Angelique Kidjo Reps Africa In Ankara As She Wins At The Grammys!

Beninese born singer, Angelique Kidjo, 55, made a debut in ankara to win her third Grammy awards on Monday at the 2016 Grammys. The African singer won the Grammy for Best World Music Album for “Sings,” a collection of her songs infused with Western classical traditions in a collaboration with the Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg. This is the second straight year that Kidjo has won the Best World Music Album award, after last year’s “Eve” that paid tribute to African women.

A very happy Angelique Kidjo, ran to the stage in her colourful ankara attire to accept the award and danced to James Brown’s “I Feel Good,” performed by a pit orchestra.

She dedicated the award to...



aspiring African artists saying;

“I want to dedicate this Grammy to all the traditional musicians in Africa, in my country, to all the young generation,”

“Africa is on the rise, Africa is positive, Africa is joyful,”

“Let’s get together and be one with music, and say no to hate and violence,”

 

The album, "Sings" merges African songwriting and rhythms with European classical instrumentation as well as other Western music. Collaborators on “Sings” include the bassist Christian McBride, who separately won his latest Grammy on Monday in the category of Best Improvised Jazz Solo.
Angelique Kidjo described the album as an artistic challenge as traditional African bands follow the lead of the soloist much more closely, unlike Western orchestras that generally play off refined scores. Kidjo, who is based in New York, has long experimented with Western fusion and will perform again at Carnegie Hall in the upcoming season.

The three others nominees for the World Music Grammy were all previous nominees — sitarist Anoushka Shankar, Brazilian legend Gilberto Gil and South Africa’s Ladysmith Black Mambazo.