The Grammy Awards, seen by many as the most coveted accolade within the music scene, have gradually started paying attention to the dynamic and beautifully diverse music coming from the African continent. Breaking into the international arena, many African musicians have made their marks in the recent past, bringing to light the richness in the cultural heritage and artistic talent that lies in the African continent. In the following blog post, we shall celebrate the victories of African Grammy Winners who have left their respective marks on the musical world.
1. Miriam Makeba – South Africa
Miriam Makeba, an affectionate nickname being “Mama Africa,” was one of the earliest African musicians to receive worldwide recognition. In 1966, Makeba, together with Harry Belafonte, won the Best Folk Recording category in the Grammy Awards for the album “An Evening with Belafonte/Makeba.” This album epitomized the political barbarity against black South Africans under apartheid. Makeba’s win marked the first Grammy Award ever won by an African artist, hence setting precedent for other African Grammy winners in the future.
2. Ali Farka Touré – Mali
Ali Farka Touré is a singer from Mali and a brilliant multi-instrumentalist, his music often hailed as his melding of traditional Malian music with American blues. The first Grammy was awarded to Touré in 1994 in the Best World Music Album category for his work on “Talking Timbuktu” with Ry Cooder. He won again in 2006 for the solo album “In the Heart of the Moon,” which he recorded with kora player Toumani Diabaté. His contribution has been immense in popularizing African desert blues across the world.
3. Ladysmith Black Mambazo – South Africa
This ensemble of South African male chorals, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, has managed to win five Grammy Awards throughout the years, with the first in 1988 for “Shaka Zulu” in the Best Traditional Folk Album category. The group is known for its powerful vocal harmonies and its ability to take traditional Zulu music to the international stage. It all came to solidify the works done with collaborations such as that of Paul Simon in the classic album “Graceland”. Later, the group was to bag several Grammys in the years 2004, 2009, 2013, and their latest 2018, making them one of the most recognized musical acts to emanate out of Africa.
4. Angelique Kidjo – Benin
Angélique Kidjo, without a doubt, is a singer-songwriter from Benin who is one of the celebrated and very successful artists in Africa. She has been awarded five Grammy Awards: “Djin Djin” in 2008, “Eve” in 2015, for “Sings” in 2016, “Celia” in 2020, and most recently in 2022 for the work “Mother Nature” in the category Best Global Music Album. Kidjo is celebrated for her powerful live performances, her diverse musical style that moves in a wide range between traditional African and Western influences, and her great commitment to human rights. She became an ambassador for African music and culture across the world.
5. Burna Boy — Nigeria
A Grammy Award winner for the first time in 2021, Nigeria’s poster boy Burna Boy bagged the Best Global Music Album category for his album named “Twice as Tall.” Burna Boy’s music is a cocktail of Afrobeats, dancehall reggae, and hip-hop; he himself is at the forefront of the new generation of African artists who are pushing the limit of this genre. His win at the Grammys was huge for the genre of Afrobeats, as it has grown explosively in popularity across the world within the past decade.
6. Wizkid – Nigeria
Another big force in the Afrobeats movement is Wizkid, who clinched his first Grammy in 2021 for his collaboration with Beyoncé on the track “Brown Skin Girl” in the category of Best Music Video. Wizkid’s contribution to the global acceptance of Afrobeats in mainstream popular music has marked him as one of the biggest musicians on the continent.
7. Black Coffee – South Africa
In 2022, for the very first time, South African DJ and producer Black Coffee brought home a Grammy Award in the Best Dance/Electronic Album category for his album “Subconsciously.” Black Coffee is known for his deep house music style, and the winning of a Grammy is seen as a great victory not only for South Africa but for the entire African electronic music movement, particularly since it is the first time any African has won in this category.
8. Tinariwen – Mali
The Saharan band of Tuareg musicians from northern Mali, Tinariwen, has been presented with the 2012 Grammy Award for the category of Best World Music Album, for their album “Tassili.” Their unique blending of traditional Tuareg music with blues, rock, and other genres has increasingly brought the music and culture of these nomadic people to global attention with this win.
The most regarded of these artists was to win at the Grammy; it goes on to prove the fast-rising influence and recognition that African music is receiving globally. Each of these Grammy-winning artists has played a significant role in bringing pride not only to their respective countries but also to the world by showcasing how rich and diverse African music truly is. As African music continues to innovate and appeal to its new audiences, we should expect to see even more African artists capturing those global accolades and further defining the global music landscape.
With Miriam Makeba to Burna Boy, these Grammy winners proved to future generations of African musicians that music is an art without borders. We celebrate these achievements but yearn for more African artists to step out and take their place on the global stage.
