Spirituality in Buju's music begins early

While Buju Banton's Til Shiloh album is noted for its content of a spiritual nature (although it also contains the ode to the champion woman), spirituality in the deejay's music did not start with the 1995 set. Two previous tracks were centred around matters of faith, with Good God Of My Salvation, a prayer and Massa God Worl' A Run, a commentary on the state of the world which belongs to the Almighty.

In Good God Of My Salvation, Buju asks:

"Good God of my salvation

Shine your light upon dis ya generation

Almighty God, ruler of creation

Wipe away all sins and all we have done wrong"

He references the Bible directly, with "he that loveth not knoweth not God, for my God is love". And Buju speaks to a cleansing power ("I want you wash and purge the land"), as well as pleas for a clean slate ("wipe way transgression and everything we do").

In Massa God Worl' A Run, Buju Banton asks:

"Smaddy please tell me now, how Maasa God worl' a run

Put de war a back an praise God yah me son

Tell me nuh, how Puppa Jeezas worl' a run

Mek we come together for the father soon come"

And he goes on to address inequalities:

"Where food is concerned there is a problem

Woman cyaah fin' food fe gi de children

While the rich man have the chicken back a feed de dog dem ..."

There are other Buju Banton tracks which draw heavily on the Bible, notably Psalm 23 which he does with Gramps Morgan. He also does Sweet Hour Of Prayer with Morgan. And much in the vein of 'Til Shiloh, Buju Banton does a few lines of the Lord's prayer in fantastic a capella fashion.

And, attributing his safety and endurance to a higher power, Buju sings on Close One Yesterday:

"I had a close one yesterday

Jah put an angel over me

Be strong

Hol' a firm meditation

One day things must get better ... ."

- M.C.