Nigerian sensation Burna boy

He wasn’t one of the elite Nigerian artistes who are readily known at home and abroad. So when he did break into that circle – his success was all the more sweet.

Those who knew how he worked his way into his first major commercial hit are quick to speak of him as a bomb, who had been ‘around’ long enough to command respect, and that it would be expressly wrong to describe him as novice.

Burna Boy joins the list of a new crop of Nigerian artistes, making things happen. In the nightclubs and on rural-urban radio, they gain heavy rotation, and are readily snapped up for endorsement deals by multinationals – even with just one hit single.

Part of the new wave of alternative Nigerian music, which necessarily doesn’t have to be Afrobeats-rich to sell or juju-laced to achieve platinum sales, the industry has opened its arms widely to the new order.

Burna Boy, like the many other Nigerian musicians trying to do good music, have found just what makes a nationwide hit; music that speaks to the soul.

There is a link to Fela Kuti, his grandfather Benson Idons managed the celebrated musician at one point in the former’s high-flying career. And even though he’s suffered criticism from a cross section of the Nigerian public for trying to ride on his grandfather’s affiliation with the icon, he has decided not to pay attention to the doom mongers, and occasionally bandies it around.

This year, during the Felabration Festival in the West African country, he again sought to feed on the image of his grandfather’s connection, and some of the stage theatrics drew comparisons to the Fela style. The ‘stunt’ backfired somewhat – as it was coldly written off as being naïve and uniformed by no less a person than one of the sons of the legendary musician.

He’s since moved on. Life is still good. He is playing nationwide shows, and has been performing in some other African countries, too. In the last few months he also signed an endorsement deal with the telecom giant GLO.

The tale of how he had to relocate to Nigeria from London, and experiment his way to the top also comes for commendation. Burna boy is a talented artiste. He handles the dancehall and reggae genres in a style akin to what you would hear from Shabba, Shaggy or Sean Paul.

His depth of artistic delivery, albeit linked to how well of a roots-music student he is, is rich. In interviews, he’s admitted to being a sucker for roots music – and that is evidently seen on Like to Party, his most successful composition to date.

At 22, he keeps going at an impressive speed. He has released new singles off his L.I.F.E album, and fans have said they look likely to go platinum.

Currently enjoying some fair rotation is Yawa Dey, the slightly mid-tempo effort. A purely street anthem with subtle slices of Afrobeats, it may or may not yank off Like to Partyfrom that all-time spot.

The coming years should be fun for him, as he matures in age and craft. For a young man who just went past the twentieth curve, he’s done well so far.