Burna Boy’s mother and manager, Bose Ogulu, has been named as one of the 2021 International Power Players by Billboard.
The music industry magazine’s ‘International Power Players’ honour recognises industry leaders — nominated by their companies and peers and selected by Billboard editors — with primary responsibility outside the US.
It includes label executives, music publishers, independent entrepreneurs, artiste managers, and concert promoters.
Also known as Mama Burna, Billboard in the article published on Monday recognised Ogulu for her work “…amid the 2020 pandemic, when she co-executive-produced, released and promoted the Twice As Tall album…” for her Grammy award-winning son, Burna Boy.
Read Also: Breaking: Burna Boy Wins Grammy Award For ‘Twice As Tall’ Album
It added;
He is signed to Bad Habit/Atlantic in the United States and Warner Music International for territories outside of Africa. ‘Twice As Tall’ won Best Global Music Album at this year’s Grammy Awards.
Bose has set up a publishing company through Spaceship Collective to enable Africans to own their own catalogs ‘so that the authenticity of our stories, our glory, our culture is sustained,’ she says, ‘and we are empowered.
Apart from Burna Boy, Ogulu also manages Nissi, Burna’s sister, who performs under her own name.
In the list, Ogulu stands with the likes of Simon Robson, President, International Warner Recorded Music, Warner Music Group; and Monica Cornia, Senior VP International Marketing, RCA Records and Arista Records, Sony Music Entertainment.
Asides from management, Mama Burna is the CEO of Spaceship Collective, the holding company to Spaceship Records and Spaceship Publishing. Both outfits are aimed at enabling Africans to own their catalogues.
She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Foreign Languages, a Masters of Arts in Translation from the University of Port Harcourt, and speaks English, French, German, Italian, and Yoruba.
Ogulu previously held a successful career as a translator for the Federation of West African Chambers of Commerce.
She managed Burna’s career until 2014 and became his manager again from 2017, gaining the nickname “Mama Burna”.
Ogulu is a daughter of the music critic Benson Idonije, who was the manager of Fela Kuti, a late Afrobeat legend.
