Burro Banton

Burro Banton (born Donovan Spalding, 27 December 1956 in Kingston, Jamaica) is a dancehall reggae deejay popular in the mid-1980s and 1990s.

Burro emerged during the mid-1980s at the beginning of the digital dancehall craze started by King Jammy, which also featured artists like Cutty Ranks. He is known for his very aggressive style, deep, gruff voice, and was the inspiration for many modern dancehall artists like Buju Banton, Bounty Killer, and Elephant Man.

Biography

Banton's first recording was with the legendary producer Henry "Junjo" Lawes, owner of the Volcano sound system. Banton released his first LP, Buro, in 1983. In 1984, he toured Canada with John Wayne and began to nurture the career of his protégé, Little Burro.

Massive B released Burro's second LP, The Original Banton, in 1995. Burro continued recording with Massive B until 1998 and during this period worked with Steely and Clevie, one of Jamaica's most respected production teams, for whom he reworked his earlier hit "Boom Wah Dis" on their "Street Sweeper" riddim, scoring another #1 hit from Kingston, Jamaica, to New York to Miami and beyond. It was in heavy rotation around the world for many months in reggae and Caribbean music circles.

2000 and Beyond

Burro Banton has been touring constantly over the last ten years across Asia, Europe, and throughout North America. He has shared the stage with Capleton and Bounty Killer, just to name a few, and stands out in his performances due to his originality.

Burro Banton continues to record commercially successful and critically acclaimed music, including his hit song Badder Den Dem, which is featured on the dedicated Massive B radio station in the video game Grand Theft Auto IV.