The Nigerian music powerhouse, Ebunoluwa Damini Ogulu, popularly called Burna Boy, has poised his musical career with a reputable win at the 63rd edition of the Grammys which held on Sunday. Burna Boy won the Best Global Music Award for his “Twice as Tall” album by besting other nominees in the category; Antibalas, Bebel Gilberto, Anoushka Shankar, and Tinariwen.
Burna Boy, 29, would be the first winner of the renamed category, formerly known as World Best Music Album. This excellent feat marks his first career Grammy win. The Grammys nomination described Twice As Tall as “a masterclass in the vibe and hustle that have made Burna Boy an international musical force”.
“[He] continues to torch limitations, seamlessly blending styles and genres and fearlessly fueling the fire heating the melting pot of pop, Afrobeat, dancehall, reggae and more,” it said.
The album features an ensemble of international artists such as Stormzy, Youssou Ndour, Naughty By Nature, and Chris Martin of Coldplay, and had Sean Combs as executive producer.
It could be recall that Burna Boy was nominated in the same category in 2019, then known as Best World Music Album, but lost out to Angelique Kidjo at the awards ceremony in 2020.
However, Kidjo dedicated her win to him, saying: “Burna Boy is among those young artists that come from Africa that is changing the way our continent is perceived and the way that African music is the bedrock of all music.”
Hosted by three-time GRAMMY award-winning artist Jhené Aiko, this year’s Premiere Ceremony will be looking a little different as the 2021 award show season still adjusts to the rules and regulations of COVID-19. The event kicked off with a virtual tribute to the 50th anniversary of Marvin Gaye’s classic track “Mercy, Mercy Me (The Ecology)”. Performances included Burna Boy, Poppy, Lido Pimienta, Jimmy “Duck” Holmes and Igor Levit.
