Photo via BBC Radio
Damon Albarn has accrued many titles over the years. He’s the frontman of three illustrious bands in Blur, Gorillaz, and The Good The Bad & The Queen. He’s a solo artist, a theater composer, and a failed Adele collaborator.
He’s also a king.
As the BBC reports, Albarn was recently christened a local king of Mali in honor of his continued involvement in the African country’s music scene. Over the years, Albarn has made frequent trips to Mali, during which he’s collaborated with local musicians, inspiring the release of two albums in 2002’s Mali Music and 2013’s Maison Des Jeunes. Earlier this year, just two months after terror attacks ravaged the country’s capital of Bamako, Albarn returned to Mali to perform at the Festival Acoustik.
Along with giving him the status of a local king, Mali officials named a new classroom after Albarn. Asked about the honors, Albarn told the BBC, “I’m not used to this sort of thing. But it’s fantastic to see this school room and it’s a school dedicated to music and dance. That’s where my heart is, so my heart is here.
