“I felt very relieved because I deserved it” – Singer, Burna Boy on winning the Grammy Award

Nigerian Grammy award-winning artiste, Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu popularly known with his stage name Burna Boy, has expressed relief at getting the much desired Grammy awards because he deserved it.

Speaking with BBC Africa after winning his award for the Best Global Music Album category, the 29-year—old singer said “I felt very relieved because I deserved it. If I did not get it, I was hoping a situation would not happen where I would not get what I deserved.”

The ‘Wonderful’ crooner continued that he started taking music as a career in 2012 and he pursued his dream of achieving the feat despite being in a discouraging environment.

“In 2012, I realised that it was bigger than me and that was when it hit me that this was not a hobby anymore.

“Anything is possible. Whatever situation or environment one finds oneself does not really determine one’s future or what one is going to do. It also does not stop one from pursuing one’s dreams. At the end of the day, we are in an environment that is very discouraging. An environment that does not even believe in itself; talk more of believing in one.

Explaining the making of the award-winning Twice As Tall album, Burna Boy said “It is important to work from Nigeria, despite the challenges, because it is my home. The fact that I did it here does not mean that it was conducive. I felt that if we had a leadership that took the youths seriously and also put certain infrastructure in place, I probably would not be winning the Grammy in 2021. I would have won it in 2013 or 2014. But at the end of the day, God does not make mistakes. A lot of doors have been opened and my biggest joy is that future geniuses will be going through these doors and also opening new ones.”