Davido: “My song was the president’s ringtone”
Afrobeats superstar Davido has revealed that his breakout hit “Dami Duro” in 2012 had an unexpected impact—it became the personal ringtone of then-Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan.
Davido, whose real name is David Adeleke, shared that his father, Deji Adeleke, was initially opposed to his music career but had a change of heart thanks to the song’s explosive popularity and its presidential reach. In a recent interview on Power 105.1 FM in the United States, the artist explained:
“My father agreed to let me follow my passion after he heard my second single, ‘Dami Duro.’ The song literally blew up. Before that, he used the police and army to shut down my shows and arrest organizers and artists involved. But when ‘Dami Duro’ became a massive hit, someone told him it was the president’s ringtone. That’s when the conversation shifted, and he started supporting my music career,” he said.
Davido also shared how their relationship has since evolved: “We have a really good relationship now. He comes to all my shows and is very involved in my business. We’ve become best friends, and we talk about everything.”