Queen Caroline, Oct 4, 2016 – After a six year wait by UK fans, Damini Ogulu AKA Burna Boy, showed the mammoth fans that stormed the Eventim Hammersmith Apollo for his first sold out ‘Homecoming’ UK concert (hosted by Julie Adenuga of Apple’s Beats Radio) why he was worth the wait.
On a night which coincided historically with Nigeria’s 56th Independence Anniversary, being the 1st of October, Burna Boy again demonstrated why he was the best that Nigeria had to offer in terms of lyrical content, stage craftsmanship, and artistic creativity, as well as versatility.
Burna Boy electrified the UK crowd as he delivered a highly anticipated Afro Fusion performance backed up with a commissioned full live band.
Kicking off his set with a comic show reel, and subtly making light of the extensive rumours about why he had not performed in the UK in the past seven years, Burna Boy used the opportunity to set the records straight.
The crowd went into a frenzy a he emerged from the back of a police van, opening the act with his monster hit, aptly titled All Eyes On Me, a clear indication that he would be the cynosure of all eyes for the entire duration of the night.
His straight one hour forty-five minute set, previously unheard of by any Afro fusion artiste, had the audience spell-bound, singing along and dancing to the multiple hits in his line-up, such as Like To Party, Soke, Rizzler, and Don Gorgon, whilst also paying homage to the friends who had been by his side over the years with a previously unreleased track titled Mandem.
The set also featured the tracks Mary Jane and his current single Pree Me, from his recently released Redemption EP, which is already a global success, with celebrity endorsement from artistes such as Drake, Jidenna, and the world’s fastest man Usain Bolt.
Burna Boy has definitely raised the bar for every single artiste from the African continent, showing that he is truly, a force to be reckoned with.
With impending blockbuster collaborations with international recording artiste and Mercury prize winner Skepta, Krept and Konan, Lily Allen and of course, his upcoming feature on Sean Paul’s soon to be released album, it is glaring that Burna Boy is on a roller coaster ride and there’s no stopping him!
Moments after the concert, while responding to the question thrown by a fan on how he felt about the evening, Burna Boy paused for a second before responding; “I think my homecoming concert is the best ever show in the UK by an African artiste in recent times”.
Burna Boy, whose real name is Damini Ogulu, is an Afro-fusion and Dancehall recording artist, songwriter and performing artiste, born to Bosede and Samuel Ogulu in Port Harcourt on the 2nd of July 1991.
Burna Boy rose to prominence in 2012 following the release of Like to Party, the first single off his debut album “L.I.F.E”- Leaving an Impact For Eternity which was released in 2013. The L.I.F.E album is critically acclaimed as one of the best projects out of Nigeria. In November 2015, he released his sophomore album titled “On A Spaceship” to rave reviews.
Burna Boy is one of the few figures in the Nigerian music industry with a distinct and unique voice that can capture the imagination of any listener, and this has aided him in his rise to global prominence. The Original African Don Gorgon, as he is also referred to by his fans, has worked with several A-list Nigerian and international artists such as the legendary 2Baba Idibia, Wizkid, Davido, Sarkodie, Dbanj, A.K.A, and many others. He has also won many awards all over Africa, most recently the One Africa Award at the Metro FM Awards in South Africa.
