Davido facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Davido
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Davido in 2024
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David Adedeji Adeleke
November 21, 1992 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
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| Citizenship | Nigerian, United States of America |
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| Years active | 2010–present |
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Notable work
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Discography |
| Spouse(s) |
Chioma Rowland Adeleke
(m. 2023) |
| Children | 5 |
| Awards | Full list |
| Musical career | |
| Origin | Lagos, Nigeria |
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David Adedeji Adeleke (born November 21, 1992), known as Davido, is a famous Nigerian-American singer, songwriter, and music producer. He is one of the most important Afrobeats artists of our time. Davido has helped make Afrobeats music popular all over the world.
Davido was born in Atlanta, United States, and grew up in Lagos, Nigeria. He started his music journey with a group called KB International. He first studied business administration at Oakwood University. Later, he decided to focus on making music. Davido became famous after releasing "Dami Duro" in 2011. This song was the second single from his first album, Omo Baba Olowo (2012). Many other hit songs came from this album. In 2012, he won the Next Rated award at The Headies.
Between 2013 and 2015, Davido released many popular songs. These included "Gobe", "One of a Kind", "Skelewu", and "Aye". In 2016, he signed a deal with Sony Music. He also started his own music label, Davido Music Worldwide (DMW). Later that year, he released an album called Son of Mercy. In 2017, he released huge hits like "If" and "Fall". "Fall" became the longest-charting Nigerian pop song on the Billboard charts. In 2019, Davido released his second album, A Good Time.
In 2019, New African magazine named Davido one of the 100 most influential Africans. His third album, A Better Time, came out in 2020. In 2021, he was featured on Time 100s Next List. His fourth album, Timeless, was released in 2023. Davido is also a cultural ambassador for Nigeria. He often speaks up for human rights in Africa. He is one of the most followed African artists on Instagram and Twitter. In 2023, Davido received three nominations at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards.
Contents
Early Life and Education
David Adedeji Adeleke was born on November 21, 1992, in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. His father, Adedeji Adeleke, is a successful businessman from Nigeria. His mother, Vero Adeleke, was a university lecturer. Davido is the youngest of five children.
He went to the British International School in Lagos. When he was 16, he went back to the U.S. to study business administration at Oakwood University. While at Oakwood, Davido bought music equipment and started making beats. He also formed a music group called KB International with his cousins.
Davido later left Oakwood University to focus on music full-time. He moved to London to improve his singing. In 2011, he returned to Nigeria. He agreed to enroll at Babcock University to study music. He graduated in July 2015 with a degree in music.
Music Career Highlights
Starting His Music Journey
In 2011, Davido began working on his first album, Omo Baba Olowo. This album mixed Afrobeats and hip hop sounds. He worked with several producers on the album. Omo Baba Olowo featured other artists like Naeto C and Ice Prince. The album won Best R&B/Pop Album at The Headies 2013.
The song "Back When" was the first single from the album. It was released on May 7, 2011. The music video for "Back When" came out on YouTube on May 9, 2011. Davido's second single, "Dami Duro", was released on October 30, 2011. He recorded this song in August of that year. The music video for "Dami Duro" was released in January 2012.
"Ekuro" was the album's third single, released on January 25, 2012. Its music video was filmed in Miami. The fourth single, "Overseas", came out on May 6, 2012. "All of You" was the fifth single, released on September 28, 2012.
Big Hits and New Deals (2013–2016)
On February 25, 2013, Davido released "Gobe". This song was very popular and was listed as one of the top songs of 2013. Its music video was filmed in South Africa. Davido also released "One of a Kind" on May 13, 2013. The music video for this song showed a united Africa.
"Skelewu" was released on August 13, 2013. Davido promoted "Skelewu" by sharing a dance video on YouTube. He also started a dance competition for the song. Two music videos were made for "Skelewu". The official video was filmed in London and released in October 2013.
On February 1, 2014, Davido released "Aye". The music video for "Aye" came out on February 7, 2014. In the video, Davido plays a farmer who falls in love. Davido also worked with South African group Mafikizolo on "Tchelete (Goodlife)". This song was released on April 30, 2014.
In June 2014, Davido joined other artists on "Africa Rising". This song was part of a campaign to support social projects. In June 2015, Davido released "Fans Mi" with Meek Mill.
Davido had planned to release an album called The Baddest in 2015. However, its release was postponed. In January 2016, Davido announced he had signed a record deal with Sony Music. This was a big step for his career. A few months later, he started his own record label, Davido Music Worldwide (DMW). Artists like Dremo and Mayorkun are signed to DMW. In July 2016, Davido also signed a deal with RCA Records. In October 2016, he released a five-song album called Son of Mercy.
Global Success (2017–2018)
Davido won Best African Act at the 2017 MOBO Awards. On February 17, 2017, he released "If". This song became very popular worldwide. The music video for "If" has been watched over 172 million times on YouTube. "If" was certified diamond in South Africa, meaning it sold over 200,000 units. It also won Best Pop Single and Song of the Year at The Headies 2018.
Davido released "Fall" on June 2, 2017. This song was also a huge hit. "Fall" became one of the most searched songs on Shazam in America. In February 2019, it became the longest-charting Nigerian pop song in Billboard history. The music video for "Fall" has over 274 million views, making it the most-viewed video by a Nigerian artist on YouTube.
On November 10, 2017, Davido released "Fia". This song was praised for its lyrics. Davido won Best African Act at the 2017 MTV Europe Music Awards. He also released "Assurance" on April 30, 2018. He dedicated this song to his girlfriend. Davido won Best International Act at the 2018 BET Awards. He was the first African artist to receive his award on the main stage.
In August and September 2018, Davido performed in Boston as part of his "The Locked Up Tour". He also performed at the Made in America Festival with other big artists.
Major Albums and Concerts (2019–Present)
In January 2019, Davido sold out The O2 Arena in London. He was the first solo African artist to do this after Wizkid in 2018. Idris Elba introduced him on stage.
The song "Blow My Mind" with Chris Brown was released on July 26, 2019. Its music video got one million views in just 11 hours. "Risky" was released on October 23, 2019. It featured Jamaican singer Popcaan. The music video for "Risky" was inspired by the TV show Top Boy.
Davido's second album, A Good Time, came out on November 22, 2019. It included his earlier hits like "If" and "Fall". Davido recorded this album in Atlanta. He wanted to try a new environment. He said the album was for everyone and mostly Afrobeats, but with other music styles too. By July 2020, A Good Time had over 1 billion streams online.
In May 2020, Davido was featured on the cover of Billboard magazine. He announced his third album, A Better Time, on Twitter. He said he recorded 11 songs for it in just 14 days. In July 2020, Davido performed on Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
On September 10, 2020, he released the song "FEM". Its music video got 1.8 million views in less than 24 hours. "FEM" became number one on the Nigeria TurnTable Top 50 chart.
A Better Time was released on November 13, 2020. It featured artists like Lil Baby, Nicki Minaj, and Chris Brown. In November 2021, Davido asked his fans to send him money. He raised 200 million naira and added 50 million naira of his own money. He donated all of it to orphanages in Nigeria.
In March 2022, Davido was featured on "Hayya Hayya (Better Together)". This song was part of the official soundtrack for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. In May 2022, he released "Stand Strong". In September 2022, Davido announced his first annual Are We African Yet (A.W.A.Y) music festival. It was held in Atlanta, Georgia.
Timeless and Future Plans (2023–Present)
In June 2022, Davido shared that his fourth album, Timeless, was almost ready. On March 21, 2023, he announced the album would be released on March 31. Timeless was his first album in three years. He said the title means he wants the album to be remembered as a classic for many years.
The 17-song album featured artists like Skepta and Angelique Kidjo. Timeless mainly features amapiano music, but also includes dancehall, ragga, and highlife. The song "Unavailable" from the album became very popular. It charted in the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. In August 2023, Davido released a remix of "Unavailable" with American rapper Latto.
Davido received three nominations at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards. These included Best Global Music Album for Timeless and Best African Music Performance for "Unavailable". In 2023, Chris Brown featured Davido and Lojay on his song "Sensational". This song appeared on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.
In December 2024, Davido announced his upcoming fifth album, 5ive, will be released in March 2025. He also shared that "Funds" will be the album's second single.
Other Ventures
On April 6, 2012, Davido signed a ₦30 million endorsement deal with MTN. He became the face of MTN Pulse, a campaign for Nigerian youth. In October 2013, Guinness Nigeria also signed Davido for an endorsement deal. He performed at the Guinness World of More Concert.
In May 2018, Davido signed a deal with Infinix Mobile, a smartphone company. In May 2021, he became an ambassador for the sports-betting brand 1xBet. In October 2021, the cognac brand Martell announced him as their new ambassador. In December 2021, Davido signed a long-term deal with footwear company Puma. He became a global brand ambassador for Puma.
Personal Life
Davido has six children.
On October 31, 2022, Davido's son, David Ifeanyi Adeleke Jr., passed away. He was three years old.
In March 2023, Davido confirmed he was married to his long-time partner, Chioma Rowland. On June 25, 2024, they held a wedding ceremony in Victoria Island, Lagos. Many important people attended the event, including Olusegun Obasanjo.
Discography
- Studio albums
- Omo Baba Olowo (2012)
- A Good Time (2019)
- A Better Time (2020)
- Timeless (2023)
- 5ive (2025)
Tours
- A Good Time North America Tour (2019–2020)
- WRBLO Tour (2022)
- Timeless North America Tour (2023)
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See also
In Spanish: Davido para niños
- List of awards and nominations received by Davido
- List of Yoruba people
- List of Nigerian musicians
