Warning: this is not just a concert review, this is about me and my admiration of one of my favorite music artists, so please bear with me! I first heard Buju Banton while on my honeymoon in June of 1996 while in Jamaica in Montego Bay. There was a bartender at the resort, Wendall, that played ‘Til Shiloh all day and all night. He could have been working the swim-up bar, the lobby bar, the pool bar, it didn’t matter what bar he was at, it was playing. My wife and I loved what we were hearing. I asked Wendall who this was, and he told me and gave me a little background on Buju and said, “Jamaica has been waiting for its next international superstar, the next Bob Marley, and Buju is it!” If we had plans to head to the beach and walk by the pool bar while Wendall was working, we changed plans and hung out to listen to Buju. We got back home and I looked for ‘Til Shiloh or anything Buju, but living in Central Pennsylvania I couldn’t find anything. Over time it kind of faded from my memory and even forgot his name. Then one day I was watching Caribbean Rhythms on BET and the guest was, you guessed it, Buju Banton. Was so excited to see him and listen again, and finally found ‘Til Shiloh. So for 28 years I have been wanting and waiting to see Buju live in concert. Been top of my bucket list for a while, so when the US tour was announced, his first since 2011, I was so excited. Not only did I see the concert in DC but I was lucky enough to, another top of bucket list item, get a photo pass. Words can’t explain how happy and excited I was. Next to Bob Marley, Buju is it for me, no one better.

The show started off with Fridayy, aka Francis Leblanc, the Haitian-American singer, songwriter and record producer from Philadelphia, Pa. To be honest, I have never really listen to Fridayy and didn’t know much about him, but I know now. The dude can sing and put on a nice show!! I was impressed with his flow and stage presence. I will be listening to him more for sure. The crowd was into him as well, getting down to his jams. I’d like to see more of Fridayy, I think he has some nice talent. It was a great way to get the crowd hyped for what was to come.

The anticipation was real, you could feel it through the entire crowd, so many there to see Buju either for the first time or after so many years. I felt like a kid the day before a birthday or a big holiday, I was thinking to myself, is it weird I am this excited? Looking around the Capital One Arena I was amazed at the size of the crowd, all these people for a reggae concert. I have been to and photographed hundreds of reggae shows, but not like this. I estimate 16,000 people, it was just about sold out. Shiloh, Buju’s band, came out on stage with a little intro music for us. Looking around the crowd, everyone was standing and ready with eyes wide open, like a kid in a candy shop. I was a kid in a candy shop. I had to tell myself a few times, that you have the first three songs to get as many pictures as possible and make them good. No pressure! But, at least for those first three songs, I couldn’t be a fan, I had a job to do. The band, which is an amazing, talented, and energetic band, goes into “Destiny” and while you would expect the crowd to explode, they were silent, just listening. Then we hear Buju from backstage; “There was good and evil/We chose good/Why raise the time of the Most High?/His sons of men/The rich man’s wealth is in the city, yeah/Destruction of the poor is his poverty, Lord/Destruction of your soul is vanity/Yeah, ay, yeah.”

As he walks out on stage, the crowd just absolutely erupts with screams and cheers and excitement! It was crazy and being right up by the stage, I could feel the crowd’s energy. I don’t think I heard his next few lines because the crowd was going so crazy and was so loud. It was a true goosebump moment. He goes to “Easy Road” and again the crowd goes crazy. Now, I am trying to keep myself calm and focused, got to get the shots, but it was hard, I wanted to sing along and dance. As he goes into “Hills and Valleys” the crowd gets even louder, I didn’t think they could, but they did! I have been told that photographing Buju is so much fun, he is so animated, always moving and dancing and jumping around, and his expressions are awesome. And YES, that is all true….and then some!

Many times while photographing a band or artist, it’s that waiting game, waiting for an expression, a movement, something to get that great shot. It was just so easy with Buju, it’s like one good shot after another. I had to leave the photo pit after the three songs, dropped off my camera equipment with guest services, bought a ticket and headed to my seat. This was a little strange for me, in all my years of photographing reggae shows, I can always stay up front to watch and even do more pictures, just not from the pit. Turns out, this is a venue issue and while I wasn’t happy about it, I wasn’t going to let it ruin my night. I missed his next few songs (“Bongocyaat,” “Waistline,” “Punnany” and part of “Showtime”) but got to my seat so I could enjoy the rest of the show, as a fan, just sit back and enjoy. Not really sitting back, I was on my feet the whole time, as was the entire crowd. He went into “The Only Man (Arab Attack Riddim)” and one of my favorites, “Tra La La (Diwali Riddim).” Loved watching him on stage during this song and watching the entire crowd dancing and singing along. As he went into “Up Close & Personal” I was thinking about how good he sounded, the voice, the banton, the command, all so good. He went into another one of my favorites, and the crowds as well, “Champion.” This was the perfect song, it was what I was just thinking about, his presence on stage; “Me all ah walk like a champion/Talk like a champion.” He is a champion on the stage, you can’t take your eyes off of him, there is just this natural mystic flowing around him! As he takes us to “Over Mi” I am amazed at his energy, but also the energy in the crowd. No one stopped moving and the entire crowd singing along to every song and every lyric. I love all of Buju’s albums, but ‘Til Shiloh is special to me, it’s what got me into Gargamel and an album that makes me think of my honeymoon anytime I hear it. So when he went into “Untold Story” I was almost tearing up. I just love this song and just so many emotions flowing through me while listening to it. I love how he performed this one, it sounded fantastic. He kept the slower groove going with “Cry No More” and wow did he sound amazing doing this song.

Another song that just makes me feel so good was next, “Wanna Be Loved.” So amazing hearing this song. I think the crowd sang every word, but wasn’t sure because I was singing right along with Buju. It was time to give a shout-out to Beres Hammond and takes us back to Mr. Mention with “Who Say (Falling In Love)” and then “Pull Up The Vibes” where Buju takes on some of Beres’s singing! Again, the energy from Buju, the dancing and jumping, I was tired watching him. I really loved his latest album, Born for Greatness. I really wanted to hear something from the album and we got “Born for Greatness” and it felt so nice. He really did a great job on this one, the crowd singing right along with him. We went back to Mr. Mention again with “Movie Star,” it would have been amazing to have Wayne Wonder with him on this one. Another older track was next with “Browning,” and I am wondering, does the crowd love hearing these older songs more? Because I was loving it. To this point I loved the set list and couldn’t wait for what was next. “Mr. Nine” was next and wow did he kill this one. I was a little surprised to hear this one, but so happy I did. We hear the “Answer Riddim” coming from the Shiloh Band so we know we are getting “No Respect.” I love the mix of songs, hitting something from each and every album, and mixing them nicely through the night. He mixes it up with “M.P.L.A.” and “General” with a nice flow for us. Another crowd favorite was next, “Love Sponge.” I think every single person in the joint sang every single word of this jam. I was so surprised at the flowing energy of Buju, the band, and the crowd. It was CRAZY! We knew this wasn’t going to last much longer, but we did not want this to end.

Most Buju songs are known right from the start, but not quite like “Driver,” when that starts everyone knows what’s coming; “Lawd a mercy, hey, lawd a miss mercy, lawd a mercy/Driver, don’t stop at all, drop this/Arizona ’round a Alba Mall/Driver, don’t even hitch, collect dat likkle food deh yah and come back quick/Driver, just rememba di damn speed limit.” This one hit so nicely, he sounded amazing. A song we were all waiting for was next, “Murderer.” WOW, this was perfect, I can’t put it into words, just WOW! The show was finished off with “23rd Psalm” where he had Gramps Morgan join him on stage, followed by “Buried Alive,” two songs that I don’t love, but the crowd surely did. He sounded so good in both of these songs, really showing off his vocal skills. And a great way to finish off this absolutely fantastic night. But the night wasn’t over yet, it was finished off with a message for the future of the Accompong Town Maroons, which Buju is a descendant of. He brought out members of the Maroons and they performed a traditional song and dance, which was really fantastic and amazing to watch. It gave me chills. Buju gave a donation of $200,000 USD, this is the latest of multiple donations that Buju has made towards the development of the north-western St. Elizabeth-based community.

What can I say about this concert, it was more than a concert, it was more than a show. It was an experience I have waited such a long time for, and it did not disappoint at all. Buju is so amazing to see and hear live. The vocals, the charisma, the emotions, the dancing, the jumping, the band, the everything. I have seen and photographed many concerts over the years and this is one of the best, maybe the best, I have ever seen. Buju may be the best music artist I have ever photographed, so much fun and energy and love, and it comes through in the photos. It was so amazing, it really was a dream come true for me. Now I need to see and photograph him again!

One Love – Todd Judd