Capable of accumulating hundreds of millions of views on YouTube and much more popular than the Beninese singer around younger generations, the stars of Afropop stars crave recognition
Music is turning heads in Nigeria and some fans were unfair after Angélique Kidjo was crowned at the 64th Grammy Awards on Sunday (April 3) in Las Vegas. The 61-year-old Beninese diva, rewarded for the fifth time in her career by the Recording Academy, won in the category « best world music album » for her opus Mother Nature. Nominated opposite her, Wizkid, 31, megastar of Nigerian afropop – or afrobeats – selected for the album Made in Lagos, left empty-handed.
An unacceptable defeat in the eyes of some Internet users, who flooded Angélique Kidjo’s Instagram account with bitter comments, accusing her of having « stolen » their idol’s reward and urging her to « give way to young people ». « People don’t quite understand how the Recording Academy works, » observes Nigerian journalist Oris Aigbokhaevbolo. “The jury is made up of fairly old white people, and their outlook on “world music” is struggling to evolve. But Angélique Kidjo has a very long relationship with them, so it’s an easy choice. On the contrary, Wizkid, with his music tinged with R&B, does not necessarily correspond to their vision of Africa”, notes the music critic, who also questions the lack of political commitment of the singer.