TIME’s 100 Most Influential People of 2024: Read what Angelique Kidjo wrote about Burna Boy

Grammy Awards winner, Burna Boy made the list of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2024.

The list was released on Wednesday, April 18 on Time's official website.

Legendary Beninese singer Angelique Kidjo who wrote Burna Boy's tribute said the singer played a pivotal role in the global acceptance of afrobeats.

Kidjo wrote: “Burna Boy has made that vision [acceptance of African music] a global reality. His music draws from the rich well of Nigerian folk traditions, and he carries the torch lit by Fela Kuti. He is history in the making.”

"Burna Boy’s deeply original flow and his signature groove have conquered the world with an impressive series of firsts: in 2023, he became the first African artist to sell out a U.S. stadium, and in 2024, he became the first Afrobeats artist to sing at the Grammys," she added.

The Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People recognition honors individuals who have made a significant impact on the world through their art, activism, and cultural influence.

This is not the first time Burna Boy has stamped his authority on the global stage. Recently, he secured a coveted spot on the inaugural Essence Magazine’s Sexiest Men Of The Moment list.

He was joined on the list by British-Nigerian stars Skepta and Damson Idris.

Below is Angelique Kidjo's tribute to Burna Boy

Ten years ago or so, when young African musicians would come to me for advice, I would tell them, “You don’t need to mimic American artists! The world needs the amazing richness and beauty of our traditional African music and our culture. This land is where most of modern music comes from. This source of inspiration is inexhaustible. Its freshness and its elegance will get the world’s attention for sure.”

Burna Boy has made that vision a global reality. Inspired by the fantastic drums of Nigerian folk music, and studied in the craft of the great African singer-songwriters, he follows in the footsteps of Fela Kuti—the internationally celebrated Afrobeats artist and activist. Burna Boy’s deeply original flow and his signature groove have conquered the world with an impressive series of firsts: in 2023, he became the first African artist to sell out a U.S. stadium, and in 2024, he became the first Afrobeats artist to sing at the Grammys.

He is history in the making. Now a whole generation of young people from the continent is looking up to him.