Burna, Fela and the functionality of contemporary African music

Contemporary African music has been distancing itself from what we would call ‘traditional African beats’. This move has seen a consistent reinvention in music production, as artists and producers try to catch up with the latest trends while borrowing from their western counterparts. On the one hand, there has been an upside to this reinvention, in the sense that the quality of music production has improved, together with the rate at which music is being consumed across borders.

The downside is an erosion of what one would call ‘authentic’ African music. Today’s generation of creators look outside more than within when it comes to inspiration and knowledge production.  

This infatuation with the ‘other’ may be changing with the emergence of musicians such as Burna Boy, who fuses the traditional with the contemporary and keeps the flame of authentic African beats alive; his incredible success in Africa could be a game changer for younger musicians who are noticing that inspiration need not only come from across the Atlantic but also from within.

Upon winning her fourth Grammy in January 2020, Angélique Kidjo dedicated her victory to Burna Boy. “The new generation of African artists is going to take you by storm. And the time has come. This is for Burna Boy,” she said. “Burna Boy is among those young artists that come from Africa and that are changing the way our continent is perceived.”

Kidjo is absolutely correct about her assessment of the Nigerian musician, who has opted to present a more authentic take on African contemporary music by fusing traditional elements that Africa is gradually forgetting about. Burna Boy is the child who washed his hands and is eating with kings, as Chinua Achebe put it; as he blazes the trail for the next generation of music makers, he stands on the shoulders of African legends such as Fela Kuti, the Afrobeat icon who took the road less travelled when he forsook medicine for music. Being a socially conscious musician came with its challenges for Fela, who became a political activist demanding for a clean and honest Nigerian government. This made him an enemy of the state.

That Burna Boy pays homage to Fela Kuti’s influence in his music is no surprise. In doing so, he resurrects the voice and passion of an artist who shaped the African musical and cultural landscape. In taking us back to Fela, Burna Boy evokes a dedicated life to political resistance through music.

As we think about for the functionality of contemporary musicians and their role in society, we should remember the legends who were instrumental in spurring change. It speaks to a lack of ambition and purpose if we only dance to Burna Boy’s fusion while forgetting about the inspiration behind his genius.