Concerned Maroon lands being threatened by the Government of Jamaica

Jamaican dancehall superstar, Mark Anthony Myrie popularly known as “Buju Banton” has opened up about his cultural heritage, declaring that his ancestry originated from the Igbo tribe of Nigeria.

The 51-year-old dancehall veteran, who is famous for songs like Untold Stories, Destiny, Psalm 23, and Hills And Valleys, revealed during an interview with Nigerian news outlet, The Willnews.com that the Maroons, his tribe, originated from Nigeria’s Igbo tribe. 

At the same time, Buju Banton registered concerns over the alleged threat to his Maroon indigenous land in Jamaica, claiming the current Jamaican government has allowed the rush of foreign nationals into the island, leading to the displacement of the Maroon community.

“Our Indigenous way of life and our land are being threatened by the current Government of Jamaica, which seeks to bring Chinese and other nationalities into the Cockpit region, which is an Indigenous sacred region, to usurp us the Maroons as the warriors. Maroons are some of the indigenous warriors on my island. We fought the British relentlessly. We are called Black Maroons. My generation originated from Nigeria. I am an Igbo man according to my bloodline,” the dancehall superstar exclaimed.

He went further to say, “We fought King Charles for 40 years and according to the British treaty, anybody who sustains a war for over eight years automatically has their sovereignty.”

Buju Banton took a swipe at the Afrobeats genre arguing that it lacks depth and fails to address the struggles of Africa despite its global popularity.

He also accused Afrobeats stars of stealing and disrespecting Jamaican culture.