Olamide, Others Introduced Live Band into Afrobeats Before Burna Boy – ID Cabasa Tackles Ruger

Olumide Ogunade, a seasoned music entrepreneur better known as ID Cabasa, has boldly corrected the common misperception about the origins of live band performances in the Afrobeat genre.

In a recent interview, the brilliant vocalist Ruger said that his Grammy-winning friend, Burna Boy, was the pioneer who introduced live bands to Afrobeats shows.

Ruger stated that prior to Burna Boy’s era, most Afrobeats performers depended mainly on DJ sets during their stage presentations, and that Burna Boy changed live performances, increasing their overall popularity.

Ruger said:“Before Burna Boy started this live band thing most Afrobeats Act would just go on stage with their DJs and bounce, Burna boy makes live performance enjoyable.“I don’t care if they give Burna Boy his flowers or not, but we the youngins from Nigeria know what he has done.”

In a recent episode of Adesope’s podcast, Legendary music producer ID Cabasa addressed Ruger’s claims about Burna Boy’s role in introducing live bands to the stage.

ID Cabasa firmly countered Ruger’s assertions by highlighting the significant contributions of seasoned artists he has collaborated with, such as 2Baba (formerly known as 2face), 9ice, and Olamide, who had long embraced live band performances well before Burna Boy’s era.

He emphasized the rich history and evolution of live music within the Afrobeat scene, underscoring the enduring legacy of these pioneering artists in shaping the genre’s live performance culture.