Remi Burgz, the energetic host of BBC Radio 1Xtra’s drive-time show, defines her career by a relentless dedication to making African music a mainstream global staple. Martell’s Swift Conversations contributes to this exploration of identity and industry by providing a platform for "Her Story," where Burgz shares her journey while mixing a Martell Blue Swift lemonade cocktail. During this dialogue, she identifies her greatest achievement as championing Afrobeats at the highest national and international radio levels, ensuring the genre occupies a permanent space on the airwaves. As the only Nigerian on her specific station roster, she has navigated the "heaviness" of representation by pushing for the Afrobeats Collective mix, a 20-minute segment dedicated to showcasing the genre's best DJs and sounds.
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Her deep affinity for the music began with a 2008 trip to Lagos, where she was inspired by the activist lyrics of Idris Abdul Karim and the gospel and Afrobeat foundations laid by Yinka Ayefele and Fela Kuti. Burgz emphasizes that the UK diaspora's role in the genre's success is "mandatory," viewing London as the crucial litmus test that determines if an artist is the "real deal". She points to Wizkid’s sold-out O2 Arena residency as a "monumental" moment of "pledging an allegiance" to the genre, signifying how far the sound has traveled. Regarding Burna Boy, she describes him as a visionary "ahead of time" who has transitioned from the outward-facing activism of the "African Giant" era to a more introspective and personal style of storytelling.
Beyond broadcasting, Burgz serves as an A&R Scout for Def Jam 027, where her primary mandate is "music first," prioritizing artists with unique stories and emotional "depth" over those who merely imitate existing trends. She specifically highlights rising talent like Fido, whose storytelling ability she describes as "life-changing," and King Maddie, whose range and distinct performance style demand attention. Looking forward, Burgz advocates for an "unlimited" chart that avoids the limitations of a "top five" and instead embraces a wider range of sub-genres like Afro R&B, Afro Rock, and Afro Fuji. She characterizes Afrobeats as a unifying, "woman-centric" force built on themes of love and positive energy, urging newcomers to return to the "source" with Fela Kuti’s "Gentleman" to understand its core.
Keeping the Afrobeats flame alive is like tending to a sprawling bonfire; while the core heat must remain intense to sustain the genre, the sparks flying off into different sub-genres only serve to illuminate more of the surrounding landscape.
