Burna Boy and his peculiar stagecraft

Undoubtedly, Nigerian thespians have taken centre stage in the music world. Afrobeats are a fusion of traditional West African musical styles with Western pop, rap, and dance halls. It is a musical force that reverberates. It can hold your attention and ignite your senses. Famous Western thespians are collaborating with Nigerian acts, and the effect has been astonishing. But this will only happen with discerning stagecraft, which is why *Burna Boy* leads the pack.

I don’t need to bore you with Burna Boy’s trajectory. His musical strength is deep. He delivers verses with passion. His stagecraft is next to none, which is why he will continue to be relevant worldwide for a long time. What is working for Burna Boy is the mastery of stagecraft, a skill he uses to solidify his presence on the world stage.

What is stagecraft, and why does it matter? Stagecraft is an art that appeals to human psychology. The late King of Pop music, Michael Jackson, epitomized stagecraft. Fans scream and cry when he comes on stage. It was not about the lyrics of his songs but about how he brought the music to life to meet with emotions and bring about that psychological effect associated with stagecraft. The success story of Michael Jackson is strategically linked to his stagecraft. This is the line Burna Boy has toed in recent times. He recently made history after he sold out the 80,000-capacity London Stadium in one of the stops for his record-making ‘I Told Them’ tour. This is the second time he has done it. There are many more.

I watched clips of the performance, and it was simply sheer brilliance. What works for Burna Boy is the refusal to lose the African identity in his delivery. His band does wonders, too, and it blends effortlessly into the existing Western culture and brings about a mix of emotions and excitement. That is the psychological effect associated with Burna Boy and his craft.

There is also another dimension. I gathered that Burna Boy studied media technology at the University of Sussex, and media communications and culture at Oxford Brookes University in the United Kingdom. I was particularly interested in media communications culture so I visited the school website, and here is what I got: “Communication, Media and Culture takes a uniquely interdisciplinary approach to explore the changing resources we use to construct and reconstruct the social world. Areas of particular expertise include engagement and participatory potentials in new media forms, from online gaming to remix culture”. This was exemplified in the hit song “Last Last,” a remix of  “He Wasn’t Man Enough.”  by Toni Braxton.

It was only a remix of culture and nothing more. The song became a national anthem. At the end of his recent performance, I recall that song climaxed the show, and the fans wanted more. This is always the case.

My argument in this article is that most Nigerian acts have yet to devote time and attention to stagecraft. Recording a song in a studio and performing the same song at a concert are two different things. Your music gains traction if you can deliver on stage. That means taking ownership. Take time to watch some of Burna Boy’s concerts. You will marvel. It is not luck. It is deliberate. It is hard work. That explains why he is the highest-selling African musical artist. His African Giant album got positive reviews and was praised for not “diluting his sound.”

I understand Burna Boy charges charges one million dollars or more per show. I stand to be corrected. If indeed true, it is phenomenal. This can’t be a fluke. Other Nigerian acts need to take a cue from Burna Boy to improve their stagecraft. Music is an art and a business. It is not talent alone. You can have the best voice in the world, but it gets unheard. Your music can have the best lyrics, but it is not appreciated. It is because things are left to chance and luck. The world has moved beyond chance and luck.

The approach of communication, media and culture comes to mind. It is exploratory. It is about the approach to exploring the changing resources that we use to construct and reconstruct the social world. This is simply what Burna Boy has deployed in his musical journey and why he is on top today with sold-out musical concerts.

Stagecraft is crucial to the success of musical acts. I interrogated this and found three attributes necessary for musical acts to domesticate: “Know the music inside and out, keep your focus on the crowd and stay creative.” It’s hard to forget a performer who envelopes their audience. Burna Boy and his managers know this fact and have utilized it effectively.

Jide Taiwo, a Nigerian music journalist, released a book titled E File Fun Burna: The Incredible Stagecraft of Burna Boy. This translates as “Give the question of stagecraft to Burna Boy.” In the book, the author examines the extraordinary live performances of Burna Boy and highlights why he is ahead of most of his peers in the Nigerian music scene. It highlighted the singer’s “ability to hold the attention of audiences, focusing on the essence of his stagecraft and its impact on his career so far.” Burna Boy is a force. He should do well to sustain the excellent work.

Let’s also hope that rather than degenerate into unnecessary envy and rivalry, Nigerian artists sustain and grow the culture of collaboration. We’ve seen such partnerships over time: The Fela Anikulapo-Kuti dynasty of Femi, Seun and Made; Don Jazzy and several artists; Darey, 9ice, Password and Jesse Jagz; Tuface and Peruzzi; Zlatan and Burna Boy, and so on. Two, even more competent heads will always be better than one.

Ocheja, a military historian and doctoral researcher, can be reached via [email protected]