Veteran Afrobeats sensation D’banj has revealed exciting plans to hit the road alongside his legendary colleagues, 2Baba (formerly 2Face) and Timaya, in a long-anticipated joint tour.
The Oliver Twist crooner made the revelation during a recent appearance on Adesope Live in London, where he opened up about the evolution of Afrobeats and his renewed passion for music.
In the interview, D’banj, real name Oladapo Daniel Oyebanjo reflected on his journey in the industry and how the global rise of Afrobeats is not only a result of artists’ hard work, but also the unwavering support of the African diaspora over the past two decades.
“I was speaking with Timaya the other day and he was like, ‘Banger, it’s okay, you’ve entrepreneur enough. It’s time to come out.’ And I said the same thing. I’m speaking to 2Face as well. 2Face was telling me, let’s go on a tour together.”
“We have myself, 2Face and Timaya. We have great bodies of work. Because of how our industry is, there is a big market for everyone. So, yes, we will be going on a tour…”
The music star also disclosed that fans should gear up for a new single with 2Baba titled Feeling Good, hinting that the upcoming tour might also carry that name as its theme, serving as a tribute to fans who have supported them over the years.
“I’m also dropping a new song with 2Face soon titled ‘Feeling Good.’ For those who have waited, I want to thank you guys. I think that would be the tag of the tour just to thank. Because looking back 20 years…”
D’banj didn’t hold back in praising the tremendous growth of Afrobeats from the early 2000s when the genre was largely confined to West Africa, to now being a dominant global sound featured in international films and charts.
“Now everybody is Afrobeats, everybody is African. But I remember when in this London it was not that great for you to say you are a Nigerian. We all wanted to be Jamaicans. Back then, everybody was embracing Jamaica so for us [Africans] to be the new pop [it is a big deal].”
“These days, there is no UK movie that I’ve seen and our music is not in. So a big kudos not just to the creatives but to the whole community [African diaspora].”
This planned tour promises to be a nostalgic and electrifying celebration of the original trailblazers of modern Afrobeats, D’banj, 2Baba, and Timaya whose collective contributions helped lay the foundation for the genre’s global dominance today.
