Lagos, Nigeria (AFP) -Nigerian afrobeats star Tems has gained her second Grammy along with her hit “Love Me JeJe”, seeing off a line-up closely dominated by Nigerian artists vying for “Finest African Musical Efficiency”.
The music, which beat 4 others by star afrobeats performers, has notched up some 20 million views on YouTube.
In her acceptance speech on the 67th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles late Sunday, Tems — whose actual title is Temilade Openiyi — paid tribute to her mom.
“Wow, expensive God. Thanks a lot for placing me on this stage and bringing me this staff. Tomorrow is my mum’s birthday… I simply wish to thanks ma as a result of she has actually performed quite a bit for me and my brother,” she stated.
Her music beat “Larger” by Burna Boy, “MMS” by Asake and Wizkid and “Tomorrow” by Yemi Alade.
The fifth music on the listing was Chris Brown’s “Sensational”, on which the American artist is accompanied by Nigerian performers Davido and Lojay.
Tems and Drake gained a Grammy in 2023 with “Watch for U”.
This 12 months she was additionally nominated for “Finest Worldwide Album” and “Finest R&B Track”.
– ‘Nationwide satisfaction’ –
Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu hailed her for once more making the African nation proud.
“From Africa to Antarctica, Asia to Australia, Europe to the Americas, the Nigerian music trade, notably, Afrobeats has turn out to be a supply of nationwide satisfaction, selling a way of id and self-expression whereas uniting individuals throughout borders,” he stated in an announcement.
Nigerian producer, sound engineer and artist George Irabor, alias SirBastien, who was nominated for a Grammy final 12 months, stated the awards had been a beneficial recognition of his nation’s music scene.
“These Grammy awards are necessary as a result of they reinforce Nigeria’s repute as a number one power in music,” he instructed AFP.
“This recognition attracts extra traders and world curiosity.”
Afrobeats has its roots within the afrobeat style pioneered by Nigerian megastar Fela Kuti in Seventies Lagos and has been influenced by worldwide hip-hop and rhythm and blues.
Exported to the west African diaspora in Britain and the USA, the style is breaking via into the worldwide mainstream and music awards circuit.
“From now, many of the largest stars on the earth wish to collaborate with our artists and/or producers,” Titilope Adesanya, director of operations for Africa on the American file label, Empire, stated.
Final 12 months was the primary time the “Finest African Musical Efficiency” class was awarded, going to South Africa’s Tyla for her son “Water”.
