Released towards the end of last month, Burna Boy’s soul-hefting jam, “Gbona” is the best we have heard in recent times. “Gbona” follows the trail of Burna Boy’s globally celebrated anthem, “Ye” by consciously tapping into Fela’s Afrobeat aura.
The song thrives on Kelp Amba’s harmonious fusion of a static sound of the past with an infectious dance vibe from the present. It is amidst this melody that Burna Boy’s smooth and apolitical delivery reigns. Unlike Fela, Burna Boy’s Afrobeat aims to be groovy, not political, and progressively, “Gbona” reminds that Afrobeat is a dance genre. “As I dey sing, they feel the bounce/Make all the people jump around”, He sings.
The Clarence Peters video released a day after the song confirms Fela’s influence on Burna Boy’s aesthetics. “Gbona”’s upbeat atmosphere is vibrantly captured alongside the performance of the Kalukata influenced female dancers.
Find “Gbona” in our Afrobeats playlist on Spotify.
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