Features  

Is Burna Boy On The Way To His First Grammy?

By Victor Odogwu

03 March 2021   |   10:29 am

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on WhatsApp Share on Telegram

Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu Was born on July the 2nd, 1991. From a young age, Damini developed an interest in music which was not a huge surprise seeing as his grandfather (Benson Idonije) once managed the late Fela Kuti. This is not a story of someone devoted only to music, so first, let’s take a look…

Burna Boy

Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu Was born on July the 2nd, 1991.

From a young age, Damini developed an interest in music which was not a huge surprise seeing as his grandfather (Benson Idonije) once managed the late Fela Kuti.

This is not a story of someone devoted only to music, so first, let’s take a look at his academic life.

The young member of the Ogulu clan attended the Corona Secondary School, Agbara before relocating to the UK where he studied Media Technology at the University of Sussex. He did not stop there but went on to study Media communications and Culture at Oxford Brookes University.

Having gotten over the boring stuff, Damini was ready to follow his dreams.

Damini probably thought “there’s no way I can make it in music with a name like Damini Obulu” Why not go by “Burna Boy”? Anyways just speculating.

Burna came into the music scene in 2010 but it wasn’t until 2012 he really entered into mainstream media riding on his hit song: Like to Party produced by Leriq which would later be one of the notable songs from his first album “LIFE”.

Over the following years, Oluwa Burna went on to release “On A Spaceship” in 2015, “redemption” in 2016, “Best of Burna Boy” in 2017, “outside” in 2018, “Steel & Copper” and “African Giant” both in 2019, and his most recent work “Twice as Tall” in 2020. On these works and also from music features, the “African Giant” has worked with a wide range of musicians: From MI to 2Face, Tiwa Savage to Timaya. He didn’t only collaborate with Nigerians, he also worked with foreign acts like Stormzy, Ed Sheeran, Lilly Allen, Sam Smith, and recently got featured by Sia.

So far in his music career, the “Anybody” crooner has had his fair share of controversy.

Beginning from his Feud with South African rapper AKA to his relationship scandal with Jamaican-British rapper and Musician Stefflon Don not to forget the recent altercation between him and Davido in a club in Ghana.

Back to the good side of things, Burna boy has bagged a number of awards for his music from Nigeria, Africa, and not to forget his most notable back to back nomination for the 62nd and 63rd Grammy awards for his albums “African Giant” and “Twice As Tall” respectively.

In 2020, Burna boy lost to Angelique Kidjo in the Best World Music Album Awards category and was later nominated for the same award later that same year.

Talking about Nigerian Grammy nominees, Oluwaburna joins a growing list of Nigerian’s whose works have been recognised by the most prestigious music awards.

Back in 1983, King Sunny Ade became the first Nigerian nominee and was nominated again in 1998 making him the first African to be nominated twice. Others are Femi Kuti who was nominated 4 times but didn’t win any, Tyler Okonma, Tiwa Savage, and Chimamanda Adiche.

Taking a closer look at Burna’s most successful Album, Twice As Tall was released on August 14th, 2020. Co-produced by Timbaland, Diddy, and a number of music producers, the album saw guest appearances from Musicians like Stormzy, Sauti Sol, and Chris Martin. Twice As Tall debuted at number one on the Billboard world albums charts, and peaked at 54 on the US billboard 200 charts.

Going head to head in the Best World Music Album category with Antibalas, Bebel Gilberto, Anoushka Shankar, and Tinariwen.

Would Oluwaburna join the league of Nigerian Grammy award winners alongside Helen Folashade Adu (Sade Adu), Henry Adeola Samuel (popularly known as Seal), Sikiru Adepoju, and Kelvin Olusola who got his with the popular acapella group, Pentatonix? We would have to find out on March the 14th, 2021 at the 63rd edition of the Grammy awards.