By Emmanuel Thomas
GLOBAL Afrobeats sensation Burna Boy has paid an emotional tribute to his grandfather on his landmark 90th birthday, declaring: “He’s a great man. I’m forever indebted to him.”
The Grammy-winning superstar, 34, paused his grueling world tour schedule to fly back to Lagos, Nigeria, for a glittering, star-studded family gala celebrating the incredible life of patriarch Pa Benson Idonije.
Dressed to the nines, the “Last Last” singer looked uncharacteristically humbled as he stood alongside his mother and long-time manager, Bose Ogulu, to shower praises on the man who quite literally shaped the history of modern African music.
Addressing an emotional room packed with music legends, broadcasters, and high-society VIPs, an emotional Burna—real name Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu—made it clear that his billionaire lifestyle and global stadium tours would never have happened without the steady hand of his beloved “Papa.”
An emotional insider at the party told The Sun: “Burna might play the tough guy on stage, but around his grandad, he’s just a proud grandson. He was incredibly moving. He told everyone that Benson gave him the blueprint for everything he is today.”
The source added: “He said, ‘He’s a great man. I’m forever indebted to him.’ There wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Seeing a global megastar who sells out Wembley Stadium bow down to show that kind of respect to his elders was truly special.”
The lavish 90th birthday party quickly turned into a vibrant celebration of Nigeria’s unparalleled musical heritage. Guests on the red carpet were treated to live jazz and highlife sets—genres deeply tied to the birthday boy’s legendary seven-decade career.
Who is Pa Benson Idonije? The Man Behind the Legends
Long before Burna Boy was selling out stadium tours in London and New York, his maternal grandfather, Benson Idonije, was pioneering the African music industry.
* The Fela Connection: Born in 1936, Idonije moved into mainstream broadcasting in the 1960s and became the historic first band manager for the undisputed King of Afrobeat, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.
The Architect of Sound: During Fela’s formative Koola Lobitos era, Idonije was the tactical mastermind helping to fuse traditional highlife music with American jazz and funk—creating the very DNA of Afrobeat.
* Cultural Icon: A revered broadcaster for Radio Nigeria and a sharp-witted music critic for The Guardian, Idonije is widely considered the ultimate historian of West African sound.
The connection between grandfather and grandson is more than just sentimental—it is the secret weapon behind Burna Boy’s unprecedented international success.
Burna’s unique sound, which he brands “Afro-fusion,” heavily relies on the raw horn sections, political undertones, and complex rhythms pioneered by Fela Kuti decades ago. By growing up under Idonije’s strict musical guidance, the young singer was effectively raised by the architect of the genre.
The family dynasty is tightly knit. Idonije’s daughter—Burna’s fierce mother, Bose Ogulu—acts as the singer’s business manager and is widely praised for brokering the massive international deals that turned her son into the “African Giant.”
The glamorous bash, backed by major West African cultural organizations, also saw messages of congratulations flood in from around the globe.
Leading figures praised Idonije as a “guiding light” who built a bridge from the smoky jazz clubs of 1960s Lagos directly to the top of the modern UK and US music charts.
As the night drew to a close, Burna Boy was seen laughing and dancing with his grandfather, proving that no matter how big of a star you become on the world stage, family will always keep your feet firmly on the ground.