The year 2021 was quite a ride for Davido. It was the year he celebrated a decade of his career in December 2021, with a massive concert in Lagos that sold out tickets hours before the show started. The concert came just a couple of weeks after his global fundraiser that set the internet buzzing and reverberated across the world.
To start the New Year, Nigeria Entertainment Today (Netng) is releasing a documentary on Davido, which tells the remarkable story of the singer as one of the most important performing artistes in contemporary African music.
Given that the documentary is the first of its kind about the singer, we know you have questions, so let’s get started.
What’s the documentary about?
‘We Rise: The Davido Story’ tells the story of Davido with an exclusive inside look at his journey from a teenager trying to get the attention of the world with his music and his struggles with his father, who never wanted him to make music. It also spans his turbulent days of controversies with the media, his support for rising music stars and people around him, as well as his recent globally-acclaimed fundraiser in celebration of his 29th birthday.
“At ID Africa, our goal is to use digital media for capturing and sharing the stories of people, places, and events that matter to young Africans. Since 2009, Netng has been documenting the lives and times of Africa’s most important entertainers, and today, Davido is undoubtedly one of the most celebrated and recognisable Africans globally,” says Femi Falodun, the CEO of ID Africa.
How long have we been working on the project?
Production started in November 2020, and the documentary features original interviews with leading entertainment industry figures such as founder and CEO of Storm 360, Obi Asika and legendary international DJ, Jimmy Jatt, media personalities – Gbemi Olateru-Olagbegi, Eromo Egbejule and Tosin Ajibade, as well as Davido’s music lecturer at Babcock University, Dr. Olusegun Ojuola.
What does the documentary tell us about Davido?
He’s been through the wringer and fire. From trying to convince his father to allow him to do music to his controversies with the media, criticisms from the public and his peers in the industry, Davido persevered and used the experience to reinvent himself to become better and even greater.
Gbemi Olateru-Olagbegi, media personality, who has known Davido since he was 12 puts it well in the documentary: “Whether or not you think it’s because he’s rich that he’s gotten to where he is, he hustles like he has no money and rent is due today.”
Eromo Egbejule, an award-winning journalist and writer, also says Davido is not the first who came from an affluent background, but there’s something just different about him.
“He hustles like a pauper. If I had the kind of money that his father has, I assure you I’d be throwing my legs up every day in Dubai or somewhere else, but he still hustles like he wants to make his mark, and that has endeared him to certain people,” Egbejule says.
How can I stream the documentary?
The 25-minute long documentary premiered on January 15, 2022, on a dedicated page on Netng [thenet.ng/davido] and is available to stream on Netng’s YouTube channel.
