As the popular saying which emphasises the importance of music goes, “music is medicine for the soul.”

Nowhere in the world could this be more literal than in this part of the woods. Not only is Nigerian music one of the thin threads keeping youths from falling off the edge, it has been a source of joy and therapy to many. Thanks of course, to our talented and trend setting artistes. True to this, there is hardly any artiste in the country currently more deserving of this appreciation than Davido.

Since bursting into the music scene, the singer has been nothing short of a phenomenon. Fans quickly gravitated towards his brand of music from his very first single and the rest we can safely say, is history. During the course of this long and illustrious career, he has been a hit mill; delivering multiple hit tunes one can vibe to all year round.

Davido not only has the ability to create top hits, he also has the divine talent to start whole fads, dances, fashion trends and the ability to draw out the genius in the artists he collaborates with. He truly ranks as one of the biggest indigenous brands in the country today. His music, bravado, style and voice, all culminate in what has become one of the few inspirations the Nigerian youth can confidently boast of.

As with every other year, the artiste enjoyed tremendous success this year, with his music bringing international recognition to the Nigerian industry. He featured artists like Nikki Minaj, Lil Baby, Young Thug, Sauti Sol, Chris Brown and more on his 3rd studio album; ‘A Better Time.’

A month after the release of this album which is a huge signal to international labels that global hits can spring out of Africa, over 213.2 million streams were recorded. On YouTube, his ‘Jowo’ video hit 36 million views, while the music video for ‘FEM’ reached 24 million views. He would also share in the gratitude list for the discovery of music sensation, Arya Starr.

His footprints also transcend music, as he has become more than just an entertainer. A feat that can be traced his popular philosophy “we rise by lifting others;” fast gaining prominence in today’s youth culture. As far as philanthropy goes, he broke the internet yet again with his generosity. Many even joked online about being orphans because of this.

Rivaling the influence of a president, Davido in commemoration of his birthday, requested that anyone who feels impacted by his music should show gratitude by sending money to his bank account. Barley 48 hours after, contributions for his birthday had hit N200 million, which the artist added 50 Million to. He eventually made a pledge to donate the entire N250 million to orphanages across the country and set up a committee of notable figures to carry out the assignment.

With this rare gesture, he proved that generosity is indeed one of humanity’s greatest currencies. He showed how influential he had become and shook the entire country by demonstrating how far he will go to help.

In fact, for many, he gave practical expression to the popular maxim “the more you give, the more you receive.” His decision to give out such an amount, despite been a gift to him is truly admirable and he continues to position himself as one of the continent’s most impactful personalities, especially on its youth.

Editor