Ten years on and Burna Boy is playing in venues that he had dreamt of.
Ever since the release of debut album Life, the Nigerian Afrobeat singer has grown from a promising talent who performed at clubs to becoming the first African artist to sell out stadium shows in Europe and North America.
Those sold-out concerts at London Stadium and New York’s Citi Field not only places him in a rarefied category of pop stardom, but it also increases the anticipation for the August 24 release of his next album I Told Them.
With a new world tour planned and undoubtedly featuring more stadium gigs, does the Location singer have what it takes to pull off such a mammoth feat regularly?
Here is what The National learnt from Burna Boy’s headline performance in front of 30,000 people at the Big Slap Festival in Malmo, Sweden on Friday.
1. He has mass appeal
A key factor to Burna Boy’s rise is an all-encompassing appeal.
Selling out stadiums often requires a body of work that attracts casual listeners and dedicated fans. Burna Boy’s successful headline performance at the Big Slap Festival shows he has achieved that balance.
In a day of eclectic performances by hip-hop, RnB, pop and EDM acts, his performance was sparkling in its positivity and genre-bending songs.
Whether it’s the euphoric hooks of Wonderful to the grinding Afrobeats groove of Gbona, there is something for everyone to sing and dance to in a Burna Boy show.
2. He has a killer band
Another aspect that distinguishes Burna Boy from arena-performing peers Wizkid and Davido is that he performs with full live accompaniment on stage.
Then again to describe The Outsiders as a mere backing band is a disservice.
At the Big Slap Festival, they totalled a dozen, featuring five backing singers along with a horn and rhythm section.
With no DJ in sight, the group skillfully recreated the colourful melange of West African and Western sounds and styles of Burna Boy tracks.
Better yet, the band also puts on a show of their own.
The Outsiders often take the front of the stage with their instruments – including portable drum sets – and dance away with Burna Boy and the crowd.
More than entertainment, it is these kind of seemingly off-the-cuff moments that make stadium shows special.
3. He is a showman
While there is a fair share of bravado, Burna Boy’s onstage demeanour has an endearing child-like glee.
Both aspects came to light in Malmo in a particularly concerning moment.
During the opening minutes of the show, Burna Boy fell headfirst into one of the spotlights.
Using a towel to dabble the blood away from the gash on his head, bravado mode kicked in as he coolly stated: “I will bleed for my fans".
A few minutes later, his mega-watt smile was back as he danced around the stage and engaging with the crowds.
While his recorded vocals are often a seductive croon, Burna Boy dials it up on stage giving high-energy performances for songs such as Ye and Last Last.
Blending along with his backing vocalist, the concert is full of some awe-inspiring vocal harmonies owing more to gospel music than Afrobeats.
The fact the music was accessible enough that crowds sang along to the lyrics that featured a mix of languages including Nigeria’s Yoruba, Igbo and pidgin English, is the biggest sign that Burna Boy is not done conquering stadiums yet.
Brief scores:
Arsenal 4
Xhaka 25', Lacazette 55', Ramsey 79', Aubameyang 83'
Fulham 1
Kamara 69'
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
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German plea
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the German parliament that. Russia had erected a new wall across Europe.
"It's not a Berlin Wall -- it is a Wall in central Europe between freedom and bondage and this Wall is growing bigger with every bomb" dropped on Ukraine, Zelenskyy told MPs.
Mr Zelenskyy was applauded by MPs in the Bundestag as he addressed Chancellor Olaf Scholz directly.
"Dear Mr Scholz, tear down this Wall," he said, evoking US President Ronald Reagan's 1987 appeal to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate.
Globalization and its Discontents Revisited
Joseph E. Stiglitz
W. W. Norton & Company
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
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Picture of Joumblatt and Hariri breaking bread sets Twitter alight
Mr Joumblatt’s pessimism regarding the Lebanese political situation didn’t stop him from enjoying a cheerful dinner on Tuesday with several politicians including Mr Hariri.
Caretaker Culture Minister Ghattas Khoury tweeted a picture of the group sitting around a table at a discrete fish restaurant in Beirut’s upscale Sodeco area.
Mr Joumblatt told The National that the fish served at Kelly’s Fish lounge had been very good.
“They really enjoyed their time”, remembers the restaurant owner. “Mr Hariri was taking selfies with everybody”.
Mr Hariri and Mr Joumblatt often have dinner together to discuss recent political developments.
Mr Joumblatt was a close ally of Mr Hariri’s assassinated father, former prime minister Rafik Hariri. The pair were leading figures in the political grouping against the 15-year Syrian occupation of Lebanon that ended after mass protests in 2005 in the wake of Rafik Hariri’s murder. After the younger Hariri took over his father’s mantle in 2004, the relationship with Mr Joumblatt endured.
However, the pair have not always been so close. In the run-up to the election last year, Messrs Hariri and Joumblatt went months without speaking over an argument regarding the new proportional electoral law to be used for the first time. Mr Joumblatt worried that a proportional system, which Mr Hariri backed, would see the influence of his small sect diminished.
With so much of Lebanese politics agreed in late-night meetings behind closed doors, the media and pundits put significant weight on how regularly, where and with who senior politicians meet.
In the picture, alongside Messrs Khoury and Hariri were Mr Joumbatt and his wife Nora, PSP politician Wael Abou Faour and Egyptian ambassador to Lebanon Nazih el Nagari.
The picture of the dinner led to a flurry of excitement on Twitter that it signified an imminent government formation. “God willing, white smoke will rise soon and Walid Beik [a nickname for Walid Joumblatt] will accept to give up the minister of industry”, one user replied to the tweet. “Blessings to you…We would like you to form a cabinet”, wrote another.
The next few days will be crucial in determining whether these wishes come true.
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'Panga'
Directed by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari
Starring Kangana Ranaut, Richa Chadha, Jassie Gill, Yagya Bhasin, Neena Gupta
Rating: 3.5/5
Brief scores:
Day 1
Toss: India, chose to bat
India (1st innings): 215-2 (89 ov)
Agarwal 76, Pujara 68 not out; Cummins 2-40
GULF MEN'S LEAGUE
Pool A Dubai Hurricanes, Bahrain, Dubai Exiles, Dubai Tigers 2
Pool B Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Jebel Ali Dragons, Dubai Knights Eagles, Dubai Tigers
Opening fixtures
Thursday, December 5
6.40pm, Pitch 8, Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Dubai Knights Eagles
7pm, Pitch 2, Jebel Ali Dragons v Dubai Tigers
7pm, Pitch 4, Dubai Hurricanes v Dubai Exiles
7pm, Pitch 5, Bahrain v Dubai Eagles 2
Recent winners
2018 Dubai Hurricanes
2017 Dubai Exiles
2016 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
2015 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
2014 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Tips to avoid getting scammed
1) Beware of cheques presented late on Thursday
2) Visit an RTA centre to change registration only after receiving payment
3) Be aware of people asking to test drive the car alone
4) Try not to close the sale at night
5) Don't be rushed into a sale
6) Call 901 if you see any suspicious behaviour
The specs
Engine: 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 380hp at 5,800rpm
Torque: 530Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Price: From Dh299,000 ($81,415)
On sale: Now
UAE v Ireland
1st ODI, UAE win by 6 wickets
2nd ODI, January 12
3rd ODI, January 14
4th ODI, January 16
The bio
Studied up to grade 12 in Vatanappally, a village in India’s southern Thrissur district
Was a middle distance state athletics champion in school
Enjoys driving to Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah with family
His dream is to continue working as a social worker and help people
Has seven diaries in which he has jotted down notes about his work and money he earned
Keeps the diaries in his car to remember his journey in the Emirates
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Reading List
Practitioners of mindful eating recommend the following books to get you started:
Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life by Thich Nhat Hanh and Dr Lilian Cheung
How to Eat by Thich Nhat Hanh
The Mindful Diet by Dr Ruth Wolever
Mindful Eating by Dr Jan Bays
How to Raise a Mindful Eaterby Maryann Jacobsen
