-Maduawuchi Obialo
The Grammy Award is the most prestigious award in world music. It is awarded to the best singers in the world in different categories and over the years, some Africans have been awarded the prize for their contributions to music. This article seeks to let the reader know those distinguished Africans that have won the Grammy Award over time.
List Of All Time African Grammy Award Winners
1. Ladysmith Black Mambazo, 5 Grammy Awards
2. Angélique Kidjo, 3 Grammy Awards
3. Ali Farka Touré, 2 Grammy Awards
4. Soweto Gospel Choir, 2 Grammy Awards
5. Youssou N’Dour, 1 Grammy Award
6. Tinariwen, 1 Grammy Award
7. Wouter Kellerman, 1 Grammy Award
List of All Time African Grammy Award winner
1. Ladysmith Black Mambazo, 5 Grammy Awards.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo are a male choral group from South Africa who sings in the vocal styles of isicathamiya and mbube. They have been so consistent in delivering quality music that has seen them rack up 4 Grammy Awards over the course of time.
They broke into international limelight through their hit song Shaka Zulu, and thus, they received a warm welcome by the American audience which has helped open up doors to more successes. In 1988, Shaka Zulu won a Grammy for Best Traditional Folk Recording.
They released the album, Wenyukela, and it was a blast, earning them their second Grammy Award and in 2009 they won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional World Music Album, marking their third Grammy Award. The band won their fourth Grammy Awards for Best World Music CD for 2013. In 2018, they won the Grammy award for best world music for “Shaka Zulu revisited: 30th Anniversary celebration”.
2. Angélique Kidjo, 3 Grammy Awards.
Angélique Kidjo is a talented and evergreen Grammy Award winning singer, songwriter and activist from Benin Republic, she is a role model for all who love good African vibes. She now has 3 grammy awards to her credit.
In 2007, she released Djin Djin, which earned her a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary World Music album. She released another album EVE, in 2014, which won her her second Grammy Award for Best World Music Album at the 57th Grammy Awards. She also beat Burna boy to emerge grammy award winner in Africa for 2020 Best World Music Album (Celia).
3. Ali Farka Touré, 2 Grammy Awards.
Ali Ibrahim “Farka” Touré was a singer and multi-instrumentalist from Mali, Toure died on March 7, 2006, at age 66 in Bamako, the capital of Mali from bone cancer.
His collaboration with Ry Cooder in 1994, resulting in the album, Talking Timbuktu, earned him a Grammy Award. In 2015, a collaboration with Toumani Diabaté earned him a second Grammy award.
4. Soweto Gospel Choir, 2 Grammy Awards.
The Soweto Gospel Choir is a band of more than 30 members. The band was birthed by two choir directors, David Mulovhedzi and Beverly Bryer.
Their first Grammy Award for Best Traditional World Music Album in 2007 and 2008 respectively with their albums Blessed and African Spirit was won. In 2010 composer Christopher Tin’s song “Baba Yetu”, which featured the band, won the Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalists.
5. Youssou N’Dour, 1 Grammy Award.
Youssou N’Dour is of Senegalese origin. He toured internationally for thirty years. In 2005, he won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary World Music Album.
It is also noteworthy to state that he was Senegal’s Minister of Tourism and Culture from April 2012 to October 2012.
6. Tinariwen, 1 Grammy Award.
This band of Tuareg musicians from the northern region of Mali was formed in 1979 in Tamanrassset, Algeria. Their first public attraction outside the Sahara came in 2001 with the release of The Radio Tisdas Sessions, and with performances at Festival au Desert in Mali. They won the Grammy award for Best World Music Album at the 54th Grammy Awards, in 2011 with their fifth album, Tassili.
7. Wouter Kellerman, 1 Grammy Award.
This South African flutist and music composer won the Grammy for Awards for Best New Age Album in 2015. He has fixed his attention on World and Roots music, exploring the uniqueness of the instrument, mixing classical and contemporary tunes.
From the above the African to have won the most Grammy award is Ladysmith Black Mambazo.
This is the all time list for African singers who have won the Grammy Award currently.
Related posts
Nigeria’s Former Jonathan Tells African Leaders To Put Humanity First
Joke Falaju, Abuja Bags African Heritage awardFormer President Goodluck Jonathan has urged African leaders privilege to hold public offices to become servants of the people, and not turn themselves into the “bosses of the people”.Jonathan stated this while receiving the African Democracy and Peace Icon…
7th Edition Connected Banking Summit East Africa – Innovation & Excellence Awards 2023 Concludes
POSTED ON MARCH 28, 2023 BY AFRICA BUSINESS The Summit brought together the best and brightest minds in the banking, financial services, fintechs and techfin sectors. The event, which took place on 7th March 2023, featured insightful speakers, award-winning companies, and top-notch sponsors. Attendees were treated to a range…
2020 Awards | Social Media For Social Good Award Announces 100 Micro & Macro Social Media Influencers For Good
Social Media For Social Good Award Announces 100 Micro & Macro Social Media Influencers For Good and Set To Award 25 Of Them On The 13th Of June 2020. The most anticipated list of Nigerians using social media for social good which is curated by…
Ergonomic Furniture Dealer Formfunc Studio Awarded SA’s First 6-Star Green Star Award
-African Independent The Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) has awarded Cape Town-based Formfunc Studio, a leading ergonomic furniture supplier, a 6-star Green Star rating following the recent fit-out of their office, showroom and DC in Johannesburg. The project, led by specialist sustainability and…
The Risk And Reward Of ChatGPT In Cybersecurity
Juan is an experienced CTO with a demonstrated history of working in the computer and network security industry. He is an information technology professional skilled in SAP and Oracle applications, computer forensics, vulnerabilities research, IPS/IDS and information security. Unless you’ve been on a retreat in…
Explained – History Of Money From Fiat To Crypto
What is money? Money as a concept has been a cornerstone of human civilization and economic development. To start with the latter, money is a method of storing value and worth, and it also functions as a medium of exchange that allows individuals to exchange…
Studies Show That Nigerian Crypto Foreign Investment Is At A Record Low
Foreign direct investment in Nigeria fell by 33% last year due to a severe shortage of dollars, which discouraged crypto companies from expanding into the country. The largest economy in Africa has a foreign investment problem despite exponential growth in crypto adoption. The National Bureau…
Growing The Bitcoin Development Ecosystem In Africa
– Abubakar Nur Khalil | Bitcoin Magazine Bitcoin development in Africa, with a proper regulatory environment, could equally accelerate the continent and the technology. In this piece, we’ll be analyzing the current state of the Bitcoin developer ecosystem in Africa, ways to improve it and…