The nominees for the 63rd Grammys were announced on Tuesday the 24th of November. This announcement was made in preparation for the 31st of January, 2021 when the Grammys are set to hold. This year much like the last, Nigerians will be paying keener interest to the proceedings due to the fact that our very own Burna Boy has been nominated for a Grammy.
This nomination will make it the second time in a row Burna Boy has been nominated for a Grammy and makes him the only Nigerian artiste to hold such record. It may also interest you to know that this will total his third nomination as he is also an associative nominee for his feature on ‘Mania,’ an album by American rock band, Fall Out Boy, which got nominated for Best Rock Album in 2018.
Then in 2019, Burna Boy’s ‘African Giant’ album got him his first independent nomination under the category of Best World Music Album. However Angelique Kidjo emerged winner.
This year, Burna Boy has another Grammy nomination in the bag for Best Global Music album, thanks to his 'Twice as Tall' album. This category was recently renamed from Best World Music to Best Global Music for inclusivity reasons. And a win for Burna Boy will signify a major win for Nigeria as a whole which is touted as the creative capital of the continent.
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Burna Boy Performing at Coachella
Well let’s Take a Look at The Other Artistes Nominated for a Grammy alongside Burna Boy, Shall We?
1. Antibalas- Fu Chronicles
According to Wikipedia, Antibalas which is Spanish for "bulletproof" is an American, Brooklyn-based afrobeat band that is modeled after Fela Kuti's Africa 70 band and Eddie Palmieri's Harlem River Drive Orchestra.
Their nominated album, Fu Chronicles is their 7th studio album coming after 20 years together. It is 6-track long and has been described by critics as a fusion between the spirit and soul of Fela Kuti with modern funky sounds as well as a ‘martial arts-inspired testament to afrobeat’.
Interestingly, their lead singer, Duke Amayo though British, is born of Nigerian parents and was inspired to do afrobeat while at Fela’s shrine.
This nomination makes their first from the Recording Academy.
Cover Art of Antibalas' Grammy-nominated Album; Fu Chronicles
2. Bebel Gilberto - Agora
Bebel Gilberto is a Brazilian-American popular singer who makes samba, latin pop, bossa nova and downtempo music among other genres.
Her nominated album is an 11-track affair recorded after suffering a number of personal tragedies. According to Pitchfork, her ‘album is characteristically delicate in tone and full of charm.’ On ‘Agora,’ Gilberto also makes use of her Brazilian language and sang frequently in it.
This is Bebel’s first album in six years and is her 4th Grammy nomination.
Cover Art of Gilberto's Grammy-nominated Album, Agora
3. (7th time Grammy Award Nominee) Anoushka Shankar- Love Letters
Anoushkha is a British Indian sitar player and composer. (The sitar is an instrument related to the guitar and its use is prominent in her works.)
Her 6-track album is birthed from heartbreak and personal health and domestic issues. It contains songs with a strong traditional Indian elements as well as indie and classical songs. Love Letters has been described as ‘experimental, ethereal, beautiful and heartbreaking.’
This nomination is Anoushka’s 7th.
Cover Art of Shankar's Grammy-nominated Album, Love Letters
4. (Grammy Award Winners & Burna Boy's African Contenders) Tinariwen- Amadjar
Meaning ‘Deserts,’ Tinariwen, is a group of Tuareg musicians from the Sahara Desert region of northern Mali.
‘Amadjar’ which is their 8th studio album means ‘foreign traveller,’ and has 13 tracks with an eclectic selection of artistes featured.
Their album has been described as an epitome of desert blues and has with this nomination, gotten them a step closer to another Grammy. This is because the band won the award for Best World Music in 2012 and got nominated under the same category later on in 2018.
Cover Art of Tinariwen Grammy-nominated Album, Amadjar
Guys, how strong do you think Burna Boy’s chances of bringing the Grammy home is?
