Burna Boy: Does ‘Anybody’ Resonate Fela’s Afro Juju Music Style?
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Christina Ngene
I am a movie enthusiast with a passion for writing and a desire to see the African movie industries grow. I try to use my skills as an artist to cheer for Nollywood by writing for NollyMania. • Syndicate Correspondent
Burna Boy was recently on Jimmy Kimmel Live to perform a single ‘Anybody’. The track is taken from his new album ‘African Giant’ which is released July 26. Burna Boy translated the new music ‘Anybody’ in the most sensational way at Jimmy Kimmel Live. The stage was padded with beach sand and palm trees to simulate a tropic island. He was supported by a dancer and a group of musicians.
Burna Boy is projecting Afro juju music style
The beach atmosphere is not all that was simulated, Burna Boy could be digging up Afro juju, Fela’s style of Afro juju to be precise. ‘Anybody’ is a lot more than Afrobeat as there is no loud instrument. It is not a fusion of American funk and jazz but it is deep and soothing. Those lines in ‘Anybody’ that said ‘Nothing wey person never see’ sounds a lot like what the satirist Fela would sing.
Watching Burner Boy did not only resonate Fela’s music style, but it also did the same with his costume. Fela’s costumes have been described by many as radical. In one of the times, Fela sang with clothes on, it would always be a matching Ankara top and pants like Burna Boy wore at Jimmy Kimmel Live.
Most people know Fela for Afrobeat but Fela was also the original founder of Afro juju music genre. Afro juju is simply highlife and it was widely predominant in Nigeria in the 50s. However, with Fela, along with Osita Osadebe, Sunny Ade and many others out of the picture, highlife has almost waned. Like we saw on the ‘Anybody’ performance, highlife doesn’t require much dancing, just slight body movement in response to rhythm. When Burna Boy launched his lead single ‘Like to Party’ 2013, his voice became among the most celebrated voices in Africa today.
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