NBA All-Star halftime show: Afro-beats to the world 

In a first-of-its-kind Afrobeats-themed performance, Nigerian superstars Burna Boy, Tems, and Rema thrilled audiences at the 2023 National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star halftime show held at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.

The lineup of Burna Boy, Tems, and Rema at the halftime show is an indication that afro beats is the big thing currently in the music industry and also points to the fact that Nigerian artiste and their songs are making waves around the world. Their selection and performance also point to the strength of their fan base worldwide.

The show was a lengthy celebration of Afrobeats which is fast becoming Nigeria’s biggest export. The catchy tunes of three of Nigeria’s top music stars had many of the NBA All-Star participants stay away from the locker room during halftime to watch and record the live performance at the courtside. 

This is the first time for any Nigerian artiste to rock the NBA All-Star halftime show in its history. Performances during the halftime show for 71 years comprised of the best creative dance troupes or music superstars on the world stage which makes it one of the biggest musical shows during a sports game after the Super Bowl halftime show.

Halftime in basketball is between the NBA’s second and third quarters. It is a 15-minute break for teams and players to return to the locker room to rest and strategise while celebrity artistes perform during the weekend games. The NBA All-stars halftime show happens during the All-Star games every February.

Burna Boy who is also the acclaimed African Giant said it was a dream to perform on the NBA’s biggest stage. The Grammy award-winning artiste started the show with his all-time hit ‘Anybody’ from his African Giant album and ‘It’s plenty’ from his recent Love, Damini album.

Burna, a three-time Grammy nominee, won the Best Global Music Album award for his 2020 album ‘Twice as Tall’ at the 63rd Grammy. His performance was accompanied by his enthralling dance steps as the arena was covered with his jazz and juju mix.

Right up after, Mavins superstar Rema came up with more fire as he performed his hit song “Calm Down” followed by his latest single “Holiday” while giving his unique style of legwork. Though young in the music industry, his remix of the hit ‘Calm down’ with Selena Gomez further puts him on the front burner of the music industry worldwide. 

Tems, the latest Grammy winner sealed the performance with her hit songs ‘Crazy things’, ‘Free mind’, and her verse from Wizkid’s ‘Essence’. Fresh off the Grammy, Tems is the first Nigerian female artiste to win a Grammy award as she won the Best Melodic Rap Performance category for her part in ‘Wait for U’, the hit song by Future which also featured Drake. 

The stage had gleaming visual effects while the trios were all assisted by a dance team and live band bringing in the traditional African performance.

Several reactions have trailed the performance, Gbemisola Abudu, NBA Africa VP and Country Head said it was a historic moment and she couldn’t be any prouder of the excellent display of Africa and Nigeria at the show. 

“What a show! It took a village for us to pull off this historic moment. The 2023 NBA All-Star Afrobeat halftime show was phenomenal. Thank you and congrats to everyone who went on this journey with us. Africa and Nigeria’s excellence was on full display. I couldn’t be any prouder.”