Nigerian Afrobeat singer Divine Ikubor, popularly known as Rema, performed at the 2023 Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris, France, on Monday, which saw Inter Miami and Argentina forward Lionel Messi win the topmost football prize for a record eighth time.
The Ballon d’Or, established by the French news magazine France Football in 1956, annually honors the world’s finest players.
Rema performed his global hit song “Calm Down” in front of the most well-known athletes of the day. The singer, dressed in all black, came down from the platform halfway through his performance to shake hands with sportsmen like Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Jr., Erling Haaland, and Bernardo Silva.
London and Andre Vibez co-produced “Calm Down,” which became available as a single from Rema’s debut album Rave & Roses in February 2022.
The music video for the song broke the record for the most views of any Afrobeat video on YouTube in January of this year.
The version featuring Selena Gomez arrived in August last year and recently became the first African artist-led track to cross 1 billion streams on Spotify.
Rema celebrated the milestone on social media after his Paris show, sharing his excitement. He wrote on social media, “Afrobeat[s] in the Ballon d’Or, I’m truly grateful for the opportunity.” “Glory to the most high for the grace.”
In 2023, Rema will grace two major sporting event stages. His first notable appearance took place at the NBA All-Star Game in February, where he shared the spotlight with fellow Afrobeat stars Burna Boy and Tems as Afrobeat became an integral part of major sporting events.
Source: Ghana/MaxTV/MaxFM/max.com.gh/Belinda Quansah
