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Entertainment

Africa: Grammy Awards 2024 – ‘Afro Beat’ Gets Due Recognition After 65 Years

todayFebruary 5, 2024 2

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For the first time in its 65-year  history, the prestigious Grammy Awards in the US has created the ‘Best African Music Performance category’, specifically recognizing the song of the year from the continent.

The Grammys, organized by the Recording Academy, typically focuses on achievements in the US music industry but has expanded its scope to embrace the global impact of African music.

The 66th Grammy Awards nominations featured prominent Africans musical talents like Davido, Burna Boy, Ayra Starr, alongside debutants Tyla, Olamide and Asake, showcasing the growing influence of African artists on the world stage.

However, this historic move, which is set to give African music its due recognition and marking a big step for a genre some critics argue that it should have been acknowledged earlier and that breaking news about “becoming a part of pop music” should be a thing of the past.

Notably, the introduction of the Best African Music Performance category underlines the global prevalence of music from the continent.

South African artist Tyla’s viral song ‘Water’ exemplifies this, solidifying Amapiano’s rise and making her the highest-charting African female solo act after reaching No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Streaming platforms play a crucial role in bridging borders, with Afrobeats alone experiencing over 500% growth on Spotify since 2017, according to the platform.

Besides, collaborations like Davido and Musa Keys’ ‘Unavailable’ showcase the cross-border synergy between Afrobeats and Amapiano, earning them a Grammy nomination. Additionally, Rema’s ‘Calm Down’ remix with singer Serena Gomez, has refused to calm down.

It is worth noting that on November 24, 2020, Kakoma Somi, a Rwandan jazz vocalist and songwriter based in the US, achieved a historic moment in her music career.