything else plaguing these islands right now. Buju as clearly keeping up with all things Bahamian even while he was away and for that we salute him. He loves The Bahamas and on Saturday night, Bahamians proved that feeling was more than mutual.