Buju Banton, the Jamaican singer, has opened up about his cultural heritage, saying his “generation originated from the Igbo tribe of Nigeria”.
In a recent episode of the Drinking Champs podcast, the 51-year-old dancehall legend, who is famous for songs like ‘Untold Stories’, ‘Destiny’, ‘Psalm 23’, and ‘Hills and Valleys’, revealed that the Maroons, his tribe, originated from the Igbo people.
Banton, however, registered concerns over the alleged threat to his indigenous land in Jamaica.
He claimed the Jamaican government allowed the inrush of foreign nationals into their region, leading to the displacement of the Maroon community.
“Our Indigenous way of life and our land are being threatened by the current government of Jamaica, which seeks to bring Chinese and other nationalities into the Cockpit region, which is an Indigenous sacred region, to usurp us, the Maroons as the warriors,” he said.
“Maroons are some of the Indigenous warriors on my Island. We fought the British relentlessly. We are called Blackmaroons. My generation originated from Nigeria. I am an Igbo man according to my bloodline.
“We fought King Charles for 40 years and according to the British treaty, anybody who sustains a war for over eight years automatically has their sovereignty.”
The reggae icon also argued that Afrobeats lacks depth and fails to address the struggles of Africa despite its global popularity.
He accused Afrobeats stars of stealing and disrespecting Jamaican culture.
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