By Stephanie Lyew/Gleaner Writer—
A skillful performer, Burna Boy had all the right moves and hit all the right notes for a spellbinding performance.
There were mixed feelings when Nigerian Afrobeats sensation Burna Boy culminated the Caribbean leg of his Love, Damini album tour on Sunday night at the National Stadium. The African giant and featured acts Lila Iké and Popcaan, and their guests, managed to engage patrons near and far, despite frequent audio dropouts throughout the almost six-hour show.
At about 6 p.m., one hour before the concert was slated to start, the grandstand and the field, where the VIP and VVIP sections were positioned, had been filled with people eager to see what the featured entertainers would bring to the stage.
Kamal Powell, regional marketing manager at Campari, distributor of Hennessy – the brand which partnered with the concert organizers to provide a premium element to the VIP sections – said he has never seen the stadium that full outside of the annual Inter-Secondary Boys and Girls’ Championships.
“I can say after an entire four weeks of promoting the event, to see that over 15,000 persons have turned out inside our National Stadium, I am over the moon. I can’t say when, other than Champs, that I have seen the grandstand or bleachers this full, and anyone who knows the size of the field, it is about three-quarters full; and it’s wonderful to just be part of that, part of the culture, and in VIP as a major brand,” Powell told The Gleaner.
Even vuvuzela vendors in the general area waited in anticipation for the show to start. Miss Kitty would soon answer the call as the night’s emcee, strutting onto the stage like a true African empress in EtAl, earning the audience’s approval.
The opening act, Lila Iké, continued on the same trend — upbeat and empowering — starting off with the full performance of her single Thy Will and Sweet Inspiration, with which she mixed in her rendition of Barrington Levy’s Too Experienced, then running through hits like I Spy, Second Chance, Where I’m Coming From and Dinero. She not only had the support of her soulful backup singers, Justine Rookwood and Shanice Phillips, but also the dancers of the Energy Squad to add choreography and gimmicks to her beloved lyrics. Protoje and Kabaka Pyramid joined her on stage briefly, allowing her to star her show.
The timing of the band change between the entertainers was commendable, and people would not have to wait too long before Popcaan would appear.
Unruly Boss Popcaan hit the stage calling for Jamaicans to preserve the island’s culture. While performing, he echoed a call for Jamaicans to own their lingo, including profane slangs like ‘b*******t’. It is a call he has been making for several years. He performed a few of his song before leaving the stage due to audio issues. Most of the audience remained patient, while some booed until the Firm and Strong artiste returned to the microphone. Once back, he had two special guests join him; Beres Hammond performed God Is Love, and Toni-Ann Singh for their recent collab, Next To Me, both giving varying levels of sweet sentimentality.
Burna Boy would later invite him out on stage again to perform their single, named after Popcaan’s “angel without the two wings” Toni-Ann Singh. The Afrobeats artiste’s performance was plagued with technical shortcomings, but he maintained a praiseworthy level of professionalism. At the start of his performance, Burna Boy, born Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, said that the trip to Jamaica felt like a homecoming and that he could not find words to say how he was feeling. Despite several hiccups which occurred throughout the tour of the Caribbean, his constant energetic movements made for a pleasant concert-going experience.
“This feels like a long-lost brother coming to see his brothers and sisters,” Burna Boy stated. He also shared that he was aware of the language barrier, but that he would make the connection throughout his performance. He did a long list of tracks, including Gbona (as the opener), Secret, which he performed with dancehall artiste Serani, For My Hand, Location, It’s Plenty, Ye, Bank On It, and Alone, from the Wakanda Forever soundtrack, and, at intervals, had traditional African drummers come and share the spotlight.
He skillfully merged each song into the next, only taking a break when the microphone failed him. Still, the Nigerian star’s performance was an eventful one.
A VIP patron, Afiya Birch-Gentles, could not get enough of the headliner. “I love Africa, the people, the culture, and their style; so of course, any live performance which invites an Afrobeats artiste from the continent, I would, in the words of Burna Boy, ‘bank on it’. That is why I secured my space right at the front from early out. Nothing could dampen my night,” she said.
Burna Boy teased the audience before closing the set with Last, Last by exiting the stage. When he stepped back out, everyone knew what time it was, even without a cue from the band. Despite the technical difficulties, the artiste’s love for Jamaica and his songs echoed as the stadium cleared.
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