Es difícil empezar a hablar de un género que no manejo mucho, generalmente me siento más cómodo hablando de otra música, pero no puedo evitar comentar esta canción, más que mal, el reggae es como la versión negra del punk (bueno, quizás es una mala analogía, pero para este caso sirve).

Presentados a mi por Rancid, típica historia: nacido en un barrio pobre, gordito y molestado por sus compañeros, Mark Anthony Myrie decide empezar una carrera como Buju Banton, combinación entre la actitud resiliente de su vida, y su sobrenombre de pequeño, cuento corto, nace un “crá”.

Sin embargo no todo es admirable en la vida de Buju Banton, embalado en sus creencias Rastafaris, se basó para escribir canciones homofóbicas, y como aquí no admiramos a los que discriminan, 10 puntos menos para Buju Banton. Sin embargo, me he querido quedar con los aspectos positivos de su música, y en ese contexto les traigo esta canción. ‘Til I’m Laid To Rest se presenta como la primera canción del tercer disco ‘Til Shiloh y nos habla de la forma en como se admiran las cosas equivocadas en occidente, y como el continente negro no es pobre mas que en dinero, porque su cultura es rica en espiritualidad, rica como la música de ésta canción, con ritmos asincopados, lirica sublime y coros armónicos. Como dice el maestro: Listen to Buju!

‘Til I’m Laid To Rest – Buju Banton
[audio:til_im_laid_to_rest.mp3]

Letra

‘Til I’m laid to rest
Always be depressed
There’s no life in the West
i know the East is the best
All the propaganda they spread
Tongues will have to confess

I’m in bondage living is a mess
I’ve got to rise up alleviate the stress
No longer will I expose my weakness
He who seeks knowledge begins with humbleness
Work 7 to 7 but I’m still penniless
All the food upon my table Massa God bless
Holler for the needy and shelterless
Ethiopia awaits all prince and princess

‘Til I’m laid to rest
Always be depressed
There’s no life in the West
i know the East is the best
All the propaganda they spread
Tongues will have to confess

What coube so bad about the East
Everybody wants a piece
Africa for Africans
Marcus Mosiah speak
Unification outnumbers defeat
What a day when we walk down Redemption Street
Banner on heads bible inna we hands
One and all lets trod the promised land
Buju go down a Congo
Stopped in Shashamane Land
The city of Harare where Selassie com from
In Addis Ababa then Batswana
Left Kenya end up in Ghana
Oh what a beauty my eyesight behold
Only Ethiopia protect me from the cold

‘Til I’m laid to rest
Always be depressed
There’s no life in the West
i know the East is the best
All the propaganda they spread
Tongues will have to confess

Organize and centralize come as one
Our seeds shall be so many more than sand
Some new and replenish pure and clean heart
For too long we’ve been under this band
Some a save a bag a riches
Yet they die empty hand
Go on saying I’m stupid and laugh all you can
Easier for a caller to go through a needle eye
Than a rich man to enter a Zion
Take it from I man
So

‘Til I’m laid to rest
Always be depressed
There’s no life in the West
i know the East is the best
All the propaganda they spread
Tongues will have to confess

I’m in bondage living is a mess
I’ve got to rise up alleviate the stress
No longer will I expose my weakness
He who seeks knowledge begins with humbleness
Work 7 to 7 but I’m still penniless
All the food upon my table Massa God bless
Holler for the needy and shelterless
Ethiopia awaits all prince and princess

‘Til I’m laid to rest
Always be depressed
There’s no life in the West
i know the East is the best
All the propaganda they spread
Tongues will have to confess

What coube so bad about the East
Everybody wants a piece
Africa for Africans
Marcus Mosiah speak
Unification outnumbers defeat
What a day when we walk down Redemption Street
Banner on heads bible inna we hands
One and all lets trod the promised land
Buju go down a Congo
Stopped in Shashamane Land
The city of Harare where Selassie com from
In Addis Ababa then Batswana
Left Kenya end up in Ghana
Oh what a beauty my eyesight behold
Only Ethiopia protect me from the cold

‘Til I’m laid to rest
Always be depressed
There’s no life in the West
i know the East is the best
All the propaganda they spread
Tongues will have to confess

Organize and centralize come as one