X Factor Winner Dalton Harris Laments That Buju Banton Got A Warmer Welcome On Return To Jamaica

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Buju Banton, Dalton Harris

Dalton Harris, the Jamaican artiste who won X Factor in 2018 and Digicel Rising Stars in 2010, believes that he got far less attention and love from the Jamaican people because of his perceived sexual persuasion.  He made the statement in comparison to other returning entertainers who won American accolades, and one entertainer, in particular, who was convicted for drugs.

Harris was speaking Live with New York-based songwriter and coach Autumn Rowe for a series called The Conversation and insinuated that Buju Banton was given a much warmer welcome than him.

Banton served seven years in a United States prison on drug charges before he was released and sent back to Jamaica in December 2018.

While Dalton did not say Buju’s name, his comments came on the eve of the release of the Gargamel’s new album Upside Down 2020.

“I remember when I went back home, I was hidden in the back of the airport, you know nobody came to greet me but they did for other people who won American things, and they also greeted a person that was convicted for drugs,” he said.

Security Minister, Horace Chang, confirmed to the Guardian, that the government could not roll out the red carpet for Buju, saying “We can’t give him a hero’s welcome. He committed a crime.”  That, however, did not curtail a massive crowd from assembling inside and outside Norman Manley International Airport to welcome the Driver singer home.

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Buju’s return in 2018

Culture Minister, Olivia “Babsy” Grange, said at the time, “There’s no getting over the fact that he was convicted, but Buju was loved long before he was convicted and he will be loved just the same, even if he comes home in handcuffs.”

The Voice winner Tessanne Chin said she was overwhelmed by the support she received when she returned to the island in 2013.  According to the Jamaica Observer, a press conference was held in honor of her return at the Kingston airport, where she thanked her family, coach Adam Levine, Sharon Burke, Shaggy, and the Jamaican people for their support.

Dalton added that he felt horrible by the reception he received. “You know, this is my Government. So I felt horrible,” he said.

In the interview, which you can watch in full below, Harris also opened up and claimed that he had no prospect for a career in Jamaica because of the anti-gay nature of the society.

He posted a synopsis of his opening statement on his Instagram page, which read: “We are either judging each other and killing each other because someone is GAY OR BLACK OR DIFFERENT OR A WOMAN OR AN IMMIGRANT and it is not just death by words and maltreatment.”

Dalton continued, “We are so creative in how we exercise hate, but we are so primitive when we stand in our fake pride, that makes us even begin to think as though we are something better and other than the next human being. I am about sick of it.”

“I stand for love and acceptance of all people everywhere. You cannot expect what you cannot give and how dare you even begin to believe that whatever privilege you have gives you any right over someone else’s life or right to live and be treated equally,” the singer said.

During the interview, he said that he wanted to stand up for people who he believes are being unfairly treated. While he did admit that he has good support in Jamaica, he said that “he was chastised widely by a large group of people because of the perception that I am gay.”

He added that it shouldn’t matter if he was gay or not because the type of hatred that he had to face was disturbing, including being on the receiving end of pictures of people with their heads cut off.

Dalton also described his experience trying to perform in Jamaica when a crowd became rowdy after his name was announced. He added many derogatory names were used.  The singer lamented that the perception of him being gay is the reason that he will never be booked for a show in Jamaica.