The 63rd Annual Grammys, which took place in Los Angeles, California, on 14 March was one to remember for Africa as the Nigerian music sensation Burna Boy bagged a Grammy, the first for a Nigerian as a solo artist.听
Burna Boy whose real name is Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, a two-time Grammy nominee, won the award for Best Global Music Album for his 2020 album听Twice as Tall.
Another Nigerian, Wizkid, also known as Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, the American entertainment star Beyonc茅 and her nine-year-old daughter Blue Ivy Carter jointly won the award for Best Music Video for the song听Brown Skin Girl鈥斕齛 collaborative track involving all three. 听
Accepting the award virtually from Lagos, Nigeria, and surrounded by his family and fans, a visibly excited Burna Boy said, 鈥淵es oh! Yes oh! Yes oh! Africa is in the house man; Africa, we鈥檙e in the house, you get me? 听
鈥淭his is a big win for my generation of Africans all over the world, and this should be a lesson to every African out there: no matter where you are, no matter what you plan to do, you can achieve it, no matter where you鈥檙e from, because you are a king. 听
鈥淟ook at me now, Grammy Award-winning Burna Boy.听Thank you to everyone...鈥� he concluded.
Music experts described Burna Boy鈥檚 performance to close out the Premiere Ceremony, featuring two听Twice as Talltracks, as outstanding.
The Grammys Awards are presented by the music industry鈥檚 own Recording Academy to recognize the achievements of their peers. They were first introduced in 1959 and are considered one of the highest accolades attainable in the global music industry. 听
Previously Grammy-nominated Nigerian musicians include the legend King Sunny Ad茅 (real name Sunday Adeniyi Adegeye) for his 1984 album Synchro System, the first album from Nigeria to be nominated for the category Best Ethnic or Traditional Folk Recording. 听
Mr. Ad茅鈥檚 nomination was followed by those of Babatunde Olatunji, Femi Kuti, Sikiru Adepoju, Wizkid, Kah-Lo, Seun Kuti, Burna Boy and Tiwa Savage.听
But the first Nigerian to win a Grammy award was Babatunde Olatunji (real name Michael Babatunde Olatunji) for his contribution to the 1991听Planet Drum听album by Mickey Hart,听an American percussionist and musicologist.
Burna Boy鈥檚听Twice as Tall album is听a fusion of afrobeat, reggae and pop. Some point to the fateful coincidence of him being born in 1991, the same year a Nigerian, Mr. Olatunji, won a Grammy for the first time.听
Many draw a connection between Burna Boy鈥檚 music and that of the Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo Kuti. Burna Boy鈥檚 grandfather,听Benson Idonije, a veteran broadcaster, was Mr. Kuti鈥檚 first manager.
Sometimes called the African Giant, Burna Boy first rose to fame in 2012 with the release of听Like to Party, a single from his debut album听L.I.F.E. 听
In 2017 he signed听with the Atlantic Records-United States and Warner Music Group international. In 2018 he released his third studio and first major-label album, an afro-pop titled听Outside. 听
Outside听was BET鈥檚 Best International Act-winning album featuring the famous single听Ye,听which won two Song of the year awards in 2019: at听Soundcity听MVP Awards Festival and at听The Headies.听
African Giant, Burna Boy鈥檚 fourth studio album, was released in 2019. It won the Album of the Year at the All-Africa Music Awards in 2019 and the BET award for Best International Act in 2020.
African Giant听also brought Burna Boy his first Best World Music Album Grammy nomination at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards in 2020. That year the Beninese-American singer and songwriter听听won the award for her work听Celia.
In her acceptance speech that year, Ms. Kidjo predicted that a new generation of African artists, particularly Burna Boy, was destined for global stardom.听
One year later, Burna Boy won the same award, confirming Ms. Kidjo鈥檚 prediction.
