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Burna Boy, U2 and more perform at Grammys

The 66th edition of the Grammy Awards took place last night (4 February) at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, with performances from U2, Burna Boy, Miley Cyrus and more.

U2 joined the annual awards ceremony from inside the Sphere in Las Vegas, where the Dublin-hailing band currently has a residency.

“Remember, no television cameras have ever been allowed inside until right now,” said host Trevor Noah before the broadcast of the band performing Atomic City.

Elsewhere, Burna Boy made history as the first Afro-fusion artist to perform at the Grammys. The Nigerian artist performed On Form, City Boys, and Sitting on Top of the World – the latter of which featured 21 Savage and Brandi.

Performing at the Grammys for the first time ever was 80-year-old Joni Mitchell, who treated the audience to her 1966 hit Both Sides Now. The song also appears on her 2023 live album, Joni Mitchell At Newport, which took home the golden gramophone for Best Folk Album.

Miley Cyrus’s hit song Flowers received its first-ever televised performance at the ceremony. She went on to win Record of the Year and Best Solo Pop Performance for the same song.

“Music must always be our safe space… when that’s violated it strikes at the very core of who we are”

SZA – the most-nominated artist of the 2024 Grammy Awards, with nine nods – also graced the stage with her double performance of Snooze and Kill Bill.

She picked up the awards for Best Progressive R&B Album for SOS and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for Ghost In The Machine featuring Phoebe Bridgers. Bridgers scooped up three more awards with her band boygenius and went home with the most awards of any artist that night.

The other big awards of the night were handed out for Taylor Swift’s Midnights (Album of the Year), Billie Eilish’s What Was I Made For (Song of the Year) and Victoria Monét (Best New Artist).

Elsewhere, three new categories debuted: Best African Music Performance (Tyla), Best Alternative Jazz Album (Meshell Ndegeocello) and Best Pop Dance Recording (Kylie Minogue).

The ceremony also saw Harvey Mason Jr, The Recording Academy CEO, honour the victims of last year’s Israel Supernova Festival attack during his speech.

“Music must always be our safe space,” he said. “When that’s violated it strikes at the very core of who we are. We felt that at the Bataclan music hall in Paris. We felt that at the Manchester Arena, in England. We felt that at the Route 91 music festival in Las Vegas. And on October 7, we felt that again when we heard the tragic news from the Supernova music festival for love, that over 360 music fans lost their lives, and another 40 were kidnapped.”

Other performances on the night came from Billie Eilish, Travis Scott, Olivia Rodrigo, Dua Lipa, Luke Coombs and Tracy Chapman.

 

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P!nk, Burna Boy line up more UK/EU stadium shows

P!nk and Burna Boy have both announced more stadium shows in the UK/Europe after milestone concerts in the country this summer.

Earlier this year, Burna Boy became the first-ever African artist to headline a UK stadium with his performance at London Stadium (cap. 60,000) on Saturday 3 June.

The Afro-fusion star will return to the very same stadium on Saturday 29th June 2024 for a special performance alongside his band, The Outsiders, as part of the I Told Them… Tour.

Spaceship Entertainment, Whytelion and Coko Bar will promote the Grammy Award-winner’s return show, with tickets on sale this Friday (24 November).

Also in June 2024, P!nk will return to the UK with her blockbuster Summer Carnival Tour, which this year spanned 64 dates and grossed US$350 million.

Following her two sell-out headline shows at BST, P!NK will return to London with two nights at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

The 16-stop 2024 run includes stadium shows in London, Dublin, Liverpool, Cardiff, Glasgow, Bern, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Brussels, Leipzig, Stuttgart, Mönchengladbach and Stockholm.

Following her two sell-out headline shows at BST during the summer, P!NK will return to London with two nights at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (62,850).

The Script, GAYLE, and DJ and producer KidCutUp are due to support the star on the Summer Carnival Tour 2024.

The Summer Carnival Tour recently completed a North American leg where P!nk performed to 1.75 million fans with sold-out record-breaking shows across the country.

Its next stop is Australia and New Zealand, with shows in Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne, Auckland and more.

 

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Burna Boy’s South Africa gig axed amid fraud claim

A concert by Burna Boy in South Africa has been cancelled following a fraud allegation against one of its organisers.

The Nigerian Afro-fusion superstar was due to perform at the 90,000-cap FNB Stadium in Johannesburg this past Saturday (23 September), but the concert was called off in the days leading up to it amid speculation of poor ticket sales.

However, promoter Ternary Media Group says it pulled the plug after CEO Sedote Nwachukwu was accused of stealing R10m (€500,000) from the company.

“Due to pending legal proceedings relating to an upcoming Burna Boy concert in Johannesburg, the event has been postponed,” it says, as per TimesLive.

The firm says it has relieved Nwachukwu of his duties “until further notice” in light of the allegations made by his business partner Gregory Wings, and is cooperating with the authorities. Nwachukwu, who tells Sowetan Live that around 20,000 tickets had been sold for the show, denies stealing the cash and has made a counter-claim against Wings.

A spokesperson for Gauteng provincial police confirms that a fraud case had been opened and was under investigation.

“Production vendors have still not been paid, and as such, it is evident at this point that the agreed production standard needed for this venue size can’t be achieved”

Burna Boy’s management issued a statement to Business Insider Africa regarding the cancellation, blaming promoters for failing to fulfil their “contractual, production, financial, and technical obligations”.

“Sadly, it is with great regret that we must inform you that despite my team’s effort, the show on September 23rd in Johannesburg will be cancelled over the inability of the promoters to fulfil their contractual, production, financial and technical obligations,” says the statement.

“Production vendors have still not been paid, and as such, it is evident at this point that the agreed production standard needed for this venue size can’t be achieved. Deepest apologies to all fans; all ticketing companies must ensure it is fully refunded. Looking forward to seeing you all soon.”

Organisers say the event will be rescheduled for 16 December, but FNB Stadium bosses say a contract is yet to be signed.

This summer, Burna Boy became the first ever African artist to headline a UK stadium, performing the 60,000-cap London Stadium in June.

 

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Afro Nation announces US debut with Burna Boy, Wizkid

Afro Nation, the world’s biggest Afrobeats festival, is expanding to the US this year with a Miami edition.

Burna Boy and Wizkid will headline the two-day event, set for 27 and 28 May at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida.

Nigerian superstars Rema and Asake, dancehall legend Beenie Man, rising African stars CKay, BNXN, and Black Sherif and French rapper Franglish also appear on the bill.

The Miami edition will highlight the best in Afrobeats, dancehall, hip-hop, amapiano, and other Black-led musical genres

The organisers say that the Miami edition, like previous Afro Nation events, will highlight the best in Afrobeats, dancehall, hip-hop, amapiano, and other Black-led musical genres.

Previous editions have taken place in Africa, Europe, and the Caribbean since the brand launched in 2019.

Last year, the festival marked its North American debut with Afro Nation Puerto Rico, as well as its return to Portugal for the second time and Ghana, for the first time since 2019.

Afro Nation Miami 2023 is presented by Event Horizon, SMADE, and Live Nation.

 

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Ghana’s Afrochella ‘will not return’

Organisers of Ghana’s Afrochella festival say the event will not return in the wake of its 2022 edition.

Afrochella launched in 2017 and was most recently held at El Wak Stadium, near Accra, from 28-29 December with headliners Burna Boy and Stonebwoy. Other performers included Stonebwoy, Asake and Gyakie.

According to BBC, the announcement was made at the end of the festival at around 3am last Friday morning.

“This is the last Afrochella,” co-founder Abdul Abdullah told the crowd just after Burna Boy’s headline set.

No reason was given for the decision but last October it was revealed that Goldenvoice and Coachella are suing the event for copyright infringement

No reason was given for the decision but last October it was revealed that Goldenvoice and Coachella are suing the event for copyright infringement.

Afrocehlla organisers are accused of “actively promoting music events in the United States and in Ghana using the confusingly similar [name] ‘Afrochella’ and by fraudulently attempting to register plaintiffs’ actual trademarks as their own”.

According to a lawsuit filed in the US district court, the defendants “expanded their infringing conduct” via the launch of “at least seven different” Afrochella events in the Los Angeles area and “have refused to curtail their infringing use of plaintiffs’ registered marks, necessitating the filing of this federal lawsuit”.

“Despite repeated requests from Plaintiffs, defendants have refused to adopt their own distinctive event name and marks, and as a result, instances of actual confusion have already appeared on social media,” it added.

 

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Burna Boy announces historic London Stadium gig

Burna Boy is set to become the first ever African artist to headline a UK stadium.

Promoters Robomagic Live and Coko Bar have announced details of the Afro-fusion star’s Love, Damini Stadium concert, which will take place at the 60,000-cap London Stadium on Saturday 3 June 2023.

The Grammy Award-winning 31-year-old already made history this past April by becoming the first Nigerian act to headline the 20,000-cap Madison Square Garden in New York.

“Together with our partners at Cokobar we are proud to bring the spectacle that is a Burna Boy show, to London Stadium for the very first time,” says a joint statement from Robomagic chief Rob Hallett and Ropo Akin, CEO of Coko Bar, which specialises in promoting African artists throughout Europe.

“It will be a landmark first for him or any solo African artist here in the UK”

“Here at London Stadium we are always looking to break new ground with our live events, so we are honoured to host the debut UK stadium show for Burna Boy,” adds Graham Gilmore, CEO of London Stadium. “It will be a landmark first for him or any solo African artist here in the UK, so it promises to be a special night at the stadium next June.”

Real name Damini Ogulu, Burna Boy previously starred at London’s OVO Arena Wembley (cap. 12,500) in November 2019 and The O2 (20,000) in August 2021. Last week, he presented his manager and mother Bose Ogulu with the Manager of the Year Award at the 2022 UK’s Artist & Manager Awards.

PHOTO (L-R): Ropo Akin, Burna Boy, Bose Ogulu, Rob Hallett and Graham Gilmore

 

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Live Nation inks JV with Duke Concept

Live Nation has launched a joint venture with Duke Concept to co-promote African artists in the US.

Duke Concept CEO Osita “Duke” Ugeh has worked with Live Nation since 2018 and previously collaborated with the company on two Burna Boy tours, reports Billboard.

Burna Boy, who has played a number of arenas in Europe, will become the first Nigerian artist to headline New York’s Madison Square Garden on 28 April.

“Over the past few years working with Duke, our relationship has grown immensely,” says Andy Messersmith, director of touring at Live Nation. “With our combined passion for the music and utilising the assets that both Live Nation and Duke Concept bring to the table, we have been very successful.”

Andy has been a great ambassador of the culture

“It only takes one person to believe, and [Messersmith did],” says Ugeh. “Since then Andy has been a great ambassador of the culture and we have gone on to co-produce very successful tours together.”

Ugeh, who also works with the likes of Nigerian artist Davido, will retain the right to stage events independently as part of the deal, and is planning five Afrobeat tours in the US next year.

“We are getting the right venues and opportunities and that’s thrilling because we’ve spent so much time in the shadows,” he adds.

 

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Burna Boy to open the O2’s Welcome Back Shows series

Afrofusion star Burna Boy will kick off the O2’s Welcome Back Shows series this summer, heralding a return to normality for the London arena.

The Welcome Back Shows series will welcome capacity crowds to the 20,000-cap. arena for the first time since 2020, starting with Burna Boy’s first-ever headline show on 27 August.

The concert, dubbed Twice as Tall, will be the first event in the Welcome Back Shows series which also features Ministry of Sound Classical on 13 November and UK comedian Mo Gilligan + Friends with ‘The Black British Takeover’ on 8 December, as previously reported on IQ.

“We’re ecstatic that the series will kick off the arena returning to full capacity this August with global superstar Burna Boy”

“We’re ecstatic that the Welcome Back Shows will kick off the arena returning to full capacity this August with global superstar Burna Boy,” says Anna Parry, programming manager at the O2. “He’s been a trailblazer in the music industry and we can’t wait to hear him fill the arena with his feel-good hits, providing a much-needed antidote to this past year.”

Gareth Griffiths, head of sponsorship at O2 added: “What a way to kickstart the Welcome Back Shows in August, we’re delighted to welcome Burna Boy back to The O2 with his Twice As Tall show. Getting the arena open again and full of fans is so important, there are brighter times coming and we can’t wait.”

Burna Boy first graced the stage of the O2 arena alongside Stormzy at the Brit Awards in 2020. This year’s awards were also hosted at the O2, marking the UK’s largest indoor pilot event.

 

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Shows axed amid South Africa violence

Several artists have cancelled upcoming shows in South Africa, as the looting and violence which has left five foreigners dead continues.

Nigerian musicians Tiwa Savage, Burna Boy and Banky W, as well as comedian Basketmouth, have announced they are boycotting South Africa after a week of rioting that targeted non-South Africans, primarily Nigerians, and foreign-owned businesses.

Burna Boy, who is booked for Afropunk Festival in Johannesburg on new year’s eve, tweeted that he will “not ever go to South Africa again” unless the South African government takes action against the rioters, while Tiwa Savage, who was to perform at Delicious Festival on 21 September, says she won’t “watch the barbaric butchering of my people”.

The Nigerian government has threatened “definitive” action to protect its citizens in South Africa, as tensions rise between Africa’s two largest economies. “The continuing attacks on Nigerian nationals and businesses in South Africa are unacceptable,” it said in a statement, announcing it had also withdrawn its ambassador.

Since the end of Apartheid in 1994, xenophobic violence has been a longstanding feature in the ‘new’ South Africa, according to a recent report by the African Center for Migration and Society, reports the New York Times.

According to the Times, South Africa’s black townships have seen previous outbreaks of xenophobic violence that claimed lives in 2008 and 2015.

 

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