Award-winning Nigerian singer, Damini Ogulu popularly known as Burna Boy, has said the late Afrobeat legend and pioneer was a big influence on him but his music does not directly inspire him.
Burna Boy sat down with tennis legend Roger Federer for a recent episode of Complex’s ‘GOAT Talk’.
When asked to list the albums he considers the greatest of all time, Burna Boy named a diverse range of classics, including Joe’s ‘My Name Is Joe,’ Lil Wayne’s ‘Tha Carter III,’ and 2Pac’s ‘Makaveli.’
However, the 34-year-old singer placed a special emphasis on all Fela’s projects.
Federer then pressed him on which of these iconic works inspired him the most.
While acknowledging that Fela’s records were part of his childhood soundtrack, the Afrofusion star responded that he was not directly “inspired” by them.
“Honestly, none. I promise you but well Fela was a big influence on me,” he stated.
Burna Boy gained fame after releasing ‘Like to Party’, the lead single from his debut album ‘L.I.F.E’ (2013).
Since breaking into the mainstream, he has established himself as one of Africa’s most successful artistes, known for his genre-blending style and chart-topping albums.
He has released a plethora of albums, including ‘L.I.F.E’ (2013), ‘On a Spaceship’ (2015), ‘Outside’ (2018), ‘African Giant’ (2019), ‘Twice As Tall‘ (2020), ‘Love, Damini‘ (2022) and ‘I Told Them‘ (2023).
In 2021, the Afro-fusion artiste won the ‘Best World Music Album’ category at the Grammy Awards for ‘Twice As Tall’.
In July, the singer released his eighth studio album titled ‘No Sign of Weakness’.
Burna Boy’s music incorporates samples from Fela’s work, notably in hit songs like ‘Ye’, ‘My Money, My Baby’, and ‘Gbona’.