Will Burna Boy Finally Win a Grammy Award?
The African Giant crooner was very confident that he would win the coveted Grammy award this year when he was nominated in the Best World Music Album category, now known as Global Music Album last year.
However, he lost the gold-plated gramophone trophy to the Beninese singer and songwriter Angelique Kidjo who nonetheless dedicated the award to him.
On Tuesday, November 24 when the Grammy announced the nominees for the 2021 Grammys, Burna Boy was found on the list, making it the second time he is nominated in that category consecutively. His nomination expectedly triggered a frenzy onTwitter as his fans seized the opportunity to sing about his greatness.
But the big question remains if he will be able to break the Grammy jinx that has gripped Nigeria for too long. Of course, Nigeria has her share of Grammy winners but none has solely won in this particular category.
Femi Kuti has been nominated four times while his brother Seun Kuti, nominated once. The first Nigerian to have shared the award was the late veteran drummer and recording artist Babatunde Olatunji who was part of Mickey Hart’s Planet Drum projects that won the first award in 1992.
‘Twice as Tall’ released this year is the fifth body of work from the artiste. Unlike‘African Giant’, ‘Twice As Tall’ featured many international artistes like Chris Martin, the lead singer of the UK band Coldplay; Naughty by Nature, SenegaleseYoussou N’Dour and was executive produced by American rapper and entertainment mogul Sean‘P.Diddy’Combs.
Though it received raving reviews, it is yet to be known if it will fetch the trophy for Burna Boy who is up against great singers in that category.They include Antibalas, an American Afrobeat band that is modelled after Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s Africa 70 band;
Brazilian-American singer Bebel Gilberto; British-Indian sitar player and composer Anoushka Shankar; and the Malian band Tinariwen.
Burna’s major threat may be Gilberto as Brazilians have dominated the category that recognises performers outside the United States and showcase non-European, indigenous influences in their body of work since inception. Only a few African artistes like Kidjo and South African Ladysmith Black Mambazo have emerged winners in the category.
Burna Boy also shares a nomination with Beyoncé whose‘Black is King’visual album is nominated in the Best Music Film category. The American singer’s ‘Brown Skin Girl’ featuring Wizkid is nominated in the Best MusicVideo category, equally fetching Wizkid a spot in that category.
The Recording Academy, the organisation behind the Grammys has been under fire for its lack of diversity, particularly with women and people of colour for a while. In recent times, efforts have been made to project the Grammys as a diverse music event with its choice of nominees. However, pundits argue that Grammys diversity can only be tested by the eventual winners.