The ‘African Giant’ Challenging Musical Boundaries
In January, when Coachella announced the lineup for its annual music festival in California, the Nigerian-born singer Burna Boy—one of only two African artists set to perform—quickly reacted to the placement of his name on the promotional materials. “I really appreciate you,” he wrote in an Instagram Story after the poster reveal. “But I don’t appreciate the way my name is written so small in your bill. I am an AFRICAN GIANT and will not be reduced to whatever that tiny writing means. Fix tings quick please.”
At the time, the Afro-fusion singer’s dramatic response to the perceived slight earned him some from those (fans included) who thought the Instagram post betrayed an outsized ego, even for a musician. But when Coachella didn’t amend the flyers, Burna Boy doubled down: His label sent press a reimagined festival poster—one that listed his name in place of all the other performers. Soon afterward, he announced the “African Giant” tour and the title of his forthcoming album—you guessed it—. (Onstage at Coachella in April, he eschewed the ire in favor of crowd-centric ebullience, especially when alongside his fellow Nigerian artist Mr
