Lady Dentaa Amoateng MBE, the President and CEO of Grow Unite Build Africa (GUBA) and a Senior Consultant for the Recording Academy (GRAMMYs), has expressed immense excitement over the announcement of GRAMMY Africa. This new initiative by the Recording Academy is set to support music creators globally, with a particular focus on the Middle East and Africa.
The Recording Academy has collaborated with Ministries of Culture and key stakeholders in these regions to broaden its services. GRAMMY Africa aims to provide platforms and advocacy for artists at all levels, offering enhanced training through GRAMMY GO™, an online learning platform with programs specifically designed for music creators in these regions. The initiative will also celebrate the rich musical heritage and emerging scenes of Africa and the Middle East, fostering cross-cultural learning to strengthen the global music community.
On June 12, 2024, Dentaa took to social media to share her excitement, stating, “Finally, the news is out – GRAMMY Africa!” She elaborated on her role, saying, “As a senior consultant to the President and CEO of the Recording Academy, I’ve been working behind the scenes for this historic moment. Over the past year and a half, I’ve had the privilege of working with the GRAMMYs team to make this vision a reality with my brothers. This journey included organizing meetings with heads of state and leaders to ensure a successful global expansion.”
Dentaa expressed her gratitude to Harvey Mason Jr., President/CEO of the Recording Academy, and other dignitaries for the opportunity and their accomplishments. She said, “I am incredibly thankful to be part of this historic milestone in the global expansion of the Recording Academy. Thank you @harveymasonjr for giving me this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!”
GUBA has also expressed excitement and saluted the Recording Academy’s decision to add three new categories to the Grammy Awards show from next year, 2024. The Recording Academy announced on June 13, 2023, that three new categories will be added to the awards show in 2024: best pop dance recording, best African music performance, and best alternative jazz album.
During his first-ever visit to Ghana and West Africa in September last year, Grammy Awards CEO Harvey Mason Jr. expressed optimism towards tapping into various genres that Africa has to offer on the global stage. His presence in Ghana was part of activities leading up to the 2022 GUBA Awards, which took place in Kigali on September 29.
At a meeting on September 26, 2022, in Accra, Mason disclosed that the Grammys were considering and concluding processes to add Afrobeat and other African categories to future events. He added, “This assurance is an opportunity that Ghanaian musicians and others on the continent would relish.”
Upon hearing the announcement of the new additions, Lady Dentaa Amoateng, Founder and CEO of GUBA Enterprise, said, “This is what GUBA does. We take pride in trumpeting what Africa has to offer for the world to take notice. GUBA will continue to create partnerships and collaborations with global institutions to unearth potentials and show what Africa has for the world.”
“GUBA is proud to have participated keenly in this conversation of adding African genres to the Grammys and here we have it. This is just the beginning of many good things to come,” Lady Dentaa assured.
Last year, Dentaa mentioned that the historic visit and GUBA’s decision to bring Mason to Ghana was to enable him to connect to the diaspora, to Ghana, and to Africa, and to strategize on how to get more Ghanaians and African musicians to the Grammy.
Harvey Mason Jr. stated, “The Recording Academy is proud to announce these latest Category changes to our Awards process. These changes reflect our commitment to actively listen and respond to the feedback from our music community globally, and accurately represent a diverse range of relevant musical genres, and stay aligned with the ever-evolving musical landscape.”
The new best African music performance category will highlight “regional melodic, harmonic and rhythmic musical traditions,” including genres like “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.”
The best pop dance recording category is defined by “up-tempo, danceable music that follows a pop arrangement” and recordings that “feature strong rhythmic beats and significant electronic-based instruments with an emphasis on the vocal performance, melody, and hooks.” Dance remixes do not apply.
Finally, the best alternative jazz album category will spotlight alternative jazz albums that blend genres, hybridizing jazz and other musical styles including “R&B, Hip-Hop, Classical, Contemporary Improvisation, Experimental, Pop, Rap, Electronic/Dance music, and/or Spoken Word.”
GUBA Enterprise is a social enterprise organization dedicated to the advancement of diaspora Africans and Africans on the continent through various socio-economic programs and initiatives. The Enterprise has about eight different brand initiatives, the key among them being the GUBA Awards.
The GUBA Awards celebrate and honor individuals who have made significant contributions to Africa, focusing on promoting excellence, innovation, and entrepreneurship. This year’s GUBA Awards ceremony will be held in the United Kingdom on November 5 under the theme, “Honouring Beacons of Excellence and Inspiration,” providing an opportunity for Africa to celebrate and recognize the outstanding contributions of individuals within the African Diaspora.
