The Recording Academy. Best African Music Performance

The Recording Academy has added a new music category for African music; Best African Music Performance for the 66th Annual Grammy Awards.

The World music industry's top honours will now include a new category solely for African performers, reflecting the explosion of global appreciation for homegrown styles in the continent.

The category includes but is not limited to the Afrobeat, Afro-fusion, Afro Pop, Afrobeats, Alte, Amapiano, Bongo Flava, Genge, Kizomba, Chimurenga, High Life, Fuji, Kwassa, Ndombolo, Mapouka, Ghanaian Drill, Afro-House, South African Hip-Hop, and Ethio Jazz genres.

Although recently numerous African talents have won the Grammy’s and others have been nominated, the likes of Beninese mega-star Angelique Kidjo, Sikiru Adepoju, Tems, Burna Boy, Owour Arunga, Eddy Kenzo , a list of an orchestra of talent.

With this inclusion of African exclusive category, it is a major reap of hard-work from the continent. More African classics will be founded and new dance moves are ready to be cleaned from the cabinet ready to be gifted to the world.

Regardless of the delay of this recognition, the African music industry is happy and artists see this as a genesis to a discovery of other artistry genre like motion pictures, literature, art among others.

The Asante Nation tweeted after the announcement; “It started from Kumasi here, original, undiluted, rhythmic, erupted suddenly like an earthquake, took the entire city by surprise with a serious city brand, KUMERICA. 3 years down the line, Grammys recognizes Asakaa Music (Ghana Drill) as one of the African music genres.” After the Ghana drill was among the music genres highlighted in the list of the new formed category.

A Tanzania songwriter ‘Jeff Msangi' also tweeted in appreciation of the inclusion of Bongo Flava. “Ukisikia “Bongo Flava” au wengine mnasema Bongo Fleva, sasa inatambulika rasmi miongoni mwa genre kutoka Afrika kwenye #GRAMMYs usisahau kwamba @MikeMhagama ndiye aliyeupa muziki huu jina hili. Mike hivi sasa anaandika kitabu kuelezea kwa undani harakati za sio tu kuutambulisha muziki huu bali pia kuufanya ukubalike hewani kupitia radio na miongoni mwa wazazi (ambao mwanzoni waliuona kuwa kitu cha kihuni tu).”

Once you have heard Bongo flava or Bongo fleva being officially recognized amongst other music genres in Africa at the Grammy’s, Do not forget that Mike Mhagama is the one who named our music ‘Bongo Flava’. Currently Mike is authoring a book to explain broadly how this genre can reach a larger audience. Mike also describes the challenges faced at the introduction of this swahili fusion to be accepted in the public through media houses and the conservative family  structure of Tanzania by then. (Since it was initially labeled with hooliganism) ~writes Jeff Msangi in Kiswahili.

Jeff writes in the appreciation of Mike Mhagama a former radio Dj and TV presenter who named the Tanzanian music as “Bongo flava". Jeff goes on praising Mike's contributions to the music industry and lastly quoting him say ‘at the start Bongo flava ' was seen has a music genre initiated by Wahuni – ‘hooligans’. It seems a different perspective is now taken for this kind of music.