It’s no news that behind famous singer, Burna Boy’s global success stands Bose Ogulu, his powerhouse mother, manager, and silent engine room of the empire.
In a recent interview, the Afrobeat matriarch peeled back the curtain on what it’s really like managing one of Africa’s biggest music exports especially when that artist also happens to be your son. Bose Ogulu admitted:
“Yes, sometimes it’s tough drawing the line between work and emotions.
“But I tell him: ‘Now your mom’s talking,’ or ‘I’m your manager, so yell at me.’ It helps us feel supported, even in disagreements.”
Being both manager and mother isn’t for the faint-hearted. For Bose Ogulu, it’s a delicate dance of setting boundaries and constantly switching between roles, without letting either falter. In her words:
“Switching from manager to mom hat? Easy. if I was just a mom, I’d stay home. But this is my job.”
“Family extends beyond my kids. Now I have 40 ‘kids’ on stage or touring with us,” she said proudly, referring to Burna Boy’s team.
Before the fame, awards, and sold-out arenas, Ogulu was the backbone behind the scenes, footing bills, doing paperwork, and building what is now one of the most formidable forces in Afrobeats. She revealed:
“Before, they couldn’t pay me. I funded their music, read contracts, handled admin.”
She also shared how her personal background influenced her children’s artistry. A fluent French speaker, Bose exposed her children to diverse cultures and sounds from an early age. She shared:
“France is special because I speak French and took my kids on trips there, like Biarritz. It became part of their lives. We saw rock music everywhere.”
Today, Damini Ogulu, better known as Burna Boy is not only Grammy-winning, but also one of the most influential African artists of this generation.
Discussion about this post