BBC Pidgin of Monday, 15 March 2021

Source: BBC

Burna Boy biography and how di 'Twice as Tall' singer become 'African Giant'

Im original name na Damini Ogulu AKA Burna Boy Im original name na Damini Ogulu AKA Burna Boy

Nigerian singer, Burna Boy, make history on Sunday, 14, March, wen im win im first ever Grammy under di ‘Best Global Music Album’ category for im ‘Twice As Tall‘ 2020 project during di 2021 Grammy Awards.

Di Grammys nomination describe Twice As Tall as "a masterclass in di vibe and hustle wey don make Burna Boy be international musical force "Di album features some international artists like Stormzy, Youssou Ndour, Naughty By Nature, and Chris Martin of Coldplay, and get Sean Combs as executive producer.

Who be Burna Boy?

Dey born am Damini Ogulu AKA Burna Boy wey be Nigerian singer-songwriter, record label executive, Burna Boy on di 2nd of July, 1991 for Port Harcourt city, Nigeria.

E be di only son and eldest of three children to Bosede and Samuel Ogulu.

Young Burna attend Montessori International primary school for Port Harcourt (1993-2002) and Corona Secondary School, Lagos (2002-2008).

Burna search for knowledge take am outside Nigeria go United Kingdom to study Media Technology for University of Sussex (2008–2009) and Oxford Brookes University (2009–2010) to study Media Communications and Culture.

Afta which e do one-year internship with Rhythm 93.7 FM Port Harcourt before e officially launch im professional music career wen e dem sign on to Aristocrat records - wey come make am permanent relocate to Lagos.

How Burna Boy take gradually climb reach top.

Burna Boy start to dey produce music wen e dey ten years old. Afta e graduate from college, Burna relocate to London to attend university. Afta two years, e drop out and move back to Nigeria to pursue im passion.

Coming from family wey dem love music but wey also value education more, Burna spent most of im summer holidays for UK and in language immersion summer camps for France, Togo, and Cote d'Ivoire, before e finally move to UK wia e picked up di Brixton Patois accents wey don become signature for im music.

According to Burna Boy mama, everything na all about music to am wen e still be teenager. She tok say Burna dey always hang around im Grandfather, listening to classical music; no wonder im role model later became di man im grandfather manage, Fela Anikulapo Kuti.

Burna Boy don release series of EPs, singles, mixtapes, and albums including e 2018 extraordinary “Outside”.

Di award-winning collection lead to Burna Boy U.S breakthrough, wey make am sit for #3 on Billboard’s “Reggae Albums” chart, and dis partly dey ginger by di blockbuster single/video, “Ye”.

One of Burna best performing albums, “African Giant”, wey im release for July 2019 don get praise from both Nigerian and international media. Also di “African Giant” album get nominated for di 62nd Annual Grammy Award for di Best World Album category but e no win dat year, as Angelique Kidjo collect di award.

Sabi pipo say, Burna dey among di contemporary African music brightest stars and also be di pioneer of di ogbonge genre of music wey im simply title “Afro-fusion”.

Di 'African Giant' no dey new to awards



Burna Boy wey do over 70 performances with over 40 sold-out shows across America and Europe in 2019 alone, start off 2020 with winning three most ogbonge awards for di Soundcity MVP Awards - BEST MALE MVP; SONG OF THE YEAR - Killin Dem featuring Zlatan Ibile and di AFRICAN ARTISTE OF THE YEAR.

Afta dis, e get BRIT Awards nomination for di INTERNATIONAL MALE SOLO ARTIST category and di SONG OF THE YEAR category for im feature on Dave's “Location”.

Dis nomination make am di first African artist to get nominated for over 20 years and di second African artist to ever get nominated for di Awards' 40 years history, Di first African na Youssou N'Dour.

Burna Boy na two-time winner of di BET Awards for di Best International Act category afta dem nominate am di second time alongside South African singer, Sho Madjozi, Stormzy, and Dave from di United Kingdom, Ninho and S.Pri Noir from France, and Innoss’B from Democratic Republic of Congo.

E receive gold plaque as im single, ‘On the Low’ go viral for France. E go on to release singles like “Odogwu” and “Wonderful”.

For August 2020, Burna Boy release “Twice As Tall” album with Diddy and Timbaland as executive producers. Di project top charts all ova di world,

Twice as Tall currently get over 200 million total streams just three months afta e release am.

Di "Monsters You Made" track feature Chris Martin of Coldplay wey give ogbonge delivery for di track.

For October 2020, Time Magazine name Burna Boy as "TIME 100 Most Influential Pipo class of 2020"