Entertainment
Afrobeats Category May Soon Be Added To The Grammy Awards
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Recording Academy, Mr Harvey Mason Junior has disclosed in a press conference in Ghana that the institution is considering the addition of an Afrobeats category to next year’s 65th Annual Grammy Awards.
The Tide Entertainment Reports that TurnTable Charts, a Nigerian chart analytics platform and magazine, tweeted a segment of the conference captured on video, in which Mason says he and other Recording Academy brass “just had a meeting literally about six or seven days ago with leaders from the Afrobeats community” to discuss the potential move.
“We had a virtual listening session where we heard from Afrobeats creators and just talked about ‘What are the different subgenres? What are the needs? What are the desires?,’” he adds. “And my goal is to represent all genres of music, including Afrobeats, at the Grammys.” he said.
Mason makes it clear in the video, however, that the decision is far from final.
“I don’t decide categories,” he explains.
“The categories are decided by proposals submitted by members.
“The members can say ‘Harvey, I want an Afrobeat category…’ So that process has started now. I think the listening session last week was very important, very valuable, and a step towards that path.”
The Recording Academy is now considering an Afrobeats category at the annual Grammys ceremony .
Harvey Manson Jr., the CEO of The Academy, revealed in an interview with the press in Ghana over the weekend.
The Afrobeat music genre was established by the legendary Fela Anikulapo-Kuti in the late 1960s and early 70s, however, it gained international appeal in the late 2010s due to the influence of the genre’s flag bearers- Wizkid, Burna Boy and Davido.
It has become one of the most influential genres across Africa and the rest of the world.
R&B star, Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has recounted the early-career challenges she faced, revealing that she was once booed out of the stage while performing at a school event.
Speaking in an interview with Newsmen, the Crazy Tings crooner shared that she wasn’t only booed but was also harassed with plastic bottles.
“I remember one time I was going to perform at my school as an up-and-coming singer and I thought I was going to receiving a standing ovation.
“But I got booed. They even threw plastic bottles at me,” she recalled.
Tems explained that despite the embarrassing incident and other such rejections, she remained determined to pursue a career in music.
The Tide Entertainment reports that Tems admitted that some of the initial rejections she faced could be due to her conviction to stick to her originality instead of doing covers or familiar sounds like most of her peers.
The Grammy-winning singer said looking back now, she is glad that she didn’t compromise her style despite the initial pressures.
A close associate of late singer Mohbad, Primeboy, has appealed for the artiste’s burial nearly three years after his death.
According to him, Mohbad’s body remains in the mortuary since September 12, 2023, pending burial arrangements.
The Tide Entertainment reports that in a statement Primeboy urged the family, public, and government to permit the burial, stating, “It’s been almost three years since Mohbad left us. His body is still in the mortuary. I’m begging the family, I’m begging the public, I’m begging the government, please let’s bury our brother. He deserves a befitting burial.”
It would be recalled that Mohbad’s death sparked public outrage, protests, and investigations. Ongoing autopsy examinations, police inquiries, and legal proceedings have delayed burial arrangements amid family disagreements and public scrutiny.