MEET ANGELIQUE KIDJO, WHO WON IN BURNA BOY’S GRAMMY CATEGORY

On January 26, 2019, Nigerian music star Burna Boy lost out in the World Music Album category of the 2020 Grammys to Angelique Kidjo. Nigerians all over the world were hopeful after Burna Boy got his first Grammys nomination with his fourth album 'African Giant' in 2019. Even though Burna Boy will always be a winner to us, here is everything you need to know about this 2020 Grammy winner: - Her full name is Angélique Kpasseloko Hinto Hounsinou Kandjo Manta Zogbin Kidjo. She was born in Ouidah, Benin on July 14, 1960, to a Beninese father and Yoruba mother. The singer-songwriter, actress, and activist started performing with her mother's theatre troupe when she was only six. Political conflicts in her home country, Benin, forced her to relocate to Paris in 1983 where she recorded her first album for Island Records which shot straight to number one on the Billboard World Music chart when it was released in 1991. The singer, who is fluent in five languages including French, Yoruba, and English, has gone on to release over 10 albums since then. She has had nine Grammy nominations, the first came in 1995. Her first win was in 2007 in the Best Contemporary World Music category. The second was in the Best World Music Album category in 2014 and 2015 for the albums Eve and Sings respectively. Time Magazine has called her "Africa's premier diva," while the BBC included her in its list of the continent's 50 most iconic figures. Forbes Magazine has ranked Angelique as the first woman in their list of the Most Powerful Celebrities in Africa and CNN has her as the first woman featured on the 2019 CNN list of Africa’s Biggest Music Stars. After beating Burna Boy, Kidjo dedicated her win to the Nigerian artist. During her acceptance speech, she said, "This is for Burna Boy, [he] is among those young artists [who] came from Africa [who] are changing the way our continent is perceived, and the way African music has been the bedrock for every [type] of music." The two collaborated on "Different," a standout track from his hit album African Giant. Kidjo's fourth Grammy win is for her album Celia which pays homage to the late Afro-Cuban singer Celia Cruz. Outside the music, Kidjo has been a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 2002. She has also founded The Batonga Foundation to empower vulnerable and hard-to-reach young women and girls in Benin. She is passionate about campaigning for women's rights in Africa and climate change. Kidjo is married to French musician and producer Jean Hébrail. The two tied the knot in 1987. They have a daughter named Naima. What else do you know/want to know about Angelique Kidjo?