If you are looking for rhythm that is contemporary and engaging, yet undistracted by crossover moves, then you have to listen to Burna Boy.
The enterprising Nigerian musician and songwriter has mastered his sound and craft in less than a decade in the music scene.
He has won himself huge fans across the world who appreciate his lyrics, stage performance, style and personality.
While many musicians of his time would claim a particular genre, Burna Boy prefers to combine many genres.
He describes his music as Afro-fusion, a genre that blends Afrobeat, dancehall, reggae, American rap and R&B.
So far, he has sustained the unique genre, delighting and wining more fans, and most importantly, rising to stardom faster than he had imagined, as well as, those who wanted him to follow popular genre.
But his persistency is paying off. Already, he has four great studio albums to his credit; L.I.F.E (2013), On a Spaceship (2015), Outside (2018) and African Giant (2019), which is his most successful album. In 2011, he had two mixtapes Burn Notice and
Burn Identity, as well as, two EPS; Redemption (2016) and Steal & Copper with DJDS (2019).
Today, Burna Boy, is no doubt, an outstanding African musician with influence across the global entertainment scene.
However, the Afro-fusion musician will not forget 2019 in a hurry because it was the most rewarding year in his music career so far. It was the year he released African Giant, his most successful album
For the many tours, great performances, accolades, and awards, Burna Boy deserved to be the Entertainment Personality of the Year 2019. He truly dominated the music scene last year, both at home and abroad.
From Cochela Festival in United States of America, Best International Act awards at the 2019 BET Awards, to Best African Act at the MTV EMA Awards and chart topping songs in Nigeria and Africa, no Nigerian, nay African musicianship came a close to Burna Boy in 2019.
Interestingly, 2019 witnessed Burna Boy’s nomination in the Best World Album award category for the 62nd Grammy Awards.
Credit goes to African Giant, his latest album, which won him the nomination alongside a host of music heavyweights in the Best World Album category, which is mainly for albums containing at least 51 percent playing time of new vocal or instrumental world music recordings.
That nomination alone made ‘African Giant’ his most successful album.
He also made history by following in the footsteps of Seun Kuti, Femi Kuti and King Sunny Ade in getting nominated for that category at the Grammy Awards.
Recalling his days of little beginning, Burna Boy, who was born as Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, traces his rise to prominence to “Like to Party”, the lead single from his debut studio album L.I.F.E (2013).
Since then, it has been from one successful album to another, amid local and international tours and performances, collaborations and many awards to his credit.
He also traces his passion for music to his family. Benson Idonije, his grandfather, once managed Fela Kuti, the late Afrobeat legend, amid numerous feats during his active years in the Nigerian entertainment industry.
As the new decade opens, Burna Boy hopes to delight his growing global fans with more exciting sounds, enthralling stage performances and more tours.
For him, his career is just beginning because there are many grounds to conquer; the Grammy has to be won someday.
