A Grammy Award (originally called Gramophone Award), or Grammy, is an honor awarded by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the mainly English-language music industry.
Here are 7 Africans who have won the award that you may not be aware of.
7. Wouter Kellerman (1 Grammy)
Wouter Kellerman is a Grammy Award-winning South African flautist and music composer who has won two South African Music Awards.
The 54-year-old won the Grammy for Awards for Best New Age Album in 2015.
6. Tinariwen (1 Grammy)
Tinariwen is a Grammy Award-winning group of Tuareg musicians from the Sahara Desert region of northern Mali. They won the Grammy award for Best World Music Album at the 54th Grammy Awards, in 2011 with their fifth album, Tassili.
5. Youssou N’Dour (1 Grammy)
Youssou N’Dour is a Senegalese singer, percussionist, songwriter, composer, occasional actor, businessman and a politician. In 2004, Rolling Stone described him as, “perhaps the most famous singer alive” in Senegal and much of Africa.
He won a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary World Music Album, in 2005.
4. Soweto Gospel Choir (2 Grammys)
The Soweto Gospel Choir is a South African gospel group that won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional World Music Album in 2007 and 2008 respectively with their albums Blessed and African Spirit.
3. Ali Farka Touré (2 Grammys)
Ali Ibrahim “Farka” Touré was a Malian singer and multi-instrumentalist, his collaborative album with Ry Cooder in 1994 earned him his first Grammy award, while another collaborative effort with Toumani Diabete got him his second Grammy award.
2. Angélique Kidjo ( 3 Grammys)
Angélique Kpasseloko Hinto Hounsinou Kandjo Manta Zogbin Kidjo, known as Angélique Kidjo, is a Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and activist from Benin, noted for her diverse musical influences and creative music videos. On Feb 15th, 2016; Kidjo won her third Grammy Award for her 2015 album, Sings
1. Ladysmith Black Mambazo (4 Grammys)
Ladysmith Black Mambazo is a South African male choral group that sings in the vocal styles of isicathamiya and mbube. Their collaboration with Paul Simon on his album, Graceland made this band rose to worldwide fame, and has won multiple awards, including 4 Grammy Awards.
