Caribbean Civilisation
Buju Banton “Untold Stories”
Buju Banton, a Jamaican born master of lyrics, was able to rebrand himself, in 1995, with the release of his album Til Shiloh, his fourth album, which demonstrated his move from typical dancehall themes to one that more seriously toned, focusing on social issues affecting his homeland. His release of “Untold Stories” perfectly displays this change in the direction of the lyrical content of Banton’s music. “Untold Stories” is lyrically refreshing, when we consider Buju Banton’s earlier works, which focused heavily on explicit topics, sex and violence usually most prominent. This song, fits perfectly into Banton’s desire to release an album with more lyrical depth and social relevance. The song, as well as “the album had a large impact on dancehall music and proved that dancehall audiences had not forgotten the message that Roots Reggae expounded with the use of "conscious lyrics”.1 Keeping in mind Banton’s new found faith, that is Rastafarianism, at the time of the release, explains his desire to display a different type of dancehall, one that could be compared to reggae or conscious music.
“Untold Stories” is introduced with special attention to the “most high”, which immediately indicates that there is a greater respect for a higher being by the artiste. This is definitely a positive indication in my opinion, as it shows that the artiste is aware of a greater power, which in the norms of Trinidadian society is an indication that a person is ‘decent’. It is my opinion that the lyrical content of this song truly makes it one that is worth an individual’s time, since it highlights issues that are pertinent to not only the Jamaican individual but the Caribbean individual. In this instance it is presented creatively through song which is attractive to a target audience of youth. Banton was able to utilize his lyrics, in dialect, and told in an almost conversational manner, to achieve his goal of enlightening others about issues that
Buju Banton, a Jamaican born master of lyrics, was able to rebrand himself, in 1995, with the release of his album Til Shiloh, his fourth album, which demonstrated his move from typical dancehall themes to one that more seriously toned, focusing on social issues affecting his homeland. His release of “Untold Stories” perfectly displays this change in the direction of the lyrical content of Banton’s music. “Untold Stories” is lyrically refreshing, when we consider Buju Banton’s earlier works, which focused heavily on explicit topics, sex and violence usually most prominent. This song, fits perfectly into Banton’s desire to release an album with more lyrical depth and social relevance. The song, as well as “the album had a large impact on dancehall music and proved that dancehall audiences had not forgotten the message that Roots Reggae expounded with the use of "conscious lyrics”.1 Keeping in mind Banton’s new found faith, that is Rastafarianism, at the time of the release, explains his desire to display a different type of dancehall, one that could be compared to reggae or conscious music.
“Untold Stories” is introduced with special attention to the “most high”, which immediately indicates that there is a greater respect for a higher being by the artiste. This is definitely a positive indication in my opinion, as it shows that the artiste is aware of a greater power, which in the norms of Trinidadian society is an indication that a person is ‘decent’. It is my opinion that the lyrical content of this song truly makes it one that is worth an individual’s time, since it highlights issues that are pertinent to not only the Jamaican individual but the Caribbean individual. In this instance it is presented creatively through song which is attractive to a target audience of youth. Banton was able to utilize his lyrics, in dialect, and told in an almost conversational manner, to achieve his goal of enlightening others about issues that