Buju Banton will be sentenced in by Judge James S. Moody Jr., in a Tampa, Florida court. He was found guilty last February of 3 charges including conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 5 kilograms of cocaine, using a communication facility in the commission of a felony, and knowingly and intentionally possessing a firearm in furtherance of and during the course of a drug-trafficking crime.

Banton was found not guilty on a 4th charge, attempting to possess 5 kilograms or more of cocaine.

All told, the charges could result in a sentencing of 30 years to life in prison.

The reggae singer, born Mark Anthony Myrie, is still in prison after being convicted. His defense attorneys have filed a motion for a new trial and an acquittal. The prosecuting attorneys are battling against it, claiming the motion is “without merit.”

Buju Banton recently won a 2011 Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album for his 10th studio album, Before The Dawn.

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At the Gibbons federal court in Tampa, Florida federal court today, United States District Judge Tim Moody gave the announcement and declared December as the time for a new trial. The mistrial decision came after 4 long days of deliberation by a jury.

It seems that the 2-night drum vigil held by Rastafarian elders at Buju Banton’s Carlisle Avenue Gargamel Studios actually worked. Twice today the jurors told Judge Moody that they could not reach a decision, prompting the mistrial declaration.

This is a temporary reprieve: Banton remains charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 5Kg of cocaine. If he is found guilty in December he’ll face a possible sentence of 20 years to life in prison. Both of Banton’s codefendants have already signed plea agreements in exchange for lesser charges.

David Markus, Buju Banton’s lawyer, has begun the process of requesting bail for Banton; we’ll know more about whether bail is awarded tomorrow.

The case has already been running for nearly a year after Banton was arrested in a sting operation last December and accused by an FBI informant of attempting to purchase cocaine with the goal of reselling it. He is also charged with aiding his codefendants in possessing a firearm during the course of cocaine distribution. The event was captured on a surveillance camera but Banton was not present for the actual purchase.

Buju Banton has maintained his innocence from the beginning of this ordeal, claiming that the government informant pressured him to make the purchase. Specifically, he explained that he only discussed cocaine to impress the informant, who he believed to be related to the music business. Banton’s lawyers have used this to build an entrapment defense for the singer.

Stephen Marley, son of Bob Marley, spoke as a character witness for Banton during the trial.

Buju Banton’s next album, Before the Dawn, containing 10 songs recorded in 2009, is scheduled to be released tomorrow.

This article is part of a continuing series about Buju Banton’s arrest, accusations, and trial. For more information about the trial, please see these related articles:

1. Buju Banton mistrial, new trial in December, September 27
2. Buju Banton still waiting for drug trial verdict, from September 24
3. Buju Banton cocaine defense lawyer claims entrapment, from January 27
4. Buju Banton drug arrest: dancehall reggae star buys cocaine from undercover cops, from December 15, 2009

In the meantime, here’s a Buju Banton music video, Power of Prayer by Gargamel himself.

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3. Buju Banton still waiting for drug trial verdict After earlier false reports that he had been acquitted, Jamaican...

Update: this article is part of a continuing series about Buju Banton’s arrest, accusations, and trial. For more information about the trial, please see these related articles:

1. Buju Banton mistrial, new trial in December, September 27
2. Buju Banton still waiting for drug trial verdict, from September 24
3. Buju Banton cocaine defense lawyer claims entrapment, from January 27
4. Buju Banton drug arrest: dancehall reggae star buys cocaine from undercover cops, from December 15, 2009

Banton, born Mark Myrie, is currently being tried for cocaine and firearm possession in Tampa, Florida. Although he hasn’t been charged with being present to purchase the cocaine when it was offered, an undercover informant has claimed that he did admit to trafficking drugs.

A 12-person jury has deliberated over Banton’s verdict for 2 straight days so far – meeting for 4 hours on the first day and 7 hours today. They’re currently expected to deliver a decision when the case resumes on Monday, September 27. The verdict was supposed to be delivered today but deliberation continues in the federal court case.

Buju Banton was arrested and accused of conspiring to purchase cocaine from an undercover government officer in Sarasota, Florida last December. He was arrested on December 10, 2009 for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, in addition to a less serious firearms charge.

“If I am guilty I will pay.”

– Bob Marley

In his defense, Banton claimed that his discussions of cocaine were all an attempt to impress the government agent Alexander Johnson, who he believed had connections in the music industry. Buju Banton also claims that he was entrapped and his attorney David Oscar Markus has explained that 1 informant who helped build the case against Buju has been paid USD $3.3 million over several years by US law enforcement in exchange for assisting them.

On the other hand, the government informant claims that Buju Banton had cocaine at a meeting previous to his arrest and admitted to being involved in drug trafficking at that time. The prosecutors in the case also claims to have videos of Buju Banton sampling cocaine and discussing the possibility of becoming a drug dealer. However, Buju was not present at the final bust when his 2 codefendants arrived to purchase cocaine in a police sting operation in Sarasota, Florida.

Both of Buju Banton’s codefendants, James Mack and Ian Thomas have pled guilty to their charges in plea bargains cooperating with the US government. However, Mack has already signed an affidavit stating that Buju Banton didn’t know about the money and a gun that were in Mack’s car – 2 critical pieces of evidence – at the time of the sting operation. The affidavit did state that Banton participated in negotiations to purchase the cocaine though.

If convicted, Buju Banton may face a life sentence in a US prison in addition to a USD $4 million fine. Prosecutors previously offered Banton a plea deal in exchange for a 2-year sentence. Banton refused the offer, claiming his innocence throughout the case. If the jury cannot reach a verdict, the trial will result in a hung jury, requiring a new trial.

“The road of life is rocky, and you may stumble, too – so while you point your fingers, someone else is judging you!”

– Bob Marley

Buju Banton is a 37-year-old Caribbean dancehall and reggae music singer. He is best known for his trademark husky voice as well as his controversial lyrics. He became famous in the early 90s for his dancehall music before focusing on roots reggae tunes marked by Rastafarian lyrics. His latest roots reggae album, Rasta Got Soul, was nominated for a Grammy Reggae Album of the Year.

In addition to his musical success, Buju Banton is also known for the controversy surrounding his early work’s homophobic content and the international protests that it has produced. Most recently, his reggae Grammy nomination was protested by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation via an online petition.

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3. Buju Banton cocaine defense lawyer claims entrapment Grammy-nominated dancehall superstar Buju Banton, recently arrested in a cocaine...

Update: this article is part of a continuing series about Buju Banton’s arrest, accusations, and trial. For more information about the trial, please see these related articles:

1. Buju Banton mistrial, new trial in December, September 27
2. Buju Banton still waiting for drug trial verdict, from September 24
3. Buju Banton cocaine defense lawyer claims entrapment, from January 27
4. Buju Banton drug arrest: dancehall reggae star buys cocaine from undercover cops, from December 15, 2009

They say a good offense is the best defense, and apparently David Oscar Markus, Buju Banton‘s lawyer, agrees. He turned up the heat on a anti-Banton conspiracy theory when he filed court documents yesterday, Tuesday, January 26, 2010 claiming that Banton only attempted to purchase the cocaine after being convinced to do it by a government-paid informant.

The move is a good one, since Buju Banton is reported to have sampled the drugs before making the purchase and (if you believe the US authorities) was caught red-handed. He was arrested in Tamarac, Florida back on December 10, 2009 and pleaded not guilty to the drug charge in a federal court in Tampa, Florida.

The US DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) has filed an affidavit claiming that they received a tip from a “confidential informant” regarding the drug deal. The informant wore a wire to record drug negotiations with Buju Banton. Later, at a meeting in an “undercover warehouse” the agents claim that Banton and 2 associates sampled a 20-Kg load of cocaine from an undercover law enforcement officer in Sarasota, Florida.

In order to win the entrapment defense in a US court of law, Banton’s lawyer Markus must prove that Buju wasn’t “predisposed” to purchase cocaine and wouldn’t have engaged in the criminal behavior if the government hadn’t induced him to do so.

To do that, Markus is arguing that the government’s secret informant courted Banton for months, making repeated attempts to interest him in a cocaine purchase.

In fact, some of the government’s secret recordings may help Banton’s case, as Markus has argued that some of them include Banton’s “repeated attempts to putt off” the secret informant’s efforts to interest him in a drug deal.

Buju Banton’s lawyer is attempting to have the government’s secret informant’s name is revealed. He’s also making inquiries into how much the informant was paid and whether he has a past criminal record. Perhaps he’s hoping to show that the informant had so much to gain from entrapping Banton that he overstepped the bounds of a legal undercover investigation.

Buju Banton pleaded not guilty in Tampa federal court to charges of conspiring to distribute cocaine and aiding and abetting the possession of a firearm during the course of the cocaine distribution. His trial is currently scheduled to start in March 2010 and he’s being held without bail at Pinellas County Jail.

If convicted, Banton could face a sentence of life in prison.

Buju Banton, born Mark Myrie, is a 36-year-old Caribbean singer renowned for his husky voice and controversial lyrics. After making waves for his dancehall work in the early 1990s, he has more recently transitioned to a roots reggae style celebrating a Rastafarian lifestyle. His most recent album Rasta Got Soul, is nominated for a Grammy Reggae Album of the Year. He also recently won a 2009 IRAWMA award for best crossover song with John Legend.

Buju Banton‘s career has been marked by controversy and international protests regarding his the homophobic content of his early works. Banton’s reggae Grammy nomination is being protested by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation via an online petition.

This story was first reported by the Tampa Bay, Florida newspaper the St. Petersburg Times.

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Skull is a Korean reggae artist whose first single, Boom Di Boom Di, was a surprise hit on the reggae scene. It rose the the #2 spot on the Billboard Hip Hop / R&B singles chart, an historical first for a Korean recording artist. (Watch Skull‘s Boom Di Boom Di animated video here.)

Skull‘s musical career was cut short when he was drafted into the South Korean Army and stationed near the nation’s demilitarized zone (DMZ), the heavily guarded border between North and South Korea. You can take the singer out of the military, but you can’t take the fight out of Skull: “I consider reggae music fighting music. I believe the strong message of reggae Music has the power to change people’s minds and influence how they live. I have devoted my life to reggae music,” he declares on his MySpace page.

Skull‘s performance at the 2009 Reggae Rising will be on August 2 in Humbolt County, California. He will appear as part of a star-studded reggae music lineup that includes Gentleman, Luciano, Capleton, The Original Wailers, Tony Rebel, Aswad, Queen Ifrica, Sister Carol, Toots and The Maytals, Marcia Griffiths, Freddie McGregor, and others.

Skull is managed by Morgan Carey, Mariah’s big brother.

Live Skull reggae performance

Sure, the animation is interesting, but how’s his live show? Here’s live footage of Skull opening for Buju Banton.

Skull‘s official Myspace page is at http://www.myspace.com/skullriddim

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Stephen Marley

Hey Baby, which features hip hop star (and actor) Mos Def is widely regarded as another excellent track on the same album. In addition to the collaboration with Mos Def, Mind Control includes tracks with American rocker Ben Harper.

Stephen Marley has come a long way since starting out with his brothers as a kid with The Melody Makers, having won 5 Grammys as a reggae performer and songwriter. Stephen produced both of Damian Marley‘s Grammy-winning albums and has also produced tracks and albums for Buju Banton, Spearhead, Capleton, Mr. Cheeks, and his brothers brothers Julian and Ziggy Marley.

You can hear Stephen Marley‘s Hey Baby featuring Mos Def for free on imeem or download it from these locations:

• http://web.stephenmarleymusic.com/media/mp3/02_hey_baby_featuring_mos_def.mp3
• http://www.jusflow.com/mysongs/32%20Stephen%20Marley%20%20Hey%20Baby%20-Hey%20Baby%20Riddim.mp3

Stephen Marley’s latest album, Mind Control Acoustic, is now available online at Amazon.com.

More Stephen Marley music is available on his MySpace page. His official website is StephenMarleyMusic.com.

Stephen Marley and Damian Marley Hey Baby video

In addition to releasing the track on the Mind Control album, Stephen Marley also performed it live with brother Damian Marley, as seen in this music video:

“I don’t want to be just another artist. I want to make a statement, and to continue this legacy, this musical legacy, with my family. Just like my brothers… I aspire to be a reckoning force, when you hear my name, you know quality comes with that: good music, good message, good vibe.”

Stephen Marley and Mos Def Hey Baby lyrics

Hey baby don’t you worry
Even though the road is rocky
I’ll be coming home to you again
Cuz if you thought that I was lost
I had to bear my cross
Now I’m free from all these chains

I’ll be gone awhile away from you
And I hope you overstand
That I’ve got to do what I must do
To be a better man

Cuz if I was just to act a fool
Do nothing with myself
Then all my blessings would be cursed
My world would crumble in

It’s a joy when I sit down and think
Of the good times that we have
And what we do to make it through
When the good turns to the bad

Well I hope you find it in your heart and know these words are true
And please don’t fuss because I must go do what I must do

Hey baby don’t you worry
Even though the road is rocky
I’ll be coming home to you again
Cuz if you thought that I was lost
I had to bear my cross
Now I’m free from all these chains

A time, a space
A different place
How perfect we might be
I would be the wind that blows
You’d be that willow tree
And I could never bear the thought
Of you not by my side
So I would be the warmth of day
You’d be the cool of night
And everyday I pray to Jah
That one day you will see
And overstand the fact I must
Fulfill my destiny
I hope you find it in your heart
And know these words are true
And please don’t cry
You know that I must do what I must do

Hey baby don’t you worry
Even though the road is rocky
I’ll be coming home to you again
Cuz if you thought that I was lost
I had to bear my cross
Now I’m free from all these chains

Well, and it’s not easy
Jah knows how I try, I try
So don’t you get weary
Jah knows how I try, I try

Mos Def Lyrics:

God knows,
Life is one big road
with a lot of signs and turns and twists and curves
Even though the road is rocky
My main thing’s to rock and keep on rockin
From city to city, backyard to yard
And we be seeing the sights
Standing under the lights
And the spot is hot, its cold and lonely at night
And I’m ‘feenin’ and I’m dreaming and I’m holding you tight
But hold on, Every single road I roll on
Comes to an end and I’m back home again
So baby please don’t cry
There’s no valley low, and there’s no mountain high
And our love don’t die with the passage of time
It just grows more
And just keep strong
And even though I’m gone, I am never too far
You’re the light thru the dark shining right thru my heart
So my journey must start

Hey baby don’t you worry
Even though the road is rocky
I’ll be coming home to you again
Cuz if you thought that I was lost
I had to bear my cross
Now I’m free from all these chains

Cuz if you thought that I was lost
I had to bear my cross
Now I’m free from all these chains

Stephen Marley on the Blazed and Confused Tour

Stephen is back on that rocky road, joining the Blazed and Confused Tour with Slightly Stoopid and Snoop Doog (who is rumored to be working on his own reggae album). Hopefully he will stay “free from all these chains” and not end up back in a Florida jail, as he did in 2002 for a few hours when he was accused of marijuana possession (the incident was the inspiration for the Iron Bars track on Mind Control).

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Dancehall music first became popular in the late 1970s, a decade after dub music had already demonstrated the rich possibilities for reggae subgenres. Dancehall began in the Jamaican dancehalls as when people wanted something different from the roots rock that dominated the Jamaican music scene at that time. Local soundsystems began experimenting with new songs that were simpler, more pop, less political, and less Rastafarian.

Some people link this transition to Jamaican political changes as a new right wing government replaced the nation’s socialist government. (If you’ve ever wanted to experience fascism in action, just stop by your local dance club and try arguing with a bouncer.)

Ironically, dancehall’s sound came from the past rather than new directions as Sugar Minott, Don Mais, and their contemporaries began recording new vocals over 1960s riddims. Early dancehall luminaries were singers including Junior Reid, Barrington Levy, Frankie Paul, Don Carlos, Ali Campbell, and Triston Palmer. Some older reggae musicians such as Gregory Isaacs and Bunny Wailer also evolved their sound into the new dancehall phenomenon.

Dancehall also experienced a surge in the popularity of deejays who toasted and rapped in a U-Roy style instead of singing, with artistes such as Captain Sinbad, Ranking Joe, General Echo, and Yellowman capturing listeners ears and dancers’ bodies. During the early 1980s these deejays became more popular than the more traditional singjays, often receiving first access to new riddims.

As dancehall’s sound became less harmonious and more macho, so did it’s content, with a new format – sound clash – evolving to feature deejays and soundsystems competing on albums, mix tapes, and at live shows. There was some variation within this aggressive trend though, as Yellowman and Eek-a-Mouse rose to fame with distinctly humorous lyrics and female deejays including Lady Saw and Sister Nancy also rising to fame.

Ragga Music

Ragga (also known as “Raggamuffin”) is a rap-influenced form of dancehall reggae that mixes hip hop-style lyrics and electronic instrumentation. The term raggamuffin comes from the description of impoverished Kingston youth who in turn applied the word to their music. Ragga describes the purely digital dancehall sound that emerged in the mid-1980s. Though it is a descendant of reggae, ragga bears little resemblance to the roots rock of the previous decade due to it’s digital riddims and synthesized deejay vocals. Some reggae purists debate whether ragga is really a genre of reggae music.

The dancehall sound continued to change in the 1980s, becoming more digitized. In 1985 King Jammy released the hit single (Under Me) Sleng Teng by Wayne Smith. While it may not have been the first purely digital reggae riddim, it was the first that became widely popular, ushering in the ragga sound.

Wayne Smith – (Under Me) Sleng Teng video

Ragga deejays included rough-voiced deejays such as Capleton and Shabba Ranks as well as more melodic singjays such as Pinchers, Cocoa Tea, Frankie Paul, Half Pint, Carl Meeks, and Barrington Levy. At home in Jamaica, many deejays such as Bounty Killer, Ninjaman, and Buju Banton adopted a violent aesthetic similar to American gangsta rappers. Internationally, dancehall music began to appear on the hit charts in the US and other countries, including Shabba Ranks‘ Mr. Loverman and Chaka Demus and Pliers‘ Murder She Wrote.

Modern Dancehall music: controversy and new directions

In the 21st century dancehall music’s popularity was challenged by critics of it’s frequent homophobic content, the most notorious song being Buju Banton’s 1988 hit Boom Bye Bye, which advocates shooting and burning gay men. In addition to journalists and music critics, civil rights activists began the Stop Murder Music campaign and openly campaigned against homophobic dancehall artists and concerts featuring those artists. As a result, some concerts were cancelled, police opened investigations of some artists, and international governments blocked some artists’ travel. The artists countered by arguing that their lyrics were permissible free speech and in some cases compromising by changing their lyrics for American and European shows.

At the same time that the homophobic backlash and other violence amongst popular dancehall artists spiraled out of control, some prominent dancehall deejays “found religion” (Rastafarian, of course) and began the conscious dancehall (aka conscious ragga) movement, which replaced violent content with the kinds of conscious, ital, and cultural messages that dancehall had originally left behind in the 1970s. Artists such as Garnet Silk, Tony Rebel, Sanchez, Luciano, Anthony B, and Sizzla built purely conscious careers, whereas other previously-violent deejays such as Buju Banton and Capleton transitioned over to a conscious direction (often bouncing back and forth between conscious albums and more pop/dancehall content).

More recent dancehall stars include Mavado, Bounty Killer, Lady Saw, Shaggy, Diana King, Spragga Benz, Beenie Man, Elephant Man, and Sean Paul, who has released several Billboard hits in the United States.

(For everyone who is writing research papers, this article was written by a guy named Chris Keane (me) on June 4, 2009. I’ve updated it a few times in the intervening months. If you do finish your paper and would like to share it on the site or contribute any other articles, please leave a comment!)

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Top IRAWMA award nominees included dancehall deejay Mavado (8 nominations), reggae crooner Beres Hammond and dancehall rapper Elephant Man (7 nominations each), reggae vocalist Etana and reggae singer/deejay Queen Ifrica (5 nominations each) and Mr. Vegas (4 nominations. Given these artists’ popularity and wide range of nominees in all categories, it seemed certain that someone would go home empty-handed. But they didn’t.

The IRAWMA awards are determined by votes from fans and the music industry, but unlike other hidden-ballot music awards where standout performances tend to sweep multiple categories, the IRAWMA awards were evenly distributed, with nearly every A-list attendee taking home an award.

Longtime reggae star Beres Hammond took home the Entertainer of the Year and Songwriter of the Year Awards with his recent release of A Moment in Time, but was passed over in the Recording Artist, Male Vocalist, Best CD, and Best Song categories (the last was a particularly surprising split – the year’s best songwriter did not pen the year’s best song?). On the dancehall front, Mavado was awarded the Recording Artist of the Year and Best Song Awards, but his genre-busting hit “On the Rock” (recorded with hip hop luminary and mega-producer Jay-Z) didn’t win the Best Crossover Song category. In a final twist, Queen Ifrica and Etana were tied for the best female vocalist awards, with Etana also winning the Best CD and Queen Ifrica winning Best Female DJ/Rapper.

Decide for yourself: you can read the 2009 IRAWMA nominations list and compare it to the final awards list:

• Bob Marley Award for Entertainer of the Year – Beres Hammond
• Recording Artist of the Year – Mavado
• Best Male Vocalist – Tarrus Riley
• Best Female Vocalist – Queen Ifrica & Etana (TIE)
• Best Song – Mavado “So Special”
• Best CD – Etana “Strong One”
• Best Crossover Song – John Legend & Buju Banton “Can’t Be My Lover”
• Best Gospel Song – Stitchie & Elephant Man “What A Mighty God”
• Best Female D.J./Rapper – Queen Ifrica
• Best Male D.J./Rapper – Beenie Man
• Best New Entertainer – Serani
• Best Calypso/Soca Entertainer – Alison Hinds
• Best Reggaeton Entertainer – Daddy Yankee
• Best Latin Entertainer – Shakira
• Best Compas Entertainer – Nu-Look
• Best African Entertainer – Alpha Blondy
• Best Soukous Entertainer – Awilo Longomba
• Best Hip Hop/R&B Entertainer – Lil Wayne
• Outstanding Contribution to World Music – Wyclef Jean
• Most Outstanding Stage Personality – Machel Mantano
• Best Music Video – Stephen & Damian Marley “The Mission”
• Best Poet – Mutabaruka
• Most Educational Entertainer – Morgan Heritage
• Most Outstanding Show Band – Machel & Xtatik Band
• Most Consistent Entertainer – Calypso Rose
• Most Promising Entertainer – Lutan Fyah
• Most Improved Entertainer – Tanya Mullings
• Best Instrumentalist – Dean Fraser
• Best Backing Band – New Kingston
• Most Popular Selector – Stone Love
• Concert of the Year – Irie Jamboree
• Promoter of the Year – Sumfest
• Producer of the Year – Steven McGregor
• Songwriter of the Year – Beres Hammond
• Award for Spiritual Service thru Music – Lutan Fyah
• Community Service Award – Ziggy Marley, U.R.G.E.
• Marcus Garvey Humanitarian Award – Shaggy
• Best Song in Tribute to Barack Obama – Cocoa Tea – “Barack Obama”

Special awards included:

• International Reggae & World Music Hall of Fame/Lifetime Inductee – Clive Hunt, King Short Shirt, Sweet Honey in the Rock
• Master of the Caribbean Award – Mighty Sparrow
• Martin’s International/Inter-Culture Award of Honor – Granville Straker
• Award for Contributions to Music, Arts & Culture – Hon. Olivia “Babsy” Grange
• Producer’s “Respect” Award – Usain Bolt
• Awards of Appreciation for Contributions to Music Industry – Owen Dalhouse, Brigadier Jerry, Road Int’l, Heavy D

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Nominees for IRAWMA awards include dancehall deejay Mavado, nods in eight categories, Beres Hammond and Elephant Man with seven nominations each, Etana and Queen Ifrica each grabbing five nods, and Mr. Vegas with four nominations. Other nominees include Shaggy, Machel Montano, Morgan Heritage, Duane Stephenson, Damian Marley, Stephen Marley, Ziggy Marley, Wyclef Jean, Serani, Jazmine Sullivan, Luciano, Tony Rebel, Tarrus Riley and Stitchie, among others.

The full list of International Reggae and World Music Awards nominees and categories includes:

The event will include live musical performances by nominees Etana and Queen Ifrica, joined by Beenie Man, Cocoa Tea, Mighty Sparrow, Alison Hinds, Tarrus Riley, Dean Fraser, Calypso Rose, Tony Rebel, Gramps Morgan, Lt. Stitchie, Awilo-Soukous Band, Barbee, Mutabaruka, D’Angel, Duane Stephenson, Machel Mantano, Mutabaruka, Allison Hinds, and poet Malachi.

“We are very pleased with the response we are now receiving from the Caribbean and the rest of the world, and the respect that IRAWMA has been getting,” states Ephraim Martin, President of Martin’s International and Associates. “When we think back 28 years ago, there was no form of recognition for reggae or world music entertainers. Today, from all corners of the globe, world beat
music entertainers now have their special awards to look forward to each year.”

The 28th IRAWMA is now the talk of the town in and around New York and the Caribbean, as media, entertainers and fans from far and near are making preparations to be a part of the glamour and excitement, and to walk the red carpet on Sunday May 3rd at York College Performing Arts Center, in Jamaica, Queens, New York.

Visit www.irawma.com for more inforamtion.

American Airlines, which has served the Caribbean region for 38 years, is again the official airline sponsor of the prestigious made for television 28th Annual International Reggae and World Music Awards (IRAWMA), which is produced by Martin’s International & Associates, LLC.

Tickets for this grand gala celebration of world and reggae music are now on sale at all Ticketmaster locations, www.ticketmaster.com or 800/745-3000; also from IRAWMA 877/9-REGGAE and the York College Performing Arts Center box office 718/262-2840. Advance VIP tickets are $150 and general admission tickets $75 (more at the door). Tickets are also available at selected sponsors’ locations.

The official hotels are the JFK-Hampton Inn Hotel and JFK-RAMADA Plaza Hotel. You must mention “Reggae Awards” to get the special rate. Of course, American Airlines has returned as the official carrier. Please contact American Airlines at 800/433-7300 or visit www.aa.com.

The sponsors for this coveted event include: American Airlines- Official Airline Sponsor, American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA), Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), Coca Cola, Western Union, Carib News, Irie Jam Media, Inc, LinkUp Media, Inc, JAMROCK Magazine, Inc, Carib News, TriFold Graphics and Printing, LLC, Sam’s Caribbean Market Place/Sams24-7.com, Dennis Shipping, Transcontinental Shippers, CVM TV, Keeling Records, DJ Steve’s Tax Services, Street Hype Newspaper, AVAGROW.COM, ONE CARIBBEAN RADIO 740 AM WNYH & ONECARIBBEANRADIO.COM, Blue Print The Magazine/Metric Bar & Grill, Dalhouse Production, Uptown Juice Bar, Drive Time Radio, Bennett Limousine/Bridal and Wiltshire Limousine.

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