Grammy-winning singer, Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, popularly known as Burna Boy has joined the list of the Most Influential People of 2024.
The multi-winning artist was named by Times Magazine as one of the Top 100 Most Influential People of 2024.
According to the publication, TIME released the TIME 100, a list of the individuals who they believe had the most impact on the stories that defined the year.
Penning a tribute to Burna Boy, veteran singer, Angelique Kidjo, stated that ten years ago, young African musicians came to her for advice.
She said she always told them not to mimic American artists, saying the world needs the amazing richness and beauty of traditional African music.
In 2023, he became the first African artist to sell out a U.S. stadium, and in 2024, he became the first Afrobeats artist to sing at the Grammys.
In a statement on Wednesday, 17 April, Times magazine said: “We spend months discussing who belongs on the TIME100, the people who we believe most changed the stories that define the past year”.
Kidjo said: “Ten years ago or so when young African musicians would come to me for advice, I would tell them, ‘You don’t need to mimic American artists! The world needs the amazing richness and beauty of our traditional African music and our culture. This land is where most of modern music comes from. This source of inspiration is inexhaustible. Its freshness and its elegance will get the world’s attention for sure”.
