Las year, musician Eddy Kenzo made history as he became the second Ugandan to be nominated for the prestigious Grammy awards.
Kenzo, real name, Edrisa Musuuza who was nominated for his Gimme Love, a song he featured American singer, Matt B, gave hope to Ugandan fans some of whom had a strong belief that the Sitya Loss singer would clinch the award for the country at the 65th annual Grammy Awards gala.
However, the category under which Kenzo was nominated was won by South African artistes Zakes Bantwini, Wouter Kellerman, and Nomcebo Zikode for their Bayethe song.
It should be understood that the Grammy awards honour artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without regard to Album sells and charts.
As much as Kenzo and Matt B’s Gimme Love successfully made it to the list, the project was placed in a competitive category that had relatively great works by highly recognised artistes.
READ: Kenzo basks in fans’ consolation as Grammy goes to South Africa
For instance, Bayethe, the song that won the category, is not just a fine song with special harmonic grooves but a project with a theme that calls for peace and happiness at a time when human rights is an issue that is widely discussed.
Some music critics have also argued that former Grammy awardee flutist Wouter Kellerman gave Bayethe a huge boost there by increasing its chances of winning over Kenzo’s.
Similar odds were still placed on Arooj Aftab and Burna Boy who were all nominated for the award, Best Global Music Performance, which category also had Rocky Dawuni who featured Blvk H3ro on a project dubbed Neva Bow Down.
Unlike in most award arrangements where artistes influence their way to getting voted, for the Grammys, eligible voters of the academy through a series of ballots, cast their ballot for nominees only in their areas of expertise which makes the arrangement more artistic.
All not lost for Kenzo and Uganda
Kenzo and Uganda did not lose revenue after failing to bag an accolade at the 64th annual Grammy Awards since there is absolutely no money prize attached to the Grammy.
However, away from the prestigious coveted golden gramophones, Kenzo has been able to market himself and Uganda at large. Ultimately, the Grammys have helped boost the singer’s visibility and recognition as he waits to achieve more success in his career.
Moving forward, the Grammy nomination means that Kenzo’s respect in Uganda’s music industry is never negotiable and it has opened doors for him to work with more established creatives across the globe.
