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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Reggae On The Hill will take place in Barbados’ Farley Hill National Park from 11am until 8pm. General admission tickets are on sale for BSD $80 and VIP tickets are also available for BSD $200. The VIP tickets include free food and drinks. You can win free tickets to the 2009 Barbados Reggae Festival from Digicel by becoming their friend on Facebook.

In addition to Beenie Man and dancehall reggae vocalist Buju Banton, confirmed acts include:

• International superstar roots reggae band Morgan Heritage
• Koshens
• Dwayne Stephenson
• Queen Ifrica
• Live Wyah
• Zion Trybe
• KDB
• Buggy
• Red Star Lion
• Ayanna John
• LRG
• Ras Ali
• Hotta Flames
• Foresight
• Peter Coppin & Monstapiece
• Lil Rick
• DMZ
• Jon Doe & Mikey Dredd
• Verseewild
• and local celebrities Trinbagonian Positive

This year’s event promises to be as big as the 2008 Barbados Reggae on the Hill festival.

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Rasta Got Soul‘s release date is scheduled to coincide with the 43rd anniversary Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie‘s 1966 visit to Jamaica.

In a continuation of his evolution from his early dancehall recordings, Buju Banton is using the 15 roots reggae music tracks in Rasta Got Soul as an opportunity to meld his famous vocal abilities with positive Rastafarian messages and roots reggae rhythms from a backing band hand-picked from Jamaica’s finest reggae musicians.

Buju Banton became an international dancehall music superstar with his earlier releases that emphasized digital beats and prerecorded dancehall riddims. In the early 1990s, his hits Bogle, Love Me Browning, and Love Black Woman were all hits at home in Jamaica and abroad. In the mid-1990′s, after the violent deaths of his friends and fellow deejays Pan Head, Dirtsman, and Garnett Silk, Buju Banton began releasing “conscious dancehall,” including the hit Murderer, an anti-violence anthem that led many clubs to reconsider the violent lyrics that were common in dancehall music and inspiring artists like Capleton deliver conscious rasta messages.

Buju Banton then joined the Rastafari movement alongside other conscious deejays including Tony Rebel, Papa San, and General Degree, forming the Yardcore Collective. His 1995 release of ‘Til Shiloh continued his movement away from dancehall music with the use of a studio band in place of synthesized riddims, though the sound was still pure dancehall. His 2000 Unchained Spirit album blended dancehall reggae toasting with other musical genres, including collaborations with Stephen Marley, fellow ragga artiste Luciano, reggae band Morgan Heritage and punk rock stars Rancid, but public reception wasn’t as strong as his previous releases, particularly his genre-blending hit Untold Stories.

After a return to mainstream dancehall sounds with 2006′s Too Bad, Buju Banton is continuing his roots reggae explorations with Rasta Got Soul. “Roots is the foundation,” he explained “The computer stuff gets monotonous; every third production you can hear some similarity, as opposed to when you listen to something live there is always something different.” With the new release, “Rasta Got Soul features nothing but soul shifting, uplifting reggae, to inspire, to thrill, to light an inner fire, to be glorified and rejuvenated; I just want to recreate that vibe when reggae music would speak to everyone,” Buju stated.

Early singles from Rasta Got Soul include Magic City, the ska-infused A Little Bit Of Sorry, and the uplifting I Rise and Optimistic Soul. The album also features a guest appearance by Wyclef Jean in Bedtime Story, which addresses the Iraqi war. All of the tracks demonstrate his awareness of the teachings of Marcus Garvey.

Buju Banton was born Mark Anthony Myrie in Kingston, Jamaica. He began his career in 1985, at the age of 12, when he toasted for local sound systems as Gargamel. His career hit an early high note in 1992 when he outsold Bob Marley’s record for the most chart-topping reggae singles in 1 year, with hits including Woman fi Sex and a rerelease of Boom Bye Bye. The latter single, which calls for the death of homosexuals, let to public outrage around the world and caused the WOMAD festival to remove him from their lineup. Buju Banton subsequently delivered a public apology, and in 2007 signed the Reggae Compassionate Act though he later denied signing the document.

Buju Banton’s early involvement with murder music and the surrounding controversy often overshadow his conversion to Rastafari and later work that revolutionized dancehall reggae music with the inclusion of conscious lyrics. Dancehall singles such as Willy (Don’t Be Silly), which promotes safe sex and his 2003 release of Friends for Life which blends roots reggae with hip hop, R&B, and pop, demonstrate that Buju Banton is a gifted musician who will continue to challenge his audiences politically and aesthetically for years to come.

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1. Buju Banton mistrial, new trial in December Rastafarian reggae singer Buju Banton‘s trial ended in a mistrial...
2. Buju Banton still waiting for drug trial verdict After earlier false reports that he had been acquitted, Jamaican...
3. Buju Banton cocaine defense lawyer claims entrapment Grammy-nominated dancehall superstar Buju Banton, recently arrested in a cocaine...