Afrobeats singer David Adeleke, aka Davido, has claimed that D’banj was the first Nigerian musician to achieve global stardom.
According to Davido, before the global success of D’banj’s 2012 hit single ‘Oliver Twist,’ Nigerian artists were not securing international bookings.
In a recent interview with Apple Music, Davido said D’banj’s international success triggered a shift that helped African music gain traction in the Western world.
He stated, “D’banj was my first vision of a Nigerian artist taking over the world. No one in America was booking Nigerian artists for shows, but that changed when I saw Kanye West in D’banj’s ‘Oliver Twist’ video on YouTube.
“It was because of the success of ‘Oliver Twist’ that Americans started booking D’banj, 2Face, P-Square, and other African artists for shows. They were making about $1,000,000 per show. So I decided to switch and start doing African music because that’s where I am from.”
While D’banj played a significant role in the globalisation of African music, particularly Afrobeats, many argue with Davido’s claim that he was the first Nigerian musician to achieve international stardom.
Nigerian music legends such as Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, King Sunny Ade, Majek Fashek, and others gained international recognition in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Additionally, 2Baba (formerly 2Face) won several international awards with his hit song ‘African Queen’ and had it featured in the American romantic comedy ‘Phat Girlz’ (2006), years before D’banj’s ‘Oliver Twist’ was released.
