While I’ve been a bit overwhelmed by my trip to Trinidad and Tobago carnival, a lot have been happening on the reggae/dancehall scene around the world.
Big news announced recently that Buju Banton is set to perform in Trinidad upon his release from prison and Bob Marley statue will stand in Africa.
Buju (given name Mark Myrie) is currently completing a nine-year sentence at the McRae Correctional Facility in Georgia for the 2009 drug conviction.
He was found guilty of conspiring with two other men to traffic 11 pounds (5 kg) or more of cocaine in Sarasota, Florida.
A 12-member jury in Tampa handed down the verdict after a four-day trial. His scheduled release date is Saturday, December 8, 2018.
The concert announcement came on Sunday March 26, from Jodian Ebanks, a member of the Buju’s marketing team, at a media briefing held during the Love and Harmony Cruise aboard the Celebrity Summit vessel.
And Trinidad is one of the first stops on the singer’s come-back tour. The concert will be held on April 22, 2019. The venue was not disclosed.
She said also that a concert is scheduled for Jamaica at a later date.
Trinidad was chosen as the first stop because the dates, travel schedules and other variables all came together for that time of year and was the best fit.
* * *
Bob’s Statue in Harare
Zimbabwe recently announced that it had permission to erect Bob Marley’s statue.
It’s an important development because of Africa’s more than 50 countries Bob Marley had the privilege of performing at Zimbabwe’s independence celebrations in 1980.
The government believes that the approval from the Marley’s family is a great achievement for the country, as the statue will attract tourists.
Martin Chemhere, the arts consultant to the Zimbabwean government is proposing that the statue be erected at the Rufaro Stadium in Harare, where Marley performed.
Chemhere has been speaking with Marley’s estate about building the statue and have got the go ahead on everything.
Be free to send your feedback on any of my articles to Productionsounds@gmail.com or Instagram: @Productionjr
