Who should be considered Africa?

Grammy Awards have an area for African music, but only one year after the introduction to the category, it has already proven to be proven.

The best African music performance appeared for the first time with Tyila's victory in South Africa for her successful song, a mixture of South Africa Umabano and Afubub.

It was a welcome step throughout the industry, especially by African artists.

But the nominations for this year's prize sparked eyebrows, especially with the inclusion of R&B star Chris Brown.

The 35 -year -old was nominated for one establishment from Sensional, which includes Afrobeats and includes the singing of guests of Nigerian artists Davido and Lojay.

However, the participation of an American artist in the African music category raised some discussion.

Should non -African artists be considered in a category aimed at displaying African talents?

“Music is about totalitarianism. We do not want to get people out of the species,” says Harvey Masson Junior, CEO of Grammy.

“If we start determining who can or we cannot make a specific type of music, we lose the essence of creativity.”

Grammys head explains that such an expected allocation.

“We have seen it with Latin before, we have seen it with the K-POP and now you started to see it with Afrobeats and Amapiano,” he says.

“We would like to honor all music (regardless of) where you come or whoever makes it. If it is excellent, we want to celebrate it.”

There is another bone of the dispute this year and is the hegemony of Afrobeats, which have its roots in Nigeria and Ghana.

There is a feeling that Grammys still focuses on it, to exclude other African music, despite invitations to comprehensiveness.

Ayomide Tayo says he understands why Afrobeats dominate this year's awards.

“I don't think Africobats are better,” he says to the British Broadcasting Corporation.

“Afrobeats had more than three decades of exposure. We have constantly pushed wonderful music, stars and events that attracted the world to.”

Nigerians who live abroad also played a decisive role in the generalization of Afrobeats.

“Nigerian diaspora in England and North America is one of the main factors that make Afrobeats explode in Europe and the United States,” says Tayo.

While other music specialists in Africa see a bright future for other African music species, saying this year may be one time.

For example, Amapiano, the type that in 2023 exceeded 1.4 billion streams on the Music App Spotify application.

Rafael Benza, head of the Johannesburg -based VTH Season, says that the best name of African performance contradicts a pigeon.

“Coming from Amapiano's house, I would like to say (musicians) are doing a very good job and I think next year you will see Amapiano artists to be nominated in this category.”

The best African music performance category was presented as a way to honor Africa's increasing influence on global music.

When Tyla won, she beat Nigerian weights like Davido and Burna Boy, which placed her place on the international stage.

Since then, the 22 -year -old has been discovered at the Met Gala party in New York and was shown in the upper fashion magazines, proving that the effect of Grammys is real.

However, the candidates for this year turned almost completely into Nigerian artists, with Yemi Alade, Burna Boy, TEMS and a joint nomination for Atake & Wizkid, as well as Davido and Lojay in the success of Chris Brown.

“To be fair to Chris Brown, it was invested in Africaats and African music for a long time,” says Taio, explaining that the American musician flew to Nigeria to cooperate with Davido and Wizkid.

“We have an internal joke in Nigeria, we say that Chris Brown Nigeri, because of the ways in which we appear in our songs and music videos all the time.”

Last month, he also held two huge concerts for sale at 90,000 seats in Johannesburg-with people traveling from all over South Africa to watch his performance, which fans said he was electrified.

The African musicians won the Grammy long before the establishment of the Best Music Prize.

Mariam McKiba of South Africa was the first to win another – the best popular records – in 1966 for her cooperation with Harry Bellafontity, it is simply called an evening with Blafonte/Makeba.

African artists became more than the feature after 1992, with a best world music album.

This category has passed through various forms over the years – including the division to the traditional and contemporary international music awards – and it is now known as the best international music album.

Multi-AWARD Winners Include Angélique Kidjo, Youssou N'dour, Ali Farka Touré and Ladysmith Black Mambazo.

But African musicians often come out of that category, for example, black coffee in South Africa won the Best Dance/Electronic album Award in 2022.

Hope is that to face Afrobeats, more categories of Africa will be offered in Grammys in the coming years.

This would cover the popularity of African music worldwide – and better reflect the huge number of music styles that have been produced in Africa.