Feb 11 2007
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 Prices
Mary 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.
