By Matt Simonette

Staff writer

Reggae singer Buju Banton performed as scheduled July 4 at the African/Caribbean Festival of Life in Washington Park.

The concert engendered controversy last month when local GLBT activists objected to Banton's performance. One of Banton's songs, "Boom Bye Bye," explicitly details the murder of gay men and was allegedly chanted when a gay man was murdered in Banton's native Jamaica.

The singer has also spoken out against homosexuality and was alleged to have been involved in a gay bashing in Jamaica. Banton was acquitted of the charges.

Rev. Deborah Lake, of Sankofa Way Spiritual Services, had said that the concert would be met with protestors unless Banton's performance was cancelled or the singer publicly apologized for his homophobic remarks.

A number of organizations listed as sponsors of the festival, including NBC 5, University of Chicago and the Chicago Park District, either pulled their sponsorship or publicly stated that they had never been sponsors.

In the end, no protest was held, though Banton issued no apology. "(A protest) was counter to the collaboration we had developed with the concert's promoter," Lake said.

Ephraim Martin, chairman and president of Martin's Inter-Culture, Ltd., organizers of the concert, had ultimately worked closely with Lake and was concerned that nobody be offended by the concert.

"Mr. Martin has been really educated about this," Lake said.

Banton did not sing "Boom Bye Bye" or mention gays, according to Lake, but at one point, a DJ played "Boom Bye Bye" and the crowd began to chant along with the lyrics.

"We have to look at this in stages," she said. "At least (Banton himself) did not use any of the language of hate. That's a big deal."

Lake wasn't completely satisfied with the results of the controversy, but said that it had energized Sankofa Way, adding that the organization would continue to speak out against violence and hate language, which hits her close to home.

"As a minister, I sit with people living with the fallout of hate language. I minister to the hurt," she said.

For information on Sankofa Way Spiritual Services, call (773) 624-5669 or visit www.sankofaway.org.