Catalyst Invites Another

Here are some "lyrical" extracts from "Boom Boom Bye", the song at the heart of the controversy:

Jamaican patois, with standard English translation and explanation underneath

Boom bye bye
Boom [as in gun sound] goodbye, goodbye
[as in we won't be seeing you again, you're dead]

Inna batty bwoy head
In a queer's head

Rude bwoy no promote no nasty man
Rude boys don't promote no queer men

Dem haffi dead
They have to die

Send fi di matic an
Send for the automatic [gun] and

Di Uzi instead
The Uzi instead

Shoot dem no come if we shot dem
Shoot them, don't come if we shoot them
[as in don't come to help them]

Guy come near we
If a man comes near me

Then his skin must peel
Then his skin must peel
[as in pour acid over him]

Burn him up bad like an old tyre wheel
Burn him up badly, like you would burn an old tyre wheel

Lovely sentiments, don't you think? And if you have any doubt that elements of his fan base take him seriously, a single glance at any bulletin board discussion of this controversy will take care of it... one of their all time favorite quotes is this: BOOM BYE BYE IN A BATTY BOY HEAD, RUDE BOY NO PROMOTE THEM NASTY MAN THEM HAFI DEAD

Some background on Buju Banton:

Buju Banton has a long history of homophobia (he wrote "Boom Boom Bye", one of Jamaica's most enduringly popular anti-queer anthems, in 1993, when he was only 15) and incitement of anti-gay violence (Jamaica is one of the most dangerous places to be queer in the whole world, and "dance hall" reggae artists regularly incite violence against queers from the stage). Banton was a suspect in an anti-gay attack in Kingston, Jamaica (his acquittal means very little, given the virulently homophobic nature of Jamaica's legal system), and he continues to perform his anti-gay song "Boom, Bye Bye" in Jamaica (as recently as 2005, according to U.K. activist Peter Tachell) and in the United States (he performed portions of the song at a concert in Miami earlier this year).

Tracii McGregor, his publicist, tries to spin this as a youthful indiscretion that he's outgrown - telling the Santa Cruz Sentinel that the gay community should look past a song written years ago, and telling the L.A. Times that he hasn't performed the song "in years", a which may be technically true, as the most widely documented recent full performance was at a concert held on August 8th, 2004, in Negril, Jamaica, but two years stretches the definition of that phrase to the breaking point. Meanwhile, he's repeatedly defended the song's sentiments as a legitimate expression of Rastafarianism... including in an interview with BBC Radio's Xtra! earlier this year. These are hardly evidence of a youthful indiscretion long since moved path, indeed, they suggest he continues to endorse the sentiments expressed in the song.

Please join the GLBT Alliance of Santa Cruz County and our allies for a non-confrontational demonstration in protest of "murder music" singer Buju Banton's appearance at the Catalyst: 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, October 1st - meet at the Diversity Center, 1117 Soquel Avenue near Seabright street, in supportive community for sign making and creative protest planning; 7:00 p.m. - demo starts in front of the Catalyst (downtown Santa Cruz). Tickets go on sale at 7:30 p.m., "performance" starts at 8:30 p.m.

For more information, contact info for the Catalyst, information about past murder music singers invited to Santa Cruz by the catalyst and accompanying protests, links to audio/video samples, and updates as things develop, view the GLBT Alliance web page on Buju Banton.