Burna Boy news Archives

Burna Boy says he will quit making music because…

Posted on September 13, 2023 by Ozymandias

Afrobeats musician Burna Boy has expressed his frustration with the music industry, saying that he may have to leave due to low income.

In a post on his Instagram Stories, Burna wrote that he will have to “sit down and evaluate” his musical career in the coming months. If he doesn’t see any positive signs, he said, he may have to “give up.”

“With the figures that I see in this contract, these coming years of my musical career I think are about to show me if I really like to make music,” Burna wrote. “God probably really wants to test me if I like music.”

Burna also said that he may take a page out of Rihanna’s book and take a break from the music industry. “I may even bounce on y’all with a bang to all of you like Rihanna,” he added.

According to American magazines that closely monitor the movements of African artists, Burna has complained in the past that he is not making as much money from the distribution of his music as he would like. In 2022, he was reported to have earned $300 million, but his wealth has not increased in the past three years.

It is unclear what Burna Boy will do next, but his comments suggest that he is unhappy with his current situation in the music industry.

Burna Boy To Perform At The Champions League Final

Posted on March 17, 2023 by Ghafla Writer

Nigerian singer Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu better known as Burna Boy will perform in the final of the 2023 UEFA Champions League in Istanbul, Turkey.

UEFA revealed this in a statement on its platform on Thursday, saying the Grammy’s award-winner singer will co-headline the competition’s final kick-off show by Pepsi, at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul on Saturday, June 10.

“Known for his global chart-topping hits Last Last and It’s Plenty, the Nigerian star will bring his energy and signature soulful vibes of afro beats to millions of fans before the biggest club fixture in football gets underway,” UEFA wrote on its website Thursday.

“The UEFA Champions League Final Kick-Off Show is a significant part of our joint efforts with Pepsi, providing an incredible opportunity to reach new and younger audiences with some of the biggest names and rising stars in music,” UEFA Marketing Director Guy-Laurent Epstein said.

“We’re excited to showcase a line-up of talented artists at this season’s final in Istanbul in what is sure to be an energetic and memorable performance.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Burna Boy (@burnaboygram)

At the rate Nigerian artists are growing globally, can Kenyan artists ever catch up surely?

Many Kenyan artists can’t compete on the international stage

Posted on May 22, 2020June 1, 2020 by David Kingsley

If you are keen, I’m pretty sure you’ve noticed that the Western world, especially America, has started paying a lot of attention to music that is coming out of Africa. It almost seems like they had a sudden awakening.

Artists from countries like South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria have not only sold out shows in the US, they have also landed collabos with some of the biggest music acts such as Drake, Beyonce, Chris Brown, just to name a few.

Also read: New-age musicians are giving established artists nightmares!

By any standards, this is commendable. It proves that African music (in general) is heading in the right direction. What, however, saddens me is the fact that Kenyan musicians are lagging behind. It’s just what it is ladies and gentlemen.

The painful truth is that we have little or nothing to offer, musically speaking and that’s why when you hear a Kenyan artist saying that he or she dreams of winning a Grammy Award someday, you just burst out in laughter because it’s an impossible feat.

You see, the kind of music that is very popular (locally) at the moment can not go beyond our borders for so many reasons. In as much as Kenyans appreciate the new-age music and musicians, I’m sure even our neighbours Ugandan or Tanzania don’t listen to Lamba Lolo, Wamlambez and the likes.

I often ask myself, “What’s the point if our artists make music that can only be consumed locally?” I’m sure they all want to achieve great feats and be recognized for their work on global or continental stages but the question is how will it happen?

Ochunglo Family

Every time I see the likes of Burna Boy, Wizkid, Davido and the likes performing to foreign audiences or featuring the biggest musical acts in their songs I always feel jealous because I known it will take our artists a long time to achieve such success.

Kenyan musicians need to sit down and re-evaluate their strategies because they are capable of making good music that can be enjoyed by international audiences, especially now that the Western world is paying close attention to African music.

Is Khaligraph Jones starting to lose touch with his fans?

Posted on April 10, 2020May 4, 2020 by David Kingsley

For starters, let me state that I have immense respect for Brian Ouko Omollo, better known to as Khaligraph Jones, but of late I’ve not been impressed with his music. I feel like he is starting to lose touch with his fans.

Also read: Put some respect on Khaligraph’s name

I know you now think that I don’t know what I am even saying but you should give me some time to explain myself and maybe, just maybe you’ll see some logic in my line of thinking.

Khaligraph Jones

The Khaligraph Jones that we all used to know used to make music for the hood but this ‘new’ version does not even care because it seems like all he is really after is to appeal to international audiences.

I get it the fact that an artist has to grow and that explains why Papa Jones is using kizungu mingi in his songs these days but look at big West African acts like Burna Boy, Wiz Kid or Davido. They all sing in their native languages.

Khaligraph Jones

To be honest, I used to enjoy the old version o Khaligraph that used to flow in Sheng, Swahili and a bit of English, I don’t know but I never listen to his songs that are in pure English more than once.

Maybe you see it differently and it is okay to have a different perspective because at the end of the day, we can’t all think in the same exact way, can we?

Watch his latest jam titled Roll With You below and tell us what you think.

Harmonize and Burna Boy serve fans hot with ‘Your Body’ (Audio)

Posted on March 23, 2020May 4, 2020 by David Kingsley

Award-winning Tanzanian singer Rajab Abdul Kahali, popularly known as Harmonize, has released a new track with Nigeria’s Burna Boy and it’s getting a lot of love from their fans.

Also read: Kenyan musicians have so much to learn from their Tanzanian counterparts

The jam dubbed Your Body, which is off Harmonize’s Afro East album, has sampled a bit of Papa Wemba’s Show Me The Way and it’s the best thing that you’ll listen to today, trust me ladies and gentlemen.

Harmonize

If you are a fan of both Harmonize and Burna Boy, like this writer, then I am sure you know that this track is so dope even before you listen to it. I mean, these two are some of the biggest continental acts.

This track is so infectious. I have listened to it a couple of times since it was released and every time I play it, it is like I’m hearing it for the very first time.

Harmonize really came through on Your Body. God gave him an amazing voice and he knows how to put it into good use, take for instance this song where he does an exceptional job on his verse as well as the hook.

Burna Boy

This guy sings from his heart and as you listen to him, you get to connect on a deeper level. At some point, it felt like a live performance of the song.

Burna Boy did not disappoint either. There is something about his hoarse voice that makes him stand out, albeit in a good way.

I absolutely love beat on this jam. The kind of modified the one for Show Me The Way and in my opinion, it came out so well. It also blends well with the vocals of both Harmonize and Burna Boy.

Listen to Your Body below and tell us what you think.

Diamond Platnumz should be very afraid of Harmonize

Posted on March 19, 2020March 19, 2020 by David Kingsley

Diamond Platnumz has been the face of Tanzanian music for a long time and I feel that is about to change thanks to one Rajab Abdul Kahali, known to you and I as Harmonize.

Also read: Kenyan musicians have so much to learn from their Tanzanian counterparts

The two artists are cut from the same cloth and perhaps this explains why Diamond Platnumz devised all manner of tactics to frustrate Uno hitmaker’s efforts to exit WCB Records.

Harmonize

They appeal to the same audience and it would have been much easier for Diamond Platnumz to have him under his nose where he can sort of control and monitor what he is putting out.

But now that Harmonize is a free man having paid a Tsh 600 million – approximately Ksh 26.2 million – fine that was imposed on him for exiting WCB Records, Diamond Platnumz should be very afraid.

The truth is that Harmonize is a hard worker just like Diamond Platnumz and the fact that he had been working with the latter for so many years even before we got to know about him means that he has learned the ropes.

Diamond Platnumz

He knows what it takes to be at the top and he’s going for it. This is evidenced by his recently released 18-track album titled Afro East which features the likes of; Morgan Heritage, Khaligraph Jones, Phyno, Yemi Alade, Burna Boy etc.

The album is doing very well and it’s what everyone is talking about, including Diamond Platnumz himself as he took to Instagram to congratulate Harmonize for the huge milestone.

If you ask me, this album would not have been delayed if Harmonize was still at WCB Records because you are sort of not allowed to outshine the boss.

There was a time when the likes of Mr Nice, Matonya and Ali Kiba were the faces of Tanzanian music and I feel that a similar coup is happening at the moment and before you know it, Diamond Platnumz will be long forgotten.

Harmonize

Burna Boy treats fans to classic tune ‘Odogwu’ (Video)

Posted on March 19, 2020May 4, 2020 by David Kingsley

Award-winning Nigerian singer Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, better known as Burna Boy, has released his first track in 2020 and it’s a big tune ladies and gentlemen.

Also read: New-age musicians have killed Nigerian music and that’s a huge win

The song titled Odogwu, which is an Igbo word that means victorious/heroic leader, has been getting a lot of airplay since it was released a few hours ago.

Burna Boy

From my understanding, this jam sort of talks about Burna Boy’s musical journey. From humble beginnings to being perceived as a king by his legion of fans.

This jam is really infectious. I’ve listened to it a couple of times since it was released and every time I play it, it’s like I am hearing it for the first time. Yup, it’s that good.

Burna Boy has a unique voice. Put simply, he is interesting to listen to and you might find yourself hitting the replay button a couple of times because let’s be honest, this 29-year-old musician can really sing.

Burna Boy

He knows how to express himself in his songs. To add to that, he can control his voice. That and a bit of auto tune is the reason he sweeps ladies off their feet.

The beat and instrumentation on Odogwu are impeccable. Other than the fact that they blend well with Burna Boy’s vocals, they also make the song catchy and we have none other than Kel P to thank for that.

I absolutely love the video for this jam. It’s a masterpiece. Everything was well thought out, from the concept, styling, props, location to the scene transitioning.

Watch Odogwu below and tell us what you think.

Burna Boy enlists Serani and Jeremih for classic tune dubbed ‘Secret’ (Video)

Posted on January 30, 2020May 4, 2020 by David Kingsley

Award-winning Nigerian artist Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, better known as Burna Boy, has kicked of the year in style by releasing the video for Secret which is one of the songs from his African Giant album.

The track, which features American singer and producer Jeremih and Jamaican dancehall artist Serani, is without a doubt one of the album’s most fun and memorable tracks.

Serani

Basically, this jam is about a married man who is not so happy with his wife and this leads him to start a relationship with another woman.

The man tries to persuade his secret love to keep the affair tightly under wraps so that his wife does not get wind of it but does not want to hear any of it since she is keen on being his wife and spending more time with him.

To be honest, this is my second favourite song from the album after Anybody. It’s so infectious so much so that you’ll just keep hitting the replay button and is it me or is this song too short? You tell me.

Burna Boy

One of the things that I totally love about this song is the hook by Serani. It’s been minute since I’ve heard new music from him and Listening to Secret takes me back to the days when he ruled the airwaves with jams like No Games.

As expected, Burna Boy also killed it. There is something about his voice that I can’t get enough of nevermind the fact that I am a man like him.

Jeremih did a good job too. He also spiced up this song by giving it a R&B vibe, I am quite sure that many ladies love this jam simply because he’s in it and we don’t blame them.

Jeremih

The video, which was directed by David Camerana, is set in an old vintage house with neon-soaked lights, to depict a “secret” getaway spot, where two lovers unrestrictedly express their impermissible affection for each other.

Watch Secret below and tell us what you think. Enjoy!

Burna Boy serves fans hot with latest release titled ‘Money Play’ (Video)

Posted on December 26, 2019May 5, 2020 by David Kingsley

Award-winning Nigerian singer Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, popularly known as Burna Boy or the African Giant if you like has released a new song and we are really loving it.

The jam dubbed Money Play has been getting good airplay on TV and radio stations since it came out a few days ago and to be honest we are also feeling it.

Burna Boy’s latest jam basically talks about being focused on the hustle and toiling hard to get money that will make you accomplish certain things that you had in mind.

Burna Boy

Just like all of his song, Money Play is a big tune. It’s almost as if this Burna Boy, who was recently nominated for a Grammy Award, has mastered the art so much so that he can’t go wrong.

Other than the powerful message in the song, I’ll tell you that his vocals is perhaps the reason why most people find his music infectious. Actually, it’s the reason.

As you listen to this song, you will realize that it’s a fusion of several genres which include reggae, Afro-beat, and pop and that proves his ingenuity.

That coupled with his signature sound is the reason why many of you who are reading this piece will have this jam on replay over the next couple of months.

Listen to Money Play below and tell us what you think. Enjoy!

Burna Boy has dropped a collabo with M.anifest dubbed ‘Tomorrow’ and it’s getting a lot of love (Video)

Posted on November 27, 2019May 5, 2020 by David Kingsley

Award-winning Ghanaian rapper Kwame Ametepee Tsikata, better known as M.anifest, has enlisted Nigerian singer Burna Boy on his latest release an it’s getting a lot of love.

The song dubbed Tomorrow, which is off M.anifest’s upcoming Extended Play (EP) titled The Gamble, reinforces the notion that the next day is not guaranteed so if you love someone, you should show them today.

I really love this jam. I’ve had it on replay since it came out a few days ago and I am not about to get tired of listening to it.

M.anifest

It’s well arranged. You will agree with me that M.anifest’s verse is so dope. From the wordplay to the witty rhymes to the general flow, everything was well thought-out.

Burna Boy aced the hook for this song and his singing blends so well with M.anifest’s rap it almost seems like the two of them were meant for each other. Okay, now I am pushing it but you get my point, don’t you?

The beat and instrumentation was also good. I just wanted to keep listening to the song since they mad me feel like I was really connecting with both M.anifest and Burna Boy.

The video concept was also great. It shows the artists in a tropical setting serenading their love interests. Notably, the editing was really good.

Watch Tomorrow below and tell us what you think. Enjoy!

Tanzania´s Dully Sykes reveals the other side of Harmonize

Posted on May 9, 2019 by Gloria Katunge

Bongo artist, Prince Dully Sykes has revealed that unlike many other flourishing artists, Harmonize is very respectful to him.

According to him, Harmonize is a pretty successful artist with massive collabo requests from artists across the African continent, but his respect is at a notch higher.

During an interview with Wasafi FM, the fine tuned singer shared:

@Harmonize_tz ana heshima sana, hata kunisalimia ananisalimia tofauti na wasanii wengine, huwa anainama ananishika miguu.

Nampenda sana, hata hapo Jumatatu tuna shoot video.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bw-NFdbJQnG/?utm_source=ig_embed

Dully Sykes reveals that his fellow ¨Kadamshi¨ hitmaker is quite humbled and doesn´t let fame get into his head.

Harmonize ni msanii mkubwa sana, unadhani wasanii wangapi wanatka kufanya nae ngoma lakini ananipa mimi heshima.

Kuweka collabo zetu kwenye You Tube Channel yake ni Makubaliano yetu, anafanya vitu vingi sana.

Further on, the antique choreographer shares that artists including Burna Boy are all over, trying to get a collabo with Harmonize.

@burnaboygram ananitafuta anataka nifanye nae ngoma.

Alimwambia hata @Harmonize wakati walipokutana nae Nigeria.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BxABxJ3Bk2y/?utm_source=ig_embed

History

The two youthful bongo artists, Harmonize and Prince Dully Sykes are the voices behind the famous ¨Inde¨ and hit song ¨Kadamshi¨.

Their music videos are undeniably of superior quality as Dully Sykes shows off his ageless dance moves as part of the clips.

¨Inde´s¨ fine threads and fine tunes are a revelation of both good taste and conscious grooming.

Nyashinski totally killed it on this collabo with Yemi Alade and Harmonize

Posted on April 15, 2019June 1, 2020 by David Kingsley

Tanzanian singer Harmonize has been on a roll! Since the year began, Konde Boy, as he fondly refers to himself, has released chart-topping hits such as Niteke, Kainama, Show Me What You Got and Tepete.

However, for one reason or the other, of his four recent releases by, only two songs stand out for many people and that is Show Me What You Got where he featured Yemi Alade and Kainama where he featured Diamond Platnumz and Burna Boy.

Harmonize

Today, we’ll talk about his collabo with Yemi Alade. The audio was released more than 6 weeks ago, while the video just came out a week ago.

It’s a beautiful song. No doubt. As such, it does not come as a surprise that it has been getting good reviews and getting featured on continental playlists.

A few days ago, Harmonize did us one better. He released the remix of Show Me What You Got featuring one of the best continental acts and one of our own – Nyashinki. It’s a good time to be alive, isn’t it?

Nyashinki

If you are thought that the song could not get any better then think again. Nyashinki adds a beautiful vibe to this song that is so hard to describe. You will only feel the difference if you listen to the version of the song where he is not featured.

But then again, we weren’t expecting anything less seeing how talented Nyashinki is. He is one of the few local musicians and who can sing and rap. I digress.

In the song, Nyashinki delivers very
smooth vocals. His lyrics are well thought-out and flow with the instruments.

At some point he says “Uko too fine au ni three fine, you and your cheap wine you must be new I’m good for your, bad for your hair uko cute ukidance underwear.”

And there’s way much more, just listen to the song. You’ll agree with me that he totally killed it. Nyashinki is truly the greatest of all time.

Listen to Show Me What You Got (Remix) below and tell us what you think.

Is this the best apology Kenyans will get from Nigerian singer Burna Boy?

Posted on October 23, 2018 by Pauline Syombua

Kenyans have been arm-twisting Nigerian singer Burna Boy into offering an apology after he called them peasants last time he was in the country.

Many had vowed to boycott his show but Kenyans were shocked after learning it was sold out despite him refusing to apologize.

Among those who called out Burna Boy to apologize was State House Director of Brand Strategy and Events Big Ted.

On Instagram he said:

“I have run concerts in Kenya for many years and one thing I have seen with many of the even so called “divas” is the respect they accord a visiting country..even in the past when the artist would leave the country without payment they would curse the promoter BUT NEVER the citizens… So I gather that @burnaboygram is in town for another collection from “peasants” first of all on MASHUJAA day…brathe listen our djs may play your songs…we may even dance to it see Kenyans are a cool lot we live with many of your brothers and sisters here happily and chop life together..We slide easy but we don’t forget.. And we are also a very very proud people.. We work hard for every peasent cents we pay to see you…but we also party hard… We may be gullible to the lies and stories told to us by politicians but we are NOT STUPID…we demand an APOLOGY from you yes you @burnaboygram before you take to any stage in this peasant country…”

Apology?

It seems Burna Boy has made a U-turn and decided to say something nice about Kenya. He didn’t really say he’s sorry, but said that something nice about Kenya.

Here’s what he said:

Nigerian singer Burna Boy takes shots at Kenyans, calls them peasants after performing in Nairobi last Saturday

Posted on April 3, 2017April 10, 2017 by Martin Oduor

In what seems to be an April Fool’s joke gone too far, fans who thronged Privee night club as early as 8pm on the night of April 1st 2017 to watch the renowned Nigerian Artist Burna Boy perform, were forced to wait for over 6 hours to experience a performance that left tongues wagging:

While some blamed the event promoter for the lack of order at the venue for the Nigerian star’s delayed performance on stage, others viewed it as an intentional lack of respect by the Nigerian Musician who was seen refusing to interact with fans as he waited to get on stage:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BSXOQx7AlXB/

A bitter exchange of words between celebrated Kenyan Artist AntoNeoSoul and Burna Boy on social media seems to be the highlight of this debacle:

Response from Burna Boy:

Some fans complained of disorganization on the part of the promoter, PriveeWestlands, It is even alleged that this venue is gaining the reputation for not paying local artists who perform at the venue:

On the flip side,Burna Boy argued that all those twitterati tarnishing his name and criticizing his performance were just hating and gave more credibility to those on snapchat:

It can be argued that some of these international artists are just here to make their money and leave. As a developing nation, should Kenya focus on growing their own and keeping the revenues within the borders?

A lot of fans who attended the event expected a certain level of professionalism that they seem not to have received. While others seemed to have enjoyed the performance:

Is it time for a revolution in the entertainment industry? Should Kenyans boycott all events and promoters who do not support Kenyan acts? Or should Kenyans learn to appreciate a good thing when they see one?