News & Articles About World Music

World Music, Reggae, Polka, Native American, Hawaiian
The 2007 Grammy Awards were typically star-studded, but mostly with pop musicians. As usual, the world music awards were buried away, shown in windows at the bottom of the screen right before and after commercial breaks. There were several very cool moments anyway, though; I particularly enjoyed Chris Brown opening his song with a stepping performance - this form of African-American percussive dancing is rooted in a South African dance style called "Gumboot Dancing". How appropriate, then, that our first major winner is a South African group:Best Traditional World Music Album - Soweto Gospel Choir, Blessed (Compare Prices)No major surprise here, Soweto Gospel Choir, from South Africa, is a major force on the world music scene, touring the United States regularly and releasing consistently fabulous albums.
Additionally, most of the other nominated records were relatively unknown. It was a great album and a well-deserved award.Best Contemporary World Music Album - The Klezmatics, Wonder Wheel (Compare Prices)It's an upset, folks! Don't get me wrong, New York-based klezmer band The Klezmatics are certainly at the top of their genre, consistently putting out phenomenal albums and amazing performances. However, the competition was extremely stiff, and included Salif Keita's M'Bemba and Ladysmith Black Mambazo's Long Walk to Freedom. Perhaps the African groups split the vote? Who knows, but big congratulations to the Klezmatics.Best Reggae Album - Ziggy Marley, Love is My Religion (Compare Prices)Nepotism? Nah. This is the second year in a row that one ofBob Marley's sons has taken the best reggae album Grammy Award, but frankly, they've put out the best two reggae albums in the last two years.Best Polka Album - Jimmy Sturr, Polka in Paradise (Compare Prices)Jimmy Sturr must have one heck of a sturdy shelf upon which to place his Grammy Awards; he's now won a whopping 16 of them, shockingly placing him in the top 10 of all-time Grammy Awards winners. He is, of course, an absolute virtuoso, and is deserving of every single one of these awards.Best Native American Album - Mary Youngblood, Beneath the Raven Moon (Compare PricesMary Youngblood is an amazingly tasteful and delicate flute player of Seminole and Aleut ancestry. Beneath the Raven Moon is an amazingly accessible album, highly listenable even for beginning listeners of Native American music. Best Hawaiian Music Album - Various Artists, Legends of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar - Live From Maui (Compare Prices)I'm really not in love with compilation albums winning Grammy Awards, but that's just a personal preference; I like hearing one artist or band's fully realized vision. But whatever. This live album features many of the greatest living Hawaiian slack key guitar players, and it's definitely great.So that's it for world music categories. Yes, there should be more, perhaps a Cajun Music and Zydeco category, a non-Reggae Caribbean category, and a Celtic category, so we'll see if that happens for next year. It would certainly make many world music fans, and especially world musicians, very happy.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2006 International Reggae and World Music Awards Winners
The 2006 International Reggae and World Music Awards were held at the world famous Apollo Theatre in Harlem. The big winner of the night was Bob Marley's son, Damian Marley, who took home six awards... every award he was nominated for!The Awards generally focus on reggae and Caribbean music, and sometimes the non-Caribbean world music awards seem like something of an afterthought, but the IRAWMA are certainly the most comprehensive world music awards given in the United States.And the winners are...Entertainer of the Year - Damian Marley Recording Artist(s)/Group of the Year - Damian Marley Best Male Vocalist - Jah CureBest Female Vocalist - Marcia GriffithsBest Song - "Welcome To Jamrock" - Damian MarleyBest Album/CD - "Welcome To Jamrock" - Damian MarleyBest Crossover Song - "We Be Burning" - Sean PaulBest Gospel Oriented Song - "Real and Personal - Papa SanBest Male DJ/Rapper - Beenie ManBest Female DJ/Rapper - Macka DiamondBest New Entertainer - MatisyahuBest Calypso/Soca Entertainer - Machel MontanoBest Reggaeton Performer - Daddy YankeeBest Latin Performer - ShakiraBest Compas/Racine Entertainer - Sweet MickeyBest African Entertainer - Youssou N'DourBest Soukous Entertainer - Papa WembeBest Hip Hop Performer - Kanye WestAward For Outstanding Contribution To World Music - Mamadou DiabateMost Outstanding Stage Personality - CapletonBest Music Video - "Welcome To Jamrock" - Damian MarleyBest Poet - MutabarukaMost Cultural/Educational Entertainer - LucianoMost Outstanding Show Band/Group - TOKMost Consistent Entertainer - Freddie McGregorMost Promising Entertainer - GyptianMost Improved Entertainer - Kip RichBest Instrumentalist - Dean FraserBest Backing Band - Sly & Robbie/Taxi GangMost Popular Sound System/Selector - Stone LoveConcert of the Year - Africa Unite - EthiopiaPromoter of the Year - Linkup MediaProducer of the Year - Don CorleonSongwriter of the Year - Stephen and Damian MarleyCommunity Service Award - Wyclef JeanSpiritual Service Through Music - LucianoHumanitarian Award - Danny Glover, Bono, Harry BelafonteHall of Fame Lifetime Inductees - Alton Ellis, Eddy Grant