Grammys: African Music Performance

From NPR's All Things Considered, we learn about two of the 2024 Grammy Award categories: Best African Music Performance and Best Alternative Jazz Album. Best Pop Dance Recording is another new category not mentioned in the NPR report. As reporter Rodney Carmichael points out, the inclusion of an African category comes far too late and is far two small a vessel for the music of 1.4 billion people in 54 countries with at least 30 music genres, but it is a start. I could not help notice the irony that even on NPR, his comments were tucked into the back half of a story on two new categories, rather than a stand-alone piece on African music. But here we are.

Ayra Starr of Nigeria
Photo: Glamour UK

Winners in all 94 categories will be announced on February 4 in an arena now known for bogus currency. Meanwhile, five nominees in each category are listed on the Grammy site. It was easy for me to find an "official" video on YouTube for each nominee in the African Musical Performance category, which I share here. I notice that all of these have had dozens of millions of views so far.

Amapiano by ASAKE & Olamide

City Boys by Burna Boy

UNAVAILABLE by Davido Featuring Musa Keys

Rush by Ayra Starr

Water by Tyla

Lagniappe 

I cannot think of Grammys and Africa without thinking of the incomparable Angélique Kidjo of Benin, who has won a number of Grammys and who performed her Afirika at the Grammys in 2020, shortly before I saw her perform the same amazing work in Providence, Rhode Island, about two weeks before the world shut down. 

This song sustained me through the very hard times that were to come and still always brings a song.