Nigerian filmmaker, Kunle Afolayan, Tuesday expressed profound happiness after one of Africa’s most prominent musicians, Angelique Kidjo, won her third Grammy on Monday.
The Beninese-born singer won the Grammy for Best World Music Album for Sings, a collection of her songs infused with Western classical traditions in a collaboration with the Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg.
Speaking exclusively to Qedd.ng, Afolayan, who cast the 55-year-old in his upcoming movie, The CEO, declared “I am very delighted that I met her this time last year just a day after she won the Grammy and a year after we collaborated on a film project she has won again. I am super excited.”
This is the second straight year that Kidjo is winning the Best World Music Album prize, after last year’s Eve that paid tribute to African women.
Her first victory came in 2009 for the album Djin Djin named after the sound of an African bell that greets each new day
A visibly happy Kidjo, dressed in a colourful African dress, ran to the stage to accept the award and danced to James Brown’s ‘I Feel Good’, performed by a pit orchestra.
“I want to dedicate this Grammy to all the traditional musicians in Africa, in my country, to all the young generation,” Kidjo said.
“Africa is on the rise, Africa is positive, Africa is joyful,” she said.
“Let’s get together and be one with music, and say no to hate and violence,” she said to applause.
“On behalf of the cast and crew of The CEO movie, I say congratulations to a true African legend,” Afolayan concluded.
Kidjo plays Dr Amet Zimmerman in The CEO.
