Nigerian singer-songwriter Davido, who was born in Atlanta, wants to celebrate his 32nd birthday by bringing both of his hometowns to State Farm Arena for a celebratory night of music on Nov. 21.
The Grammy-nominated Afrobeats artist behind feel-good jams like “Fall” and “Unavailable” is headlining the Davido and Friends Birthday Concert. The show features appearances from international artist Musa Keys, African band The Compozers and other surprise guests.
“Half of my life was spent growing up in Atlanta, so I wanted to do something every year for Africans and all types of people to come together to celebrate African culture,” Davido said.
Davido’s songs are some of the most recognizable tunes in Afrobeats. The BET Award winner’s radio- and club-friendly records feature lyrics about romance, fun and spirituality, typically sang in English and Yoruba, one of Nigeria’s widely spoken languages.
“If it’s not about celebration or dancing, it’s about a girl. If it’s not a girl, you’re praising the Lord,” Davido said of his music. “I sing about women because they make the world go round. You’ll never hear anything in the music about having beef or selling drugs.”
Born David Adedeji Adeleke at Northside Hospital, Davido’s parents moved him to Lagos three months after he was born. They made him spend every summer at his family’s home in Sandy Springs and with his cousins in Norcross.
He says he anticipated those annual vacations because they gave him a chance to hear Atlanta hip-hop. “I started listening to Ludacris, Dem Franchize Boyz, Rich Homie Quan and Young Thug,” Davido said. “But when Soulja Boy’s ‘Crank That (Soulja Boy)” came out, it felt like something special because it was always on the radio every second.”
Credit: EMMANUEL AGBEBLE'APMWORLDMAG'
Credit: EMMANUEL AGBEBLE'APMWORLDMAG'
Back in Lagos, Davido noticed the success Nigerian singer-rapper D’banj, producer Don Jazzy and their record label, Mo’Hits Records, were having. He says their popularity inspired him to start making music because their notoriety was similar to Atlanta artists.
“They were really putting it on, doing everything a young boy ever imagined he’d want to do and making us believe that there was really money in African music,” he said
Davido’s father made him enroll into Oakwood University, a historically Black university in Huntsville, Alabama, when he turned 15 years old. He regularly commuted to see his family and hear music in Atlanta. Then, he met a classmate with a recording studio in his dorm room and was inspired to make music again in his spare time.
Convinced he could be a successful artist, Davido invested in a mobile studio with a laptop, speakers and a microphone.
“I was making music at studios in Lagos, but I never had my own setup,” he said. “He took me to Guitar Center, helped me buy my own mobile studio equipment, taught me how to record myself and showed me that you didn’t need the building to make music.”
He decided to move back to Nigeria to launch his music career. Releasing his debut album, “Omo Baba Olowo,” in 2012, Davido blended African music, electronic and hip-hop. He said he prefers recording his music in Africa to keep it authentic.
“American music was cool, but it’s really not my forte,” he said. “Lagos is the No. 1 party city in the world, and African culture was what I already understood and loved.”
On Nov. 22, 2019, Davido released his sophomore album, “A Good Time.” Recorded in Atlanta, it featured lively singles like “If,” “Fall,” and “Assurance.”
Credit: BW
Credit: BW
His album “A Good Time” became a stateside hit with cameos from Atlanta artists Gunna, Summer Walker and producer London on da Track.
He said the album was instrumental in introducing contemporary African music to a global audience.
“I stuck to what I knew without sounding American, and the people loved it,” he said. “It was a life-changing album for me and solidified that Afrobeats was about to break in America.”
DJ Kash hosts Bamba Tuesdays, his weekly residency for the African music subgenre amapiano, at the Afro-Caribbean restaurant Rock Steady Atlanta. He says the audience regularly requests Davido’s new and old material.
“Dude is dope. His music is infectious and makes their bodies want to move,” DJ Kash said.
Credit: Olivia Bowdoin
Credit: Olivia Bowdoin
Davido says the rising popularity of Afrobeats is a collaborative effort between fans, artists and the music industry.
He’s looking to produce films and sign more African artists to his label, Davido Music Worldwide, to ensure Afrobeats is more than just a trend.
“We’re changing the narrative around being African is changing around the world, and music is at the forefront of everything. I’m trying to export the culture, and we’re just getting started,” he said.
8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21. State Farm Arena. 1 State Farm Drive, Atlanta. 800-745-3000. StateFarmArena.com
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