How over 40,000 people from across the world watched the biggest Reggae Concert in Jamaica’s history…for FREE.
The excitement was escalating to palpable proportions the week leading up to former incarcerated Reggae Artiste Buju Banton’s concert on March 16th, 2019. After serving almost nine years in a United States prison for a felony drug charge, Buju, whose real name is Mark Myrie was released on December 8th, 2018 to a warm and welcoming Jamaica. Shortly after his return, it was announced that he would be embarking on a huge tour across the Caribbean dubbed, “Long Walk to Freedom”. Within minutes of announcing ticket sales, Buju’s official website crashed. That was the first indication to the organizers that this tour would be unlike anything the reggae music world has ever seen.
Since the Bob Marley One Love Peace Concert in Kingston’s National Stadium on April 22, 1978, there has never been the kind of anticipation and longing to see another International Reggae Artiste perform until Buju Banton almost reincarnated return to music. As if it was an ode to one of the world’s most loved singers and peace advocate, Buju’s Freedom concert was to be held at the same venue Bob Marley so bravely brought the then leaders of Jamaica’s two main political parties together for a musical peace treaty at a time when Jamaica’s political system was riddled with massive violence and distress. Bob used the occasion at the risk of loosing his life for the good of his fellow Jamaicans. That concert was a significant yet poignant time in Jamaica’s history. Buju’s Long Walk to Freedom was shaping up to be the One Love Peace Concert of our time. Only this time, it was at Buju’s own reckoning and the entire world was his audience.
Unlike the Bob Marley Peace concert patrons of 1978, the Caribbean Diaspora from across seven continents now had access to high technology and smartphones , so within seconds of the 35,000 plus patrons who packed Jamaica’s largest sports venue to witness Buju’s repentant entrance to the stage, an estimated 40,000 streamers were online witnessing it too. Perhaps there were little formal arrangements to livestream the event as was evident in the shabby online coverage from CVM TV, one of Jamaica’s major television networks. Frustrated by the frequent interruptions from the network and coupled with scathing real time reviews form hundreds of thousands of upset streamers, a few concert goers with top of the line smartphones and access to sufficient data decided to take matters in their own hands and became the unsung heroes of the night. Throughout the concert, thousands of Facebook and Instagram followers were forwarding the handles of users who were livestreaming and it became a Buju Banton Concert Streaming-Pyramind scheme of sorts. A remarkable cultural and technological experience in real time. It is estimated that the concert’s post views from the many videos circulating over the internet has amassed well over 2.5 million views to date.
The hunger and eagerness to be counted in among the online audience during Banton’s powerful and at times emotional two hour set was like watching a starved baby suckle. Buju’s every word, every movement, the concert’s every glitch and the streamer’s every human mistake like a shaky hand or obstructed view were noticed and discussed and in some cases, people were mercilessly berated by trolls for having an opinion or making a wrong move, yet all were together in this important moment of their lives at a virtual concert of unmatched significance. One they may never witness again. It was a consequential moment in world music history. The kind of history that could only happen organically at a time like this.
