Eddy Kenzo has received praise from all corners of Uganda for being named a nominee for the prestigious Grammy Awards.
Kenzo has been nominated in the category of Best Global Music Performance for his “Gimme Love,” song with Matt B.
The question of whether the Afro-beats titan is the first Ugandan musician to receive a Grammy nomination has arisen in response to his nomination.
“To all my country people, I’m very happy, it’s the very first #GRAMMYs nomination in Uganda, those saying that Ugandans have been nominated before, they are telling lies,” Kenzo said this evening during a press conference.
However, Kenzo is only the second Ugandan artist to receive a Grammy nomination, according to research conducted by this website.
The first Ugandan music group to receive a Grammy nomination was a group of Ugandans going by the name of Abayudaya, and they made history in 2005.
The awards ceremony was held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles the year they were nominated.
The group was nominated for Best Traditional World Music Album alongside Raise Your Spirit Higher – Ladysmith Black Mambazo of South Africa, El Grupo Cimarron – Si, Soy Llanero: Joropo Music from the Orinoco Plains of Colombia, Sandra Luna – Tango Varon and Pero Negro – Jolgorio.
South Africa’s Ladysmith Black Mambazo won the award.
According to a 2005 article by The New Vision, the Abayudaya were a group of Ugandan Jews who originated in the Namanyonyi sub-county of Mbale district.
The group simply enjoyed singing in Hebrew and other regional languages, according to the Newvision article, and they did not sing professionally.
The New Vision continues by stating that there is no record of the music for which the group was nominated anywhere in Uganda.