Lagos concert: Tee Mac slams Burna Boy, gives counter details of what happened

Veteran musician and renowned flutist, Dr. Omatshola Iseli (MFR), professionally known as Tee Mac, has narrated what happened at the controversial Lagos show where Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, a.k.a Burna Boy, was billed to perform last Yuletide.

Much blame has been heaped on Burna Boy for keeping music lovers who converged on Eko Atlantic to be entertained only for the self-acclaimed African Giant to abandon them at the venue all night, and walked up the stage in the morning hours, battling to fix the sound system.

In his defence, the 31 years old Rivers State-born Grammy award winner yesterday denied that he was late to the show. He rather blamed his delay to perform on poor sound system provided by the organisers.

“I love you but I can’t do this again. The organisational structure and infrastructure is (sic) not there for the complexities of my audio and production needs. Let’s be clear, I wasn’t late, my band wasn’t late. We pride ourselves on being highly professional especially with our stage craft. There were three options available to me: wait for audio to be fixed and delay the show; come out at 11pm as planned with no sound; or call breach of contract and pull the plug,” Burna Boy had tweeted in defence yesterday.

He thereafter apologised saying, “I apologise to my fans for how hectic it was, thank you for staying and weathering the storm with me”.

But in his reaction contained in a statement made available to The Frontier this morning, Tee Mac says Burna Boy was not stating the “absolute” truth of what actually took place that night.

According to the former President of the Performing Musicians Employers Association of Nigeria, PMAN, he purchased a VIP ticket of N100,000 for the said show but he later found out that, instead of taking place at the Eko Multipurpose Hall, an indoor hall, it was going to be an open air event on Eko Atlantic grounds. He therefore handed over his VIP ticket to his son, Kingsley to use for the show.

Tee Mac said his son gave him a blow-by-blow account via messaging, of what happened all night long at the show which was scheduled to commence at 11pm.

According to Tee Mac, he got information from his son at 3am that Burna Boy was yet to perform.

Narrating further he said, “There you have a few thousand people paying 30,000 Naira each to stand on an open field from 9pm till 3am. No other band entertaining them.

“Hundreds left and Burna Boy was booed when he came. He spent another 30 minutes on stage when they were trying to fix the sound.

“Every professional musician goes in the afternoon before a show for a ‘sound check’! That’s when every instrument is checked on the mixer and a perfect balance is created. You don’t go on stage and they are just trying to balance the sound. Then there was no need to start the show and abuse the crowd…”

Tee Mac warned that top Nigerian artistes must understand that Nigeria is their home, and should not do anything they dare not do out there in the world, which include coming late on stage, and giving lousy performances.

Read the full statement by Tee Mac below:

Burna Boy is not stating the absolute truth!

I had a 100,000 Naira VIP ticket for the show but when I found out the show was not going to take place at the EKO multipurpose hall but instead open air on EKO Atlantic grounds I gave my youngest son Kingsley the ticket. I stopped going to crowded open air shows. Kingsley messaged me at 3 am that Burna Boy had not performed yet. There you have a few thousand people paying 30,000 Naira each to stand on an open field from 9pm till 3am. No other band entertaining them. Hundreds left and Burna Boy was booed when he came . He spent another 30 minutes on stage when they were trying to fix the sound. Every professional musician goes in the afternoon before a show for a “sound check”! That’s when every instrument is checked on the mixer and a perfect balance is created. You don’t go on stage and they are just trying to balance the sound. 

Then there was no need to start the show and abuse the crowd that they were telling each other on the internet that he is a killer. That he did not shoot that person at a night club earlier last year. 

He went on rambling that his mother was never a dancer with Fela. (There is nothing wrong with being a dancer or singer for Fela! Seun’s mother was a dancer)! 

I think the so called “A” class musicians must understand that Nigeria is their home. You don’t do what you never dare doing out in the world! Coming late on stage, giving lousy performances. Every show should be your best! Never mind in which country you are. Best regards Tee Mac.