African Voices Changemakers Celebrates Afrobeat Sensation Rema

Afrobeat sensation and Nigerian music star, Rema, will this week share his inspiring story on CNN International’s African Voices Changemakers, sponsored by Globacom.

Born Divine Ikubor, the 24-year-old Edo-born singer-songwriter, discovered his passion for music in church and school. His big break came after posting a viral freestyle on Instagram, catching D’Prince’s attention. This led to a record deal with Jonzing World, a subsidiary of Mavin Records, owned by Don Jazzy.

Rema’s global ascension gained momentum in 2022 with the release of his hit single “Calm Down”. The song’s massive success led to a collaboration with American pop sensation Selena Gomez, propelling it to greater heights.  Notably ‘Calm Down” reached number three on the prestigious Billboard Hot 100 chart, number one on Billboard Afrobeats Songs chart, where it held the top spot for a record- breaking 58 weeks.

His star status was crowned on November 7, 2022, when he received an award for achieving 1 billion streams worldwide during his London concert, in addition to performing at the Ballon d’Or ceremony held at the Theatre du Châtelet in Paris, France on October 30, 2023.

The interesting episode of African Voices awaits viewers on CNN on Saturday at 8.30 a.m., with repeats at noon the same day.  More repeats come up on Sunday at 4.30 a.m., 7.00 p.m. and on Monday at 4.00 a.m.