Buju Banton

“Be strong,” sang Buju Banton the last time he set foot onstage before a live audience. “Hold a firm meditation. One day things must get better.”

The date was January 16, 2011. The occasion was a concert in Miami’s Bayfront Park called ‘Before the Dawn.’ After eleven months in captivity, the legendary reggae artist had been granted the opportunity to perform for one night to help fund his legal defense against an extremely problematic case which had already resulted in one mistrial and allegations of juror misconduct.

Buju was joined by a star-studded lineup of fellow musicians and staunch supporters, from DJ Khaled and Sean Paul to Stephen “Ragga” Marley and Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley—to name a few. Buju opened his emotional set with “Close One Yesterday,” a song about surviving against all odds. “Don’t you go down,” he sang. “Keep your head above the water. One day things must get better.” His final selection of the night was a prayerful rendition of “Psalms 23” alongside Gramps Morgan: “Goodness and mercy all my life shall surely follow me / And in Jah’s house forevermore my dwelling place must be.”

A few weeks later, Buju’s album ‘Before the Dawn’ won the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album—the artist’s first win after four previous nominations. But it would prove to be a bittersweet victory. As his fans are well aware, Buju Banton has been incarcerated ever since that 2011 show in Miami. His voice, however, could not be silenced.

Selections from the artist’s 25-year-deep catalog—including classic albums like Mr. Mention and Til Shiloh and Inna Heights—have stayed in heavy rotation throughout Buju’s time away. Yet his physical presence has been sorely missed. During the past nine years the music that Buju represented on stages all over the world has become even more influential on global pop music, as international pop stars have sought inspiration from Jamaican sounds and styles. Yet while dancehall reggae rhythms have spread far and wide, the spiritual and social consciousness that inspired Buju to become a voice for the voiceless has lagged behind or fallen by the wayside.

The artist whom A$AP Rocky called his “favorite reggae rapper” will finally experience his first taste of freedom on December 8th. Visitors report that Buju is in good spirits, keeping physically and mentally fit and looking forward to returning to the stage and the studio. Anticipation for his return is building as the official music industry publication Billboard recently reporting that “Buju Banton’s Long-Awaited Return is Near.”

“Give a shout out to the fans for me,” Buju told the U.S-based media outlet Boomshots. “Tell them I send my love and I tell them: Do not be distracted by all the things that are taking place around them because it is designed to throw them off kilter and plunge people into a state of darkness… The people are suffering. Sadness and gloom is prevailing. It’s widespread. But be patient. Because suffering may endure for the night, but joy cometh in the morning.”