The African singer claimed her Grammys yesterday, having won her fifth Grammy Award. Angelique’s “Mother Nature” beat out Wizkid’s “Made in Lagos” and other nominees to win “Best Global Music Album” at the 64th Grammy Awards, held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Kidjo won her first Grammy in the United States in 2008, for Best Contemporary World Music Album with “Djin Djin.” Artists on the contemporary album included Alicia Keys, Ziggy Marley, Carlos Santana, and others.
Her second Grammy was for “Eve,” a tribute to Africa’s women. On February 8, 2015, the album was named Best Contemporary World Music Album.
A year later, on February 15, 2016, Kidjo received her third Grammy Award in the Best Contemporary World Music Album category for her 2015 album, Sings. Four years later, on January 27, 2020, he defeated Burna Boy to win the Grammy again. This has been her Grammy journey so far.
Angelique Kidjo is well-known for her devotion to African culture.
Her latest album, ‘Mother Nature,’ reflects African reality. From the sound elements, melody, chants, and theme, everything about the project is African. The Mr Eazi and Salif Keita’s song “Africa, One of a Kind” off the album tells the African story in the best way possible. It exemplifies Kidjo’s pride as an African.
Kidjo’s Pan-Africanism extends beyond her songs and into her persona. Her last two Grammy speeches are enough to get a sense of who she is.
In her speech at the Los Angeles Convention Center in 2020, she said, “Oh my God, four years ago on this stage, I was telling you that the new generations of artists coming from Africa are gonna take you by storm and the time has come. This is for Burna Boy. Burna Boy is among those young artists that come from Africa that is changing the way our continent is perceived and the way that African music has been the bedrock of every music.”
She didn’t think twice about mentioning Burna Boy, another African artist the Grammyverse should keep an eye on. Kidjo went on to say that African music has always been the bedrock of all music.
Last night, she delivered yet another powerful speech as she accepted the Grammy Award for Best Global Music Album for ‘Mother Nature.’
Her orange gown with the grass-like green touch is enough of a statement to tell the African story and give the audience a sense of what it’s like to dress like an African.
She said, “Oh my God! Okay I will be fast. This album was made possible. When I won the Grammy I said that the young musicians from Africa are going to take the world by storm…”.
Then she went on to list the artist featured on the album; Mr Eazi, Burna Boy, Yemi Alade, and others.
*Pulse Editor’s Opinion is the viewpoint of an Editor at Pulse. It does not represent the opinion of the Organisation Pulse.
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