GRAMMY 2021: Nigeria vs The World – From Studio To The Gram

by Star Throne | Fri, Feb, 2020 | Awards, Exclusive, Nigeria, Starthrone News

2020 62^nd Grammy Awards which took place at the Los Angeles Convention Center, USA, will be a memorable one for Nigerians and some Africans that believed Burna Boy was cheated for losing in the category of “Best World Music” when he lost to his African counterpart, Angelique Kidjo – with “Celia” album.

Grammy 2021 shall be Nigeria vs The World. 2020 almost brought home world most credible award to the green land, the heart of Africa. Nevertheless, And Burna Boy made Nigerians proud. To be honest, Burna Boy has honed his craft and deserves every accolade coming his way. “African Giant”, hypothetically, is the best amongst his released creative albums which has won many high class and credible international awards mostly based on public votes, but Grammy is different.

Grammy Award (originally called Gramophone Award), is an award presented by The Recording Academy to recognize achievements in the music industry. The Academy uses standard music acumen by selecting 150 music industry professionals with creative or technical credits (which includes music critics) into the association to vote in 15 genre categories each according to their field of expertise out of 83 categories at different levels which is admission and sorting, voting into categories and voting the possible winner in each category. Meanwhile, Academy members are required to vote based upon quality alone, and not to be influenced by sales, chart performance, personal friendships, regional preferences or company loyalty. And the winners’ vote is conducted secretly by independent company, DELLOITE.

Out of all the awards, The World Music Award is a special one that goes beyond singing talent and building multitudes of followers/fans. It is a single category reserved by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to honor international performers exhibiting “non-European, indigenous traditions” based on artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without regard to album sales or chart position and Angelique Kidjo is the only artiste who has won it three times since award category creation in 1992.

Angélique Kpasseloko Hinto Hounsinou Kandjo Manta Zogbin Kidjo, known as Angélique Kidjo, is a Beninese singer-songwriter, actress, and activist who is noted for her diverse musical influences and creative music videos. She won her first and second World Music Award back-to-back in 2005 and 2006 respectively after TWO failed entries into the category and won the third in 2020. Her tenacity, growth, maturity, exposure, dexterity and cutting-edge Africanized music paid off in the end. In 2007, Time magazine called her “Africa’s premier diva”.

Aside Sikiru Adepoju who won a Grammy award in 2009 for his contribution to Global Drum Project by Mickey Hart, Zakir Hussain, Sikiru Adepoju (himself), and Giovanni Hidalgo in the Best Contemporary World Music Album, five Nigerians have been nominated nine times for the world music category and lost. King Sunny Ade (2), Babatunde Olatunji (1), Femi Kuti (4), Seun Kuti (1) and most recent, Burna Boy (1) are the few celebrities who have proudly made Nigerians proud by putting the nation on a higher global view but with half or no chance of winning.

On a critical note, Most Nigeria musicians hide behind beats and strings, believe in self-glorification, preach misleading lifestyles, write abusive, instigating and outrageous lyrics, careless about other countries, and the worst part, they seem to have forgotten their cultural heritage in music. Apology to the juju, fuji, highlife, afrobeat and all other musicians who are still upholding our local cultural genre of music.

Nevertheless, none have produced any track in any of the albums presented to win the Grammy for the best world music award except Femi Kuti – Africa for Africa track which of course is the only semi positive track with the intention against the rest tracks in the Album that are negative, attacking, and instigating in the name of social activism. If only he can resurrect the same spirit with the same production team of the “Shoki Shoki” album (if ever that is possible), Femi will have a greater chance than any of the musicians in Africa to win this award with his multi-instrumental jazzy afro-beat music, inherited from his great father – Fela Kuti, if it is set towards positivity, optimism and harmony of Africa nation.

Africa giant would have made the difference but the two outstanding song that could have won World music award which are “Anybody” and ‘Difference” have the hand of Angelique Kidjo (co-contender in the same category) in it. She featured in one and the other sounds like a remix or cover of her popular track “We We” from her first album “Logozo”. It would have been a surprise to creative music world if Burna beats Kidjo for the World Music. Grammy leagues of voters must have compromised a lot of value to do that.

Based on research, historically, the winners of the world music album awards have synonymous things in common which are positive vibes. Inspiring Lyrics or rhythm, personal and artistic achievement in the industry and they exude pride in their cultural heritage both in fashion and language, in which they represent. Within and out of the music box, they positively impact lives physically by seeking for help and donate to the needy and use their influence to create positive change in their society, not only amassing wealth for themselves and show-off of affluence at every little nip of stardom.

Don’t get my points twisted. Who says Nigeria artistes cannot win Grammy award for “Best World Music” With the arrays of talent existing and coming-up? Yes, they can! Who says they don’t need the award? Globally, Nigeria artistes have won credible awards in the world for Africa and have been recognized as Africa’s best, what is wrong in seeking for more and be on top of the world? Awards is creativity grades to certify and advance good musicians above the crowds and if we will be truthful to ourselves, Grammy Best World Music Award is the highest because of the value it portends. However, it might be, but never too high for Nigerians to earn, they just never prioritize it. It will only take one to break the jinx.

The question is who will be the first? Who can sacrifice immediate stardom for a name in a record book of life? Who can prioritize global glory for local championship? Who can shift paradigm from commercial dance songs to commercial blend of creative inspiring songs? Who could see life beyond what to eat and show off and embrace a better and lasting prospective future?

Music is not only about laughter and dance. According to Ludwig van Beethoven, “Music is … A higher revelation than all Wisdom & Philosophy”. Music is life that every living soul need. Music is a way of life, don’t corrupt it. Real music is not a child’s play, it takes dedication. Hard work, commitment, sacrifice, time and team work. Music is beyond passion. It’s an institution we need to keep advancing and go back to the creative board to re-learn. Nobody is saying it will be easy, but I can tell you that it will worth it. All you have to do is to embrace the cultural heritage that molds you and proudly express it to the world.

Let Nigeria audience or consumers begin to separate wheats from chaff, and let’s start encouraging good music and celebrate creative talents instead of mediocre. Let’s begin to raise our voices against the noises corrupting our society and children with hooliganism, sexism, oppression and uncultured slangs in disguise of music. Let’s begin to raise the flag of patriotism in our heart. When we determine what we want to hear, they can’t keep giving us the trash as they want. The power is in our hands to make our rhythm.

Grammy is an American award and world best music category is for the rest of the world. Americans don’t get wowed when you resonate or sing their songs, they get swept off their feet at the beauty of a sound and rhythm rooted in other cultures. Music, as it has arguably been agreed that it generated from Africa. And only African has taken it Three times. It is time for Nigeria musicians to take a cue from Angelique Kidjo who lost two times and never give up, instead won it three times afterward.

Nigerians are not known as cowards but warriors and Angelique Kidjo knows this. This is one of the reasons she dedicated her Grammy award to Burna boy saying “Four years ago on this stage, I was telling you that the new generation of artists coming from Africa are going to 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 African music has been the bedrock of every music.”

Burna Boy may have lost the award to an experience winner, but it must have given him a clear exposure to big stage. Henceforth, all eyes shall be upon him and his next music project. Will he give up and go back to his shell or give it another try? If he must give it another try, all he has to do is to build on whatever got him there this first time. He has the voice, his style and good management that needs to upgrade. This must have challenged many other good artistes to strategize on how to behold the golden Gramophone as the king or Queen of the world music. Now let the race begin….

It is time to take our crown and sit on the throne on a global stage as the Africa Giant.

This is just an opinion of one ordinary man who is as hurt as any Nigerian seeing one of his loss on a global stage. I hope this piece could help any ambitious talent out there with the ambition to take Nigeria to the top. I believe this is just a dream that shall soon come to pass.

Thus, I leave you with a song of the underrated musician who will likely take the world by storm in the nearest future, possibly winning the next Grammy World Music Award in 2021 with her typical local storytelling lyrical style of music. She is quickly taking after her role model, Angelique Kidjo, and she has quickly been tagged as MAMA AFRICA for her Africanize fashion and music expression. She has been catching the Africans and the world’s interest since she released the song and video of “Africa” which she featured Sauti Sol. And the video has generated almost 20,000,000 view on YouTube alone. This time around, she has gone deeper into the root of Africa with “SHEKERE” (Rattle shake) with the Queen of Africa music herself, Kidjo, who revived the lyrics of “wombo-lombo”. This looks like a perfect collaboration.

Check out the music video of “Shekere”, one of the tracks of her newly released album – “Woman Of Steel” and she is YEMI ALADE…. Let us know Your opinion.

Written By – Afolabi Silver for Star Throne