Connecting cultures through music with Burna Boy

INTERNATIONAL Grammy award-winning Afrobeats singer Burna Boy’s presence in the Caribbean has a much deeper purpose than just another event on the calendar of the World Damini Tour.

So, his headline performance at O2 Park, Chaguaramas, Trinidad on December 16, alongside Jamaican dancehall star Popcaan and soca's Kes The Band, is one element of a bigger project to connect cultures through music.

Over the past four months, Burna Boy has performed before thousands throughout the Caribbean. He first visited Barbados in July and then St Maarten, Tobago, Dominica, Curacao, and St Maarten. He is scheduled to perform in Antigua on December 17 and in Jamaica the following day.

In a media launch at Hilton Trinidad and Conference Centre in November, organisers of the event, Twisted Entertainment and Duke Concept, said within 15 minutes of launching the Trinidad concert all of the general and VIP first tier tickets were sold out. At that time 35 per cent of the 20,000 tickets for the show had been sold.

Osita Ugeh, CEO of Duke Concept said Burna Boy’s presence in the Caribbean will “open doors” for small island nations.

Ugeh, who has been working with Burna Boy since the start of his career and is working with other major Afrobeats singers, said there are conversations about possible collaborations with soca and Afrobeats.

He said there has to be continuous efforts for the music and cultures to meet.

“The project is not something that ends here. The project is something that we want to keep going. It helps the culture and blends the relationship between sounds from the continent and those from this side of the world. It’s about bridging the gap.

“Our goal is not just to execute anything. Our goal is to give quality. Most of the time what we see is these shows being put together, some of them don’t represent the standard we want to see.

"It’s an ongoing process but the first is the intent to want to make it world-standard. We have been able to do this all over the world.”

His company managed and hosted over 200 Burna Boy concerts across the world.

“I started with Burna Boy when he had 300 capacity, 150 capacity so having to see him sell out stadiums is a big deal. And these are the kind of things we want to have.

“It’s important to come in with the small guys and grow with them so that when they are up there, you can be part of the conversation...

He said this project will also give local and regional artiste exposure.

“You are also supporting the artists that are from here because the only way we can export something is when the immediate adaptors, which is those who first join, support the music. The word support is complex. We use it loosely. (What) Most companies are looking for when they put the money, (is that) they get back money. It’s not just about putting money and getting it back it's about long-term investment.

“Let’s come together, let's partner, let’s make this a success, not just for us but for the entire music industry in Trinidad and Tobago. It will open doors and during the Carnival, we will have more influx.

“If you notice the Carnival has changed, we are having more Africans interested in coming to the Carnival. Before you have the Caribbean’s one side, the African diaspora one side, African-Americans another.

“The best way to unite is through music and we must continue effortlessly to try and unite ourselves as a black race through music, through our view and through our culture.”

Dale Concept is an event production and management company based in America. Its vision, according to the website, is to export the best of African entertainment to the rest of the world by redefining it to meet top standards.

On November 17 Burna Boy posted a picture on Instagram with the words: “Trinidad 16/12.” He captioned it “Finally!”

Initially, the event was supposed to be held at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Wrightson Road, Port of Spain, but was changed on December 9. Twisted Entertainment’s spokesman Crystal Cunningham said the decision was made to ensure “the best customer experience.”

This concert is Burna Boy’s second live show in TT.

On October 27, Burna Boy headlined the Tobago Music and Cultural (TOMAC) five-day festival.

His performance, both riveting and electrifying, automatically lifted the spirits of disappointed patrons who stood for hours at the Plymouth Recreational Ground, in the middle of thunder showers to see the African giant perform for the first time in the country.

One of TOMAC’s organisers Arlene Lyons described the pull-off of the event, even in torrential rains and an orange-level weather alert by the Met Office, as “almost a perfect manifestation of the resilience and struggle of the African spirit.”

TOMAC was the genesis of a rediscovery journey of what it means to be Tobagonians. It delved into the roots of the island’s African culture and practises linked to a group of settlers from the Igbo tribe.

Because Nigeria’s Igbo tribe is inextricably related to Tobago’s history and cultural influence, Burna Boy, of Port Harcourt, Nigeria, complemented TOMAC’s message.

It’s hoped his performance in Trinidad can further connect the culture and music even closer.