This year, the break the final of the soccer world cup It will be celebrated in true Super Bowl style, with musical performances by well-known artists such as Madonna, Robbie Williams and Shakira. Precisely, the latter has been in charge of the World Cup anthem, the song ‘Dai Dai’, with the Nigerian singer Burna Boywho will also be present at the game. This will be played on Sunday, July 19, between Spain and Argentina.
Artist and composer Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu MFR, better known in the music scene as Burna Boy, He rose to fame in 2012 with his single “Like to Party”. Thanks to hits like “Alone”, a song that is part of the soundtrack of the film ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’, or his collaboration with Drake on the song ‘One Dance’, he has managed to be the first African artist with the highest number of monthly listeners on Spotify, with more than 47 million.
The Nigerian singer uses his songs to demand and raise his voice against injustices
His themes are characterized by the mixture of classic afrobeat with other musical genres such as hip hop, reggae or R&B, as well as lyrics full of messages of African pride and against racism. Precisely, one of his most popular phrases belongs to his song, ‘Time Files’: “From the Niger Delta to the corners of Africa, America and the world, Black people are turning the tables, taking back our place. “We will be heard because we matter.”
A prayer that appears as an intervention by Damini’s mother, Bose Ogulu, and that vindicates the presence of a group that has historically suffered repression and discrimination both in their own countries and in other nations. They are achieving this presence thanks to greater visibility and recognition both in the musical field, with artists such as Tyla, Kendrick Lamar or Rihanna, and in other cultural fields such as cinema or sports.
Thanks to his increasing popularity, the Nigerian artist is managing to give voice to different realities that are affecting contemporary Africa. “Sing out loud, let them hear you” or “black people stop calling the oppressor ‘sir'” are some of the messages he sends on his album ‘Twice As Tall’, in which ‘Time Files’ appears and for which received the Grammy Award for Best Global Music Album. An album that he wanted to dedicate both to his international audience and to his people, as he explained to “The New York Times.”
A musical career that began at the age of 10 and has led him to be in the final of the 2026 World Cup
“I am a citizen of the world and I have a responsibility to the world. But, at the same time, it is It’s my people who are really bearing the brunt.“, he explained during the interview. That is why since he was little he always knew that his dream would be to make music, yes, but with a message to send to the world. This dream began At just 10 years old, when he started making his own songs using FL Studio music production software.
His maternal grandfather, upon seeing his talent and after having worked as a manager for other artists, decided teach you your musical knowledge and about how to elevate your career to stardom. It was in 2010, when he decided to leave his university studies in Brixton, that he signed with his first record label. From this stage came his first success, “Like to Party”, in 2012, although he decided to leave and start your own record label to be able to unleash your creativity.
Now, he has managed to position himself on the world charts thanks to his collaboration on the song Dai Dai, official anthem of the 2026 Soccer World Cup. Something that led him to perform at the opening ceremony of the competition and that will bring him back to the soccer field, this time in New York, for the final that will be played on Sunday, July 19, at 9:00 p.m.. The break, the time in which the performances will take place, will last 17 minutes according to FIFA.