We bring to you 5 Facts About Burna Boy You Probably Didn’t Know. Born Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, Burna Boy is Nigerian music sensation, songwriter and performer. He was born in 1991 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria where he hails from to Mr and Mrs Samuel Ogulu.
He came into public consciousness in 2012 with the release of the hit song “Like To Party” which will later will feature in his first album “L.I.FE”. From that point, a glorious narrative began for the recent Grammy Awardee and indeed, one of Africa’s finest stars.
There are quite a few facts common about him, like the fact that he is the self-acclaimed African Giant with 5 albums and two EP’s to his name. Plus he’s a British Citizen and is the Boyfriend to American singer Stefflon Don.
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But perhaps there are certain details you are yet to find out about this colossal music persona in Burna Boy and in the light of that, we bring to you;
5 Facts About Burna Boy You Probably Didn’t Know
1. He is the First Nigerian to Win The Grammy Awards as a Solo Artist and Get a Back to Back Nomination
While other Nigerians like Femi Kuti, Sikiru Adepoju, Babatunde Olatunji, had all been nominated before Burna Boy, he is the first to be nominated at the Grammy Awards back to back in 2020 and 2021 where he won the awards.
But’s that’s only a foretaste of the juicy part. Burna Boy is the first Nigerian to win the Grammy Awards as a solo artist for his prodigious album “Twice As Tall” even though he isn’t the first to win the award but he is the first to win it in the category and capacity he did.
The first Nigerian to win a Grammy Award however is Babatunde Olatunji for his contribution to the Planet Drum album of an American percussionist and musicologist known as Mickey Hart. Winning the award alongside Burna Boy in 2021 were Wizkid and Tiwa Savage for their contributions to global albums owned by eminent music stars. But that’s hardly our focus here, Burna is and he’s done for his album not a contribution to anyone else’.
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2. He was Coincidentally Born Same Year as Nigeria’s First Grammy Award Winner
The first Nigeria to win the Grammy Award, Babatunde Olatunji won it in 1991 for his contribution to the Planet Drum album of an American percussionist and musicologist known as Mickey Hart, same year Burna Boy was born and looks like his victory ushered in the second winner by birth.
If any attempt to go supernatural is entirely safe, we would have concluded that a Grammy Award winner was born and his birth made a nominee from same country to win the awards. But we aren’t doing that so it’s pretty much a wonderful coincidence that the same year the first Grammy Award winner from Nigeria got his plaque was the same year the second Nigeria to win the Grammy Award was born.
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3. Burna Boy’s Sister is a Musician as Well
Not many must have heard of the name Nissi Ogulu but she’s the younger sister to Burna Boy and the last child of the Samuel Ogulu family with Burna Boy being the eldest and two sisters trailing after him. Jehova-Nissi Ogulu a stylish Afropop singer based in Nigeria and the UK. Now she’s not just a singer who’s trying to get her foot on the door, she’s been on her act for quite a while and her works are great as well although she is not yet famous like her brother, but she’s getting there judging from her current pace.
She recently dropped a new single dubbed “Move X2” which she did a very creative video for. You just have to listen to this single or just watch the video and certify that truly, music runs in the family and this sibling of Burna Boy is the next star that will shine on the horizon.
Also worthy of note is that the direct younger sister to Burna Boy, Ronami Ogulu is a creative music director and part of Burna Boy’s record label.
4. Burna Boy’s Mum is His Manager and that of His Sister, But was Fired and Re-hired by the Singer
Bose Ogulu is a powerful entertainment mother managing the music careers of her two children Burna Boy and Nissi. However, things went sour in 2014 when Burna Boy fired his mum on the grounds that its time to separate music from family. According to him in a tweet:
“It’s been a long road to where I am today and my mother Bose Ogulu has managed me the best she could up till this point and am greatful…at this point in my life and career, it’s time to let my mother be my mother and let my manager be my manager, therefore Bose Ogulu is no longer my manager”
However, Burna Boy re-hired his mum in 2017 and deleted the tweet saying he was glad to have her back. At the moment, Burna Boy and his mum are owners of Spaceship Records, a label he founded in 2015 after the split with Aristokrat Records. Nissi and Ronami are part of Spaceship Entertainment. It’s a family business.
5. His Maternal Grandfather Managed Afrobeat Legend Fela Kuti
Now you know why his mother is excellent at music management, it runs in the family. Burna Boy’s maternal grandfather, Benson Idonije was Afrobeats Legend Fela Kuti’s manager. He is a broadcaster and music critic, reputed to be one of Nigeria’s foremost music critics. He was the first manager of Fela’s band and a pioneering member of Radio Nigeria in 1977.
Burna Boy is a big fan of Fela and usually, you can identify some of Fela’s influences on his music over the years. He always wanted to be like the great afrobeat legend and one can hardly isolate this zest from the fact that his grandfather was in the grand scheme of things and his mother as well.
Other Random Facts about Burna Boy
- His song Destiny was included in President Joe Biden Inaugral Playlist
- He is Manchester United fan
- He is the most streamed Nigeria musician on Boomplay
- He has 160 songs yet to be released
- His first album L.I.F.E sold 50, 000 copies on the very day it was released
