Angélique Kidjo has won the 2020 Grammy award for ‘Best World Music’ for her album ‘Celia,’ and she used the opportunity to shout out fellow artist Burna Boy, who was also up for the award.
While accepting her award earlier today, the singer took the time to praise the wealth of new talent coming from the continent. “The new generation of artists coming from Africa are going to take you by storm and the time has come.”
Though the World Music category remains a dubious one, Burna Boy’s nomination was a major milestone for contemporary African music and the significance was not lost on Kidjo. “This is for Burna Boy, [he] is among those young artists [who] came from Africa [who] are changing the way our continent is perceived, and the way African music has been the bed rock for every [type] of music,” she remarked.
Kidjo and Burna Boy collaborated on the track “Different” a standout from his hit album African Giant, that also features Damian Marley. Burna Boy has expressed being a major fan of the celebrated artist on several occasions.
This marks Kidjo’s fourth Grammy win. Her album Celia pays homage to the late Afro-Cuban singer Celia Cruz, who Kidjo described as someone who “never shied away from her African heritage,” in an interview with OkayAfrica last year.
It was Burna Boy’s first Grammy nomination and his multiple award winning African Giant was widely expected to clinch it for him.
Burna Boy has been making headlines since he dropped the album.
African Giant is the fourth studio album by Burna Boy, which was released on July 26, 2019, by Spaceship Entertainment, Bad Habit, Atlantic Records and Warner Music. The album is a mixture of Afro-fusion, Afrobeat, dancehall, pop, and hip hop.
The Best World Music Album category recognizes performers outside the United States who showcase non-European, indigenous influences in their body of work. The award was first handed out in 1992 to Mickey Hart.
Other artistes who did not make it in the category at the ceremony at Staples Centre in Los Angeles are Gece — Altin Gün, What Heat — Bokanté & Metropole Orkest Conducted By Jules Buckley and Fanm D’ayiti — Nathalie Joachim With Spektral Quartet.
