Eddy Kenzo: Uganda's first Grammy nomination

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He was just four years old when his parents died. As a teenager he lived on the streets. Now Eddy Kenzo is nominated for a Grammy.

Kenzo — Uganda's first Grammy nominee

The first citizen of Uganda is the Musician Eddy Kenzo has been nominated for a Grammy, one of the most important music awards in the world. He competes in the Best World Music Performance category.

“It's like a dream,” the 33-year-old told AFP in the Ugandan capital of Kampala. “These nominations should be a sign of hope for all those less fortunate. Even the poorest can make it.”

“Like a dream”

His father was from Uganda and his mother from Rwanda. Both died when Kenzo was only four years old. As a homeless youth, he had to make his own way on the streets of Kampala. “I suffered a lot as a child,” says the musician and father of two, whose real name is Edirisa Musuuza.

Get the crowd going: Eddy Kenzo on stage

It was his love of sports and music that drove him to keep going. In 2008 he released his first song: “Yannimba” (English: “I've been deceived”). Radio stations declined to play the song. Two years later, he released another single, “Stamina” (English: “Perseverance”), which helped him achieve his breakthrough.

Movement Guarantee: Dancehall meets Afrobeat

2011 he was named Best Newcomer at the Pearl of Africa Music Awards, 2014 he became internationally known with his single “Sitya Loss” (English: “I'm not afraid of the loss”). “My goal was to make people happy,” says Kenzo of the upbeat song. He wishes that people would forget their problems when they dance to his music.

With his mix of dancehall and afrobeat he won other awards, including the US Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award (2018) and several All Africa Music Awards.

Singing along is popular with Eddy Kenzo – and dancing along

This year there could be a Grammy: together with US musician Matt B he is a winner for her single “Gimme Love” (German: “Gib mir Liebe”), which contains lyrics in English and Luganda – Kenzo's mother tongue, which is spoken in southern Uganda. The collaboration came about through a chance encounter between the two musicians in Los Angeles.

Competitors for the coveted prize include Nigerian Afropop musician Burna Boy, who became internationally known when he performed together with Ed Sheeran and Stormzy released the single “Own It”. The winners of this year's Grammys will be announced in Los Angeles on the evening of February 5 (local time).