Burna Boy expected in Kigali
Tuesday, August 22, 2023
Nigerian Afrobeat music star Burna Boy could be in Kigali in October. Net photo

Nigeria's Afrobeats star Burna Boy, who is among the top nominees for the Trace Awards, is expected to attend the first of this kind event to be held in Kigali, Rwanda on October 21.

Davido, who just left Rwanda, where he headlined the closing concert of the Giants of Africa Festival, may also attend the Trace Awards where he is nominated in five categories, leading the nomination list with Burna Boy.

Also read: Five Rwandan artistes nominated for TRACE Awards

Both acts have been nominated in the Best Male, Song of the Year, Best Live, Best Collaboration, Best Artist and Album of the Year categories at the awards which will be held at the BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda on October 21.

Other big names on the continent who could be in Kigali for the awards include Ayra Star, Asake, Rema, Musa Keys and many more.

According to Olivier Laouchez, chairman and co-founder of Trace, most of the artistes nominated for the Trace Awards are expected to attend and perform during the show that will take place in Kigali.

"The Trace Awards nominations celebrate the achievements and excellence of more than 150 performers, producers, DJs, writers, composers, directors, established artists and rising stars, as well as their management and labels. We congratulate all the nominees, most of whom will be attending and performing in Kigali on 21 October. It will be an unmissable experience for lovers of African and Afro-inspired music," Laouchez said in a statement released by Trace on Monday, August 21.

Also read: Trace Awards & Festival to be debuted in Rwanda

It will be Burna Boy's second time in Rwanda, following his 2019 Burna Boy Xperience concert, which took place at the Intare Conference Arena on March 23.

By then, the now biggest artiste on the continent was promoting his fourth studio album ‘African Giants’ which made him a household name on the globe.

Also read: Burna Boy Experience: Nigerian superstar dazzles

His recently released album 'Love, Damini' is one of the best albums in the history of Afrobeats and has been ranked by Spotify as the most exported Afrobeats album to date, the highest debut of an African album on the Billboard 200 chart and gave the artiste a GRAMMY nomination for Best Global Music Album.

'Love, Damini' has helped Burna Boy break records as the first African artistes to sell out a stadium in the UK with a capacity of 60,000 people, first Nigerian artiste in history to headline Madison Square Garden and more.

The Nigerian star is also dropping another album dubbed 'I Told Them...' on August 25.