Burna Boy’s family includes his parents, Bose and Samuel Ogulu, his sisters Ronami and Nissi, and his maternal grandfather Benson Idonije, who managed Fela Kuti. Their roles in his life are well documented, but one widely repeated family story is false: Bose has said she was never one of Fela’s dancers.
Burna Boy’s family at a glance
| Burna Boy | Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, born July 2, 1991, in Port Harcourt, Nigeria |
|---|---|
| Mother | Bose Ogulu, a former language teacher and translator who manages his career |
| Father | Samuel Ogulu, who ran a welding business |
| Sisters | Ronami Ogulu, a music executive and stylist; Nissi Ogulu, a musician and designer |
| Maternal grandfather | Benson Idonije, broadcaster and former manager of Fela Kuti |
Burna Boy described the sounds around him growing up in a 2020 interview with Crack Magazine: his mother played French music, his father liked reggae, and an uncle introduced him to rap. That mix helps explain why he describes his own music as Afro-fusion. The Recording Academy records his 2021 Best Global Music Album win for Twice as Tall.
Who are Burna Boy’s parents?
Bose Ogulu: mother and manager
Bose Ogulu studied languages and translation. In her BusinessDay interview, she said she grew up in Lagos and moved to Port Harcourt after marrying Burna Boy’s father. She also explained that she and Samuel sent their son to the United Kingdom for university in 2008. When he made clear that he wanted music instead, she supported that decision.
Bose later became Burna Boy’s manager. Her work has included the business side of his career and Spaceship Collective. The family’s support was practical as well as emotional: Ronami told TheCable in 2024 that Bose sometimes added money from her own salary to the fee offered for an early show so Burna Boy would take the booking. This is Ronami’s account of a specific period, not a claim about every performance.
Samuel Ogulu: father and early support
Samuel Ogulu kept a lower public profile. In Burna Boy’s Crack Magazine interview, the singer said his father ran a welding business and listened to reggae. Ronami also recalled that Samuel drove Burna Boy to early shows, waited, and brought him home. Beyond these accounts, there is little reliable public detail about Samuel’s private life.
Does Burna Boy have siblings?
Yes. Burna Boy has two sisters, Ronami and Nissi Ogulu. Each has a public creative career of her own; their work should not be reduced to their relationship with him.
Ronami Ogulu
Ronami first helped with styling while working in finance. She joined the family’s music business full time in 2018. In a 2025 Music Business Worldwide interview, she was identified as Burna Boy’s co-manager and the chief operating officer of Spaceship Collective. She discussed the business, brand and creative work she undertakes with Bose.
Nissi Ogulu
Nissi is a singer and artist with an engineering and design background. In her 2020 Pulse Nigeria interview, she described herself as the youngest of the three siblings, said she studied design at the University of Warwick, and explained that she had always tried to keep her own artistry separate from her brother’s. She said Bose also managed her career. Nissi’s account offers a useful view of how the siblings grew up making art and music together.
How is Burna Boy related to Fela Kuti?
Burna Boy is connected to Fela Kuti through his maternal grandfather, Benson Idonije. Idonije was Fela’s manager; Bose is Idonije’s daughter. Fela was a musical influence and a family associate, not a parent or grandfather of Burna Boy.
The connection did not mean Burna Boy was immersed in Fela’s records from infancy. In a 2023 Los Angeles Times profile based on interviews with Burna Boy and Ronami, Burna Boy recalled favoring American hip-hop when he was younger. The profile says he explored Idonije’s large record collection more deeply after committing to music in his late teens. This gives readers a clearer timeline for his musical influences than simply assuming a grandfather’s career dictated his childhood tastes.
In June 2026, Burna Boy publicly honored Idonije at his 90th birthday celebration, as Channels Television reported. The documented bond is substantial without embellishing it into an inevitable explanation for every part of Burna Boy’s music.
Did Bose Ogulu dance for Fela Kuti?
No. This claim appeared in the original draft, but it conflicts with Bose Ogulu’s own account. Punch reported her denial after she addressed the rumor in an interview: she said she had never danced for Fela. The actual family connection is through her father, Benson Idonije, who managed him. Readers should not confuse that verified relationship with a disputed photograph or a viral claim about Bose.
What role did the family play in Burna Boy’s career?
The clearest documented roles are business and creative ones. Bose manages Burna Boy, Ronami has handled styling and company operations, and Nissi pursues music and design while sharing a manager with her brother. Samuel supported early performances by driving him to shows, according to Ronami. Idonije’s records became an important resource when Burna Boy was developing his sound.
Those details are more useful than saying vaguely that the whole family “made” his success. Burna Boy’s own work remains central, while the accounts from him, Bose, Ronami and Nissi show how specific family members contributed at different times. For other Nigerian artists’ family stories, see our profiles of Rema and Ayra Starr.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Burna Boy’s grandfather?
His maternal grandfather is Benson Idonije, the Nigerian broadcaster and former manager of Fela Kuti.
Who manages Burna Boy?
His mother, Bose Ogulu, manages him. His sister Ronami has also described herself as part of the family’s management team.
Is Nissi Ogulu Burna Boy’s sister?
Yes. Nissi is his younger sister and a musician and designer in her own right.
Sources were reviewed on October 25, 2026. This article uses public interviews and editorial reporting about the family’s professional roles; it avoids speculation about private relatives.
