“D’banj was first Nigerian artist to gain global popularity” – Davido

Afrobeats singer David Adeleke professionally known as Davido has acknowledged veteran, D’banj’s groundbreaking achievements in gaining international recognition for Nigerian music.

In an interview with Apple Music, the artiste revealed that D’banj’s 2012 hit single “Oliver Twist” paved ways for Nigerian singers in the international space.

Davido credited D’banj’s pioneering success as an inspiration for his own decision to focus on African music, embracing his cultural heritage and contributing to the genre’s growing global popularity.

Davido said:

“D’banj was my first vision of a Nigerian artist taking over the world. No one in America was booking Nigerian artists for shows but that changed when I saw Kanye West in D’banj’s ‘Oliver Twist’ video on YouTube.

“It was because of the success of ‘Oliver Twist’ that Americans started booking D’banj, 2Face, P-Square and other African artists for shows. They were making about $1,000,000 per show. So I decided to switch and start doing African music because that’s where I am from.”