Singer who incites murdering Gays comes to San Jose, CA

[keepCAblue]

I put together a quick and dirty webpage with Troy May's email alert side by side with contact info for the Voodoo Lounge. Even if you don't live in San Jose, or in California, or in the United States...CALL, FAX and EMAIL Voodoo Lounge to lodge your protest and demand they cancel this Hitleresque "entertainer's" performance!

Webpage URL: http://mizzjesse.com/html/ban_buju_banton.htm

Entertainer Who Advocates That Gays Should be Murdered Comes to San Jose

By Troy May
Editor, OutNowMag.com
Friday, October 9, 2009

VooDoo Lounge in San Jose welcomes reggae singer who has been banned across the United States for his songs that call for gay people to be murdered.
Buju Banton, a notorious anti-gay reggae singer from Jamaica, has lyrics in his songs that advocate to "pour acid" on gays then shoot them in the head. When Banton announced his U.S. tour, gay communities across the country jumped into action to get the concerts canceled.
The L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center convinced Sunset Entertainment Group this week to cancel Banton's concerts in Hollywood. Other cities where the gay community was able to get his concerts canceled include Orlando, Tampa, Salt Lake City, Cincinnati, Columbus, San Francisco and Detroit.
Now he is scheduled to sing at the VooDoo Lounge in downtown San Jose on james Oct. 13th, one day after the anniversary of Matthew Sheppard's murder for simply being gay.
Banton was recently videotaped saying, "there is no end to the war between me and faggots."
"What else is upsetting is that the gay community has to stand up against this guy," said Thomas Soule, spokesman for the LA. Gay & Lesbian Center. "If he was advocating the murder for another minority, people would be protesting in the streets against this guy."
Through his music, Banton promotes a culture of violence against gay people. In his most notorious song "Boom, Bye Bye," Banton sings that "faggots get up and run" when he comes, that "they have to die," and that he will shoot them in the head or "burn them up bad."
Banton's music has helped foster such an anti-gay culture in his home country of Jamaica -- where several prominent gay activists have been murdered -- that Time magazine recently asked: "Is Jamaica the most homophobic place on Earth?"
Officials from the L.A. Center called the venue owners to convince them to cancel Banton's performances, but they made excuses saying they don't know the details about all the singers and bands that are scheduled, said Soule.
No action was taken to cancel the concerts until press release was sent out and reporters from the L.A. Times and N.Y. Times called the venues.
OutNow called VooDoo Lounge for comment multiple times, but kept getting the recording announcing Banton's performance next week. We then sent emails to everyone listed on the website and still no response. Eventually we reached a woman called Lora Lipman (408.250.1407), the events coordinator for VooDoo Lounge.
Lipman said she was aware of the controversy surrounding Banton, but didn't want to answer questions until she spoke with the owners. She took our number and said she'd call back by the end of Thursday, Oct. 8, but we never heard from her.
StreetLight Records in San Jose sales tickets for VooDoo Lounge events, but they were not listed for Banton's concert. We called StreetLight and the guy that answered the phone said they aren't selling tickets for Banton because of the controversy, but he didn't want to answer questions or give his name.
Soule said the L.A. community was prepared to protest the venue where he was scheduled to play, but they were able to convince the venue to cancel the concert and spare everyone the pain of Banton's message.
Cities across the country have stood up and refused to allow someone to preach and advocate hate in their community. Will our community allow him to spread his message to murder gays in San Jose?

[mike_c]

1. guess that was Buju's next stop after Eureka...

...where his date was resoundingly canceled after public objection, I'm happy to say.

[keepCAblue]

2. Hooray for Eureka! Now to stop him here, in San Jose...n/t

[Sapphocrat]

4. Do you know if anyone is organizing a protest yet? n/t

[Smarmie Doofus]

3. "Shucks...and I left my autograph book at the cleaners."

Edit to add: BTW...That's a line from a movie. Don't mean to make light of Banju... whatever his name is.

[keepCAblue]

8. Margo Channing in All About Eve...n/t

[Sapphocrat]

5. VooDoo Lounge contact info

Writing my email as soon as I gather my thoughts;

VooDoo Lounge
14 South Second Street
San Jose, CA 95113
408.286.8636 phone
408.286.8641 fax

Matt Crudo
General Manager
[e-mail]

Anthony Hall
Manager
[e-mail]

Lauren Harber
Event Coordinator
[e-mail]

Bookings

Matt Crudo
[e-mail]

Anthony Hall
[e-mail]

Tickets
http://ticketweb.com

My Space
http://myspace.com/voodooloungesj

Parking
http://sjdowntownparking.com

[Starry Messenger]

6. I just sent an email.

Thanks for the heads up. I'm kind of shocked he got any bookings out here. Shame on the VooDoo. I sent them this link, too: http://www.ukgaynews.org.uk/Archive/09/Oct/0701.htm

[keepCAblue]

7. Rumor that Buju's SJ appearance has been cancelled...

Someone on Facebook posted that Buju's appearance at the Voodoo Lounge has been cancelled, but I've not yet found anything that confirms this. Voodoo Lounge still has Buju listed on their website for the Oct. 13th performance.

I sent Troy's email to many staffers at the San Jose Mercury News asking for their help in bringing the necessary bad publicity to Buju and the Voodoo Lounge, then sent a copy of that to staffers of the Voodoo Lounge, imploring them to cancel Buju, else be prepared for a protest in front of their club.

My spouse also wrote an email to the Voodoo Lounge staffers and copied that to local public officials (county supervisor and city council member, as well as the Mercury News).

Perhaps Voodoo finally "got it" and cancelled. Hope so...I'll believe when I see it either on their website or in the form of a press release from Voodoo Lounge powers-that-be.

[Sapphocrat]

11. GOOD NEWS: CANCELED!

I just phoned the VooDoo Lounge and had a nice chat with a fellow named Anthony. As soon as I asked if Banton was still on for the 13th or had been canceled, he said, immediately, "Oh, yeah, we canceled him!" He explained that no one at VooDoo realized what Banton (or murder music) was all about, nor the history of the Jamaican dancehall war on gays, nor how badly his appearance would upset so many people. Thanks to a lot of emails pouring in, they do now -- and they were shocked by everything they read.

Plus: They not only canceled Banton, but, Anthony says, they've been spurred to hold a LGBT fundraiser "in the near future."

w00t! :bounce:

[keepCAblue]

12. beautiful!!! Thanks for sharing that. :-) n/t

[keepCAblue]

9. Cancellation confirmed. Statement from the Voodoo Lounge--->

Voodoo Lounge Cancels Performance by Buju Banton

San Jose, CA—Voodoo Lounge announced today that it has canceled the Tuesday,
October 13, 2009 performance of reggae act Buju Banton. “After reviewing Buju
Banton’s lyrics, I was appalled by their sheer hatred and encouragement of violence
towards the gay, lesbian and transgender community,” stated David Powell, co-owner of
Voodoo Lounge. “There is no place for these types of incendiary remarks at Voodoo
Lounge or in San Jose.”

“We sincerely apologize to the members of the gay, lesbian and transgender community
for any pain the scheduling of this performance has caused. Our ownership team did not
know the content of Banton’s lyrics. If we had known, we would not have scheduled this
performance.” Powell continued.

“Voodoo Lounge remains committed to providing a fun, lively music experience for San
Jose’s diverse community,” Powell stated.
###

sorry, don't have a link as yet..

[noiretextatique]

10. great...excellent news!!! not just jamaica though

homophobia is also a problem in certain parts of africa, particularly for lesbians. several women have been raped and murdered.

[mitchtv]

18. Can't forget Caymans and English speaking

Caribbean too. Hell they real bad in Senegal too. Uganda, bad Poland - Belarus, places where religin is still influencial

[Starry Messenger]

13. Excellent.

:thumbsup:

[donco6]

16. Fabulous! They deserve thanks.

Anyone can make a mistake, but to own up to it and make it right takes courage.

[onevoice72]

22. Not so noble

I think it's great they finally canceled and appreciate that, but owning up to and rectifying a mistake is different then trying to get away with it and, upon realizing that you can't, releasing a widespread statement to every news agency and gay organization and claim that you are staunch supporter of gay rights and that you were shocked and canceled immediately, without any consideration of financial loss.
That statement is untrue and paints Voodoo as an unsuspecting victim, when the truth is that they knew. They knew more than a month before canceling and consistently replied to concerned callers that they were aware of the controversy but would not cancel because it made good business sense. They canceled 2 days before the show, when the pressure really intensified.

Again, I'm not hating and I do think the act of canceling was admirable in itself. But it's a little disheartening to someone play the naive card, disingenuously declare fervent support for a group they were ready to sell out the night before and and not only get away with it, but receive admiration and praise, as a result.

Please, read the following posts (prior to the cancellation)for examples:

http://cancelbujubanton.wetpaint.com/thread/3353445/San+Jose+will+not+allow+the+encouragement+of+violence

http://www.yelp.com/biz/voodoo-lounge-san-jose#hrid:yMxUHmihyWeB-0E2og83mA

Look for posts by Shaolin to read relevant info
http://www.snwmf.com/phorum/read.php?f=1&i=230170&t=230170

[EFerrari]

20. Good!

[keepCAblue]

14. Buju performs tomorrow, 10/10, 8pm in Berkeley

http://www.shattuckdownlow.com/htmlsite/index.htm

Buju Banton, who sings about shooting gays in the head and burning them
with acid, is performing LIVE tomorrow night, 8 pm, Oct. 10th, at the
Shattuck Down Low in Berkeley. Please, DU friends, spread the word. We
stopped him in San Jose, now let's go get Berkeley! See the Down Low
(LMFAO!) contact below:

Booking and Publicity Contact - Candida Martinez
Spread Love Media
415.505.5559 Direct
Email - [e-mail]
Address -
Shattuck Down Low
2284 Shattuck Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94704
Phone/Event Information- [phone]
Fax #: [phone]

BTW, FB'ers on Buju's FB page are calling us "bedwetters"

P.S., his shows in Eureka (11th), San Fran (12th), San Jose (13th) and L.A. (15th) have all been canceled. Don't know about Santa Rosa on the 14th or Solana Beach on the 17th. It'd be nice to make this a clean sweep and boot Buju out of Cali with ALL his shows cancelled!

[Starry Messenger]

15. Thank you.

Another email sent. Where is he booked for Santa Rosa and Solano Beach? I'll be happy to send more notes. Great thread. :thumbsup: I like to keep our state as a-hole free as possible.

[keepCAblue]

17. Santa Rosa and Solana Beach info

10-14 Santa Rosa, CA

CANCEL BUJU BANTON "RASTA GOT HATE" TOUR 2009

10/14/2009 9:00 PM at The big bad BUJU BANTON live in concert
3345 Santa Rosa Ave, Santa Rosa, California 95407
Cost: $25.00

The Casbar
3345 Santa Rosa Ave., Santa Rosa, CA, 95401
[phone]

http://www.myspace.com/casbarontheave

More details at:

http://cancelbujubanton.wetpaint.com/page/10-14+Santa+Rosa%2C+CA

###############################

Sat, Oct 17th, Solana Beach, CA

Buju Banton

http://www.bellyup.com/
Belly Up Tavern, 143 S. Cedros Ave, Solana Beach, CA 92075

858.481.8040

Contact
Talent Buyer and Local Booking
[e-mail]
Production
[e-mail]
Martin Greaves
Marketing / Hospitality
Meryl Klemow
858 481 8771
[e-mail]
Marketing / Promotions / Special Events
Beth Bennett
[phone]
[e-mail]

Note: The LGBT community in San Diego has been imploring Steve Goldberg and Phil Berkovitz, owners of the Belly Up Tavern, since early September to cancel Buju Banton's appearance...and they have steadfastly refused, citing Banton's signing of the Reggae Compassionate Act in 2007 as proof of Banton's "redemption"--ignoring the evidence of Banton's insincerity as well as his prior arrest for his role in the gay-bashing of six people in Jamaica:

The prosecution alleged that Banton was one of a group of men who forced their way into a house on Carlisle Avenue in Kingston on June 24 2004 and beat six men who they accused of being gay.

A whole lot more info at:

http://cancelbujubanton.wetpaint.com/page/10-17+Solana+Beach%2C+CA+%28San+Diego%29

[keepCAblue]

19. Berkeley venue manager (Shattuck Down Low) DEFENDS Buju...

I find this so insulting:
http://www.webmesa.com/o12calpro/default.asp?date=10/10/2009

Read this BS pile of excuses from the Shattuck Down Low's spokesperson, Daniel "Angel Magik", and tell me he isn't trying to make Buju out to be an innocent victim here. And isn't it convenient how Angel FAILS to mention Buju's continuing violations of the Reggae Compassionate Act (RCA), including repeatedly singing his gay-bashing anthem, "Boom Bye Bye," in numerous instances AFTER having signed the RCA and promising the LGBTs he would "never" sing it again (reference: http://www.ukgaynews.org.uk/Archive/09/Oct/0701.htm). Also glaringly absent from Angel's apologist statement is mention of Buju's role in the 2004 home invasion for the sole purpose of gay bashing six gay men in Jamaica. The attack was so violent, one of the victims lost an eye. Buju never served time for this crime in spite of his arrest in 2005. The judge who was to preside over the trial dropped the case for "lack of evidence" and Buju walked. In dismissing the case, the judge slapped Buju Banton on the wrist with by warning him to "avoid violence and "seek legal recourses" when he has complaints against gays in the future." It should be noted that Time magazine dubbed Jamaica the "Most Homophobic Place on Earth" in a 2006 article in which Buju Banton figured prominently, along with the characterization of Jamaican law enforcement, courts and politicians as approving of gay bashing, even complicit in some cases (reference: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1182991,00.html). So it is not unusual for evidence in gay bashing cases to either be overlooked or lost altogether within the Jamaican criminal system, similar to how racially-motivated crimes against blacks were dealt with in America's deep South prior to the civil rights movement.

As a lesbian, I find Angel Majik's statement to be completely lacking in facts and insulting to the LGBT community. I hope all here on DU and Facebook will join with me in voicing our objections and outrage to Daniel "Angel Majik" by calling him at [phone], faxing him at [phone] AND emailing him at [e-mail]. Finally, if you are in the East Bay/Berkeley area, please show up with protest signs in hand at Buju Banton's performance tonight, 7 pm, at the Shattuck Down Low:

Shattuck Down Low
2284 Shattuck Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94704

Finally, here is a photo of one of Buju's fans, who posted this photo along with the comment, "Boom Bye Bye" on one of Buju's Facebook pages:




7:00 PM Angel Magik early show 7:30pm doors 9pm show
I’m sorry that you feel this way about the Buju Banton show. I have no intention in disrespecting the LGBT community and feel bad that the show has been received this way. I have gotten a lot of emails about the event, and would like a chance to clear up some misconceptions. First of all, Shattuck Down Low does not support intolerance towards any group of people. Years ago, Buju Banton met with LGBT leaders and signed a declaration that he would never perform his song Boom Bye Bye, the song that is cause for so much debate, in the United States. In fact, all the songs Banton will be performing are about love, respect, and spirituality. I don’t want to defend Banton for writing Boom Bye Bye (as it is an inexcusable homophobic song) but I would like to explain why I don’t believe this song reflects his overall music career. Banton wrote the song over 20 years ago at the age of 15, living in a poor country that had preposterous colonial laws, such as making it illegal for anyone to partake in homosexual relationships. As Banton grew up and pulled himself out of his poverty stricken neighborhood, he became a devout Rastafarian and focused his career on producing songs that promote political consciousness. I understand that homophobia is a big problem in the world today and I want to reassure you that the people who attend Buju Banton’s show are conscious, roots reggae music lovers who practice tolerance, peace and unity. That said, I believe that education is the key to ending ignorance, bigotry, and violence against any community. I would like to invite LGBT organizations to the show to set up a booth and pass out literature. (If interested please contact us at [e-mail].) In addition, all door profits that the venue receives will be donated to Community United Against Violence (CUAV). Again, I would like to apologize for all the frustration and anger Buju Banton’s show has caused the LGBT community. If you have anymore questions or concerns, please let me know and I will try to address them. Sincerely, Daniel “Angel Magik” Presents Eight Year Anniversary Celebraton! Buju Banton & Til Shiloh Band special live performance! DJ's Fuze & Young Fyah soca, dancehall, hip hop Doors 7pm, $35 ADV Tickets available at ticketweb.com

[RetiredTrotskyite]

21. Good Work, Guys!

It's great to hear that this thug has had his concerts cancelled in various venues. WHY is it OK to have people advocate the murder of gay people? I'm also proud of the cities that have taken this stand AGAINST hate!

[sui generis]

23. Poor guy. Murder is the issue, not who ya murder.

But after that, this faggot would drop you in a half a heartbeat if he ever met you in person. Keep your big sweaty shiny bodyguards around you at all times and keep looking over your shoulder, mostly so you can see who's giving you that reacharound.

And get the fuck out of America.

[jonnyblitz]

24. who ya murder IS the issue if "who" is a specifically targetted

group.

[sui generis]

25. disagree.

Murder is the issue. Hate adds color, so to speak, to the crime, but are we saying it's okay for anyone to sing about putting a cap in someone's head and setting them on fire so long as it isn't a protected minority or a hate crime? that's not my standard, and I am a radical bash-the-gay-bashers "faggot", myself.

I get it, but we don't want to only pull the rope halfway up. The guy is evil, and stupid. And murder is what it is, not matter how you justify it, or glorify it in song.

The guy wants a war, we give him a war - but we'll invite more people to our side by pointing out they're talking about murder, period, and just using gays as their feeble excuse.