And the winner of the 2022 Best Album of World Music Award is… Angélique Kidjo! Internally, I asked myself what was “world music”? I must say that this expression has given me a bit of a fuss. But we’re not here to talk about my feelings. Let’s move on.
Again, the goddess Fon has just folded the game if there is still a game. On Sunday, April 3, 2022, at the 64th Grammy Awards ceremony, Angélique Kidjo, the Beninese star, won the Best Album of Music award at the Grammy Awards for her 2021 ‘Mother Nature’ album, released in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Don’t ask me for more. But I know it’s in Hollywood not far from where Will beat Chris up. In any case, it works great for Kidjo-Gram, Oops! I meant for Angelique Kidjo. And please, this is her 5th grammy!
To be honest, I was expecting a few scenes like the Oscars last week: insults, laughter, applause. We only got the last one. This time, there will be no algarade, no virilist duel. Too bad. We have to believe that artists-musicians, unlike their peers the actors, know what to do with their hands.
There was no real surprise. The ceremony was sober, but beautiful. To be honest, it left me hungry. I had the impression of witnessing a scene drawn back from previous years. What’s the point of holding a Grammy Awards when you know the winner’s name in advance? Maybe not much when you look at the last Grammy ceremony. Like what, it doesn’t smell good when you’re nominated in the same category as Angelique Kidjo. Last Sunday, Rocky Dawani and Wizkid learned at their expense. As people would say, she smashed them, beaten them to death.
This is the fifth time that we have rewarded the same woman, that we never tire of applauding this lady, who, we must admit, is a marvel of grace and charm. Let us be clear! I am not questioning her prize or her talent. She is a winner. But still. Angélique, by her talent, blocks the way to other artists in the background who deserve a little more recognition, a little light. I was shocked to hear his name again. Not surprised, but shocked. In this mature woman flows the sap of the Amazons of Dahomey, these fearless warriors who have marked the history of colonial Africa. Kidjo, I recognize, is one of the few women who can compose and sing in French, English and Fon with equal purity. Why not create a category, in annex, where it would be the only one to compete?
In “Mother Nature”, we can get the most complete idea of Kidjo’s talent. This album is a clever mix of musical genres such as afrobeats, dancehall, hip-hop, rap… and several other musical trends. It is a digest of featuring that brings together several young African artists, full of talents. Mother Nature” claims to place women at the centre of society, which has excluded them. This album is a fight against violence against women and advocacy for the defense of the climate. Thank you Angel Kidjo!
