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PEOPLE & ARTS Monday 2 SepteMber 2019

Inspired by Fela, Nigeria’s Burna Boy blazes trail in the US

By GARY GERARD HAMIL- phrase that means to “wise gantuan title. But while he
TON up” or “use your head” — tapped popular figures
Associated Press generally cautioning some- such as Future, Jeremih
NEW YORK (AP) — Burna one to avoid peer pressure. and YG for his latest proj-
Boy was only six years old Queen Bey flew him to Los ect, he’s not setting out to
when Afrobeat pioneer Angeles to record the song, chase western fame.
Fela Kuti passed away, but although he admitted he “One thing about America
that was enough time for didn’t really have any inter- is Americans are real peo-
the future musician to be actions with her. ple. So it’s like if they see
inspired. “It’s ‘Lion King’ — it’s some- that you’re real, this is real,
“Everyone’s got their hero,” thing that we’ve all grown then they’re gonna relate
the 28-year-old Nigerian up with and something that to it,” he said.
performer said. “For me, I was very happy to do,” he More American eyes were
that’s my hero.” said. centered on Burna Boy in
Kuti — the Nigerian musical But outside of the U.S., Bur- June at the BET Awards,
icon and political agita- Recording artist Burna Boy poses for a portrait on Wednesday, na Boy has been a very where he was named
tor whose life and legacy Aug. 14, 2019, in New York. familiar face around the best international artist. His
was portrayed in the wildly Associated Press globe and on global mu- mother, who steers most of
popular Broadway musi- regal in their own right — he said. “And I wasn’t feel- sic charts. July was a big his career, provided one
cal “Fela!” — was once that happened to be set ing that.” month for the performer: of the signature moments
managed by Burna Boy’s in his home continent: “The His song appears on “The A week after the Beyoncé of the show when she ap-
grandfather, someone else Lion King.” Lion King: The Gift,” which album was released, he peared onstage to accept
he calls a hero. But despite Beyoncé cu- was inspired by the film and dropped his fourth album, his award.
With a direct line to Af- rating the album and the features several Beyoncé “African Giant.” “The message from Burna,
rican musical royalty, it worldwide attention the songs (the pop star voices Claiming to have coined I believe, would be that
might seem serendipitous film garnered, Burna Boy, the character Nala in the the term “Afro-Fusion,” a every black person should
that Burna Boy was hand- whose real name is Dami- movie.) It’s possible that genre that stitches togeth- please remember that you
picked to participate in ni Ebunoluwa Ogulu, isn’t many Americans hadn’t er Caribbean influences, were Africans before you
the soundtrack for one of feeling the pressure. heard of Burna Boy before R&B and pop all threaded became anything else,”
2019’s most anticipated “Pressure is a man that is his appearance on the by Afrobeat, only a man said Bose Ogulu, who re-
films, a story which follows wondering how he’s going soundtrack with his song with his confidence would ceived a standing ovation
the journey of a family — to feed his five kids today,” “Ja Ara E,” a Nigerian slang give his album such a gar- from the audience.q