News Americas, New York, NY, Weds. July 10, 2024: Burna Boy has so far chosen to remain silent as Steel Pulse’s David “Electric” Hinds claims his band was disrespected by the security and crew of the Grammy-winning Afrobeats star at the 37th Summer Jam Festival in Cologne, Germany.
In a social media post, Hinds detailed how Steel Pulse was allegedly mistreated. He wrote that Burna Boy’s security team and crew tried to evict them from their dressing room. This was done to accommodate the African singer’s large entourage. Hinds tagged his band, Burna Boy, and the festival’s official page,
Hinds mentioned that original Steel Pulse band member Selwyn Brown was furious. Furthermore, the team stood their ground, shocked by the treatment of a band that has significantly contributed to Reggae music, by Burna Boy’s team. He criticized the Summer Jam Festival organizers, demanding an explanation for the perceived bullying by Burna Boy’s team. He also questioned the decision to erect a barricade, splitting the dressing rooms and making them feel like prisoners.
Hinds concluded by warning Reggae festival organizers that such behavior from Burna Boy’s entourage should not be tolerated in the Reggae community, a genre that stands for peace, love, and unity.
As of now, neither Summer Jam nor Burna Boy has responded to the allegations.
Summer Jam 2024, held from July 5-7, headlined Burna Boy. It featured top Jamaican acts like Skillibeng, Konshens, Busy Signal, Lila Ike, Beenieman, and Ky-Mani Marley, among others.
ABOUT STEEL PULSE
Steel Pulse, a roots reggae band from Birmingham, England, formed in 1975 at Handsworth Wood Boys School. The original lineup included David Hinds (lead vocals, guitar), Basil Gabbidon (lead guitar, vocals), and Ronald McQueen (bass), with brief contributions from Basil’s brother Colin on drums and Mykaell Riley (vocals, percussion). Steel Pulse became the first non-Jamaican act to win the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album.
Inspired by Bob Marley and The Wailers, Steel Pulse released their debut single “Kibudu, Mansetta and Abuku” in 1976. Despite initial resistance in local venues due to their Rastafarian beliefs, they gained popularity by performing in punk rock venues. Aligning with Rock Against Racism, they toured with punk bands before supporting reggae legend Burning Spear, which led to a contract with Island Records.
Their debut album, Handsworth Revolution (1978), was critically acclaimed, followed by the notable single “Ku Klux Klan.” After three albums with Island Records, they switched to Elektra Records, releasing True Democracy (1982) and Earth Crisis (1984). Steel Pulse’s Babylon The Bandit (1985) won a Grammy Award.
The band continued to evolve, releasing albums like State of Emergency (1988), Rage and Fury (1997), and African Holocaust (2004). They were the first reggae band to appear on The Tonight Show. Moreover, they participated in significant cultural moments, such as Spike Lee’s Do The Right Thing soundtrack and major reggae festivals.
Steel Pulse’s most recent album, Mass Manipulation (2019), was nominated for a Grammy Award. In 2023, they collaborated with Easy Star All-Stars on a cover of “Five Years” by David Bowie. Despite facing challenges and lineup changes, Steel Pulse remains a vital force in reggae music.
History of BURNA BOY before Steel Pulse incident
Born, Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu MFR in Nigeria, Burna Boy gained widespread recognition in 2012 with the release of “Like to Party,” the lead single from his debut studio album, L.I.F.E (2013). In 2017, Burna Boy signed with Atlantic Records in the United States and Warner Music Group internationally. This lead to the release of his third studio album, Outside (2018).
In 2019, Burna Boy’s career hit new heights. He won Best International Act at the BET Awards and was named an Apple Music Up Next artist. That same year, he released his fourth studio album, African Giant. This release won Album of the Year at the All Africa Music Awards and earned a nomination for Best World Music Album at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards. He was also honored as African Artist of the Year at the 2020 Ghana Music Awards. His fifth studio album, Twice as Tall, was released in August 2020. It won Best World Music Album at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards. In 2021, he again won Best International Act at the BET Awards.
Burna Boy’s sixth studio album, Love, Damini, released in 2022. It achieved the highest debut of a Nigerian album on the Billboard 200 chart. Subsequently it became the highest-charting African album in France, the Netherlands, and the UK. In October 2022, he was awarded the Member of the Order of the Federal Republic plaque for his contributions to music. In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked him number 197 on its list of the 200 greatest singers of all time. That same year, Burna Boy won his fourth Best International Act at the BET Awards and also secured The Headies Afrobeats Single of the Year and Song of the Year awards for “Last Last.”
