Angélique Kidjo bags fourth Grammy

The Beninese singer won the award in the Best World Music Album category for her album Celia at the 62 edition of music's biggest awards. Kidjo also performed a fast-paced rendition of ‘Afirika’ off her 2009 album Black Ivory Soul, with the Grammy audience singing and dancing to the tune at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

During her acceptance speech, Kidjo dedicated her Grammy to fellow African nominee Burna Boy.

“Four years ago on this stage, I was telling you that the new generation of artists coming from Africa is going to take you by storm and the time has come," she said. "This is for Burna Boy. Burna Boy is among these young artists that come from Africa that are changing the way our continent is perceived and the way African music has been the bedrock for every music."

Kidjo also paid homage to Cuban salsa legend Celia Cruz, who was the inspiration for the Grammy-winning album featuring Tony Allen, Meshell Ndegeocello and the Gangbé Brass Band.

"Celia Cruz, for me she's the goddess of salsa. She's the queen of salsa. She is one of those artists that taught me at a young age that my gender cannot define who I am, that I can do everything I wanted to do." 

This is the fourth Grammy win for Kidjo, who has composed such memorable hits as ‘Agolo’, ‘We We’, ‘Adouma’, ‘Wombo Lombo’, ‘Batonga’, ‘Afirika’ and ‘Babalao’.

This year, Kidjo beat out fellow nominees Altin Gün (Gece), Bokanté & Metropole Orkest Conducted by Jules Buckley (What Heat), Burna Boy (African Giant) and Nathalie Joachim with Spektral Quartet (Fanm D'Ayiti).

Watch Kidjo’s 2020 Grammy performance below: