South Africa’s Tyla is being hailed as the ‘newcomer’ at the Grammys after her song ‘Water’ clinched the Best African Music Performance on Sunday night. She triumphed over four Nigerian nominees: Ayra Starr, Asake & Olamide, Burna Boy, and Davido.
“I never thought I’d say I won a Grammy at 22 years old,” exclaimed the South African singer.
The South African sensation outshone Asake & Olamide (“Amapiano”); Burna Boy (“City BoysMiracle”); Davido Featuring Musa Keys (“UNAVAILABLE”); and Ayra Starr (“Rush”).
“What the heck?!” declared the 22-year-old singer on stage. “This is crazy; I never thought I’d say I won a Grammy at 22 years old.”
Why Tyla stood out!
Despite facing tough competition from Afrobeats heavyweights Burna Boy and Davido, the irresistible charm of Tyla’s hit song “Water” proved undeniable for Grammy voters.
The track made history by entering the Billboard Hot 100 in 2023, marking the first for a South African solo artist since Hugh Masekala in 1968. It later peaked at No. 7, securing her position as the highest-charting African female solo musician in Billboard history.
The song also claimed the No. 1 spot on the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs and Hip-Hop/R&B charts.
Asake is also one of Africa’s finest singers who did not make it in this year’s Grammy Awards
During her acceptance speech, Tyla gave a shout-out to her family, saying, “I know my mother’s crying somewhere in here.”
Reacting to Tyla’s win, The Recording Academy’s CEO, Harvey Mason Jr., expressed his desire to honour more music from Africa and other parts of the world, stating, “The future of the Recording Academy is going to build on equity. We’re not just honouring music breaking in our country — we’re celebrating music from around the world.”
Davido congratulates Tyla
Nigerian artist David Adeleke, known as Davido, has extended his congratulations to Tyla for winning the inaugural Best African Music Performance category at the 66th Grammy Awards ceremony.
He took to his social media handle early Monday to express his joy, despite losing out on all three nominations.
“Congratulations on your win, @Tyllaaaaaaa! Big One for Africa! Keep soaring!” the tweet read.
Both Davido and Burna Boy also failed to win in the other categories they were nominated for.
Tyla has made history as the first-ever Best African Music Performance winner. The category was created for the Academy to honour music from the continent, according to Academy President Harvey Mason Jr.
African music on the rise!
The award reflects the surging popularity of Afrobeats and other musical genres originating from the African continent, gaining a global audience through social media platforms like the short-form video app TikTok.
Afrobeats, rooted in West Africa, particularly Ghana and Nigeria, serves as an umbrella term encompassing various music styles emerging from the continent. It blends percussion rhythms with diverse genres such as rap, jazz, R&B, and more.
Describing modern Afrobeats, Heran Mamo, R&B and hip-hop reporter at Billboard magazine, noted its “feel-good groove,” contributing to its potential for widespread appeal by offering a blend of elements appealing to a diverse audience.
In 2022, Afrobeats music on Spotify witnessed an impressive surge, reaching 13.5 billion streams, a significant increase from 2 billion in 2017. Nigerian artist Burna Boy achieved a groundbreaking milestone by becoming the first African artist to sell out a U.S. stadium when he performed at New York’s Citi Field last summer.
