South African media figure Somizi Mhlongo has come to the defense of compatriot Tyla amid criticism from some Nigerians over her Grammy achievement.
The chatter surrounding Tyla’s win has sparked discussions among Nigerians who feel that her recognition came at the expense of their own artists, such as Davido, Wizkid, Burna Boy, and Ayra Starr.
The discontent expressed often reflected a deeper frustration, with questions raised about the significance of the nominations for Nigerian artists.
Some commentators criticized the Grammys as biased, claiming Tyla was miscategorized, alleging that her style aligns more closely with R&B, which should have placed her among other acts in that genre. Many from Nigeria have questioned the validity of Tyla’s Grammy recognition.
Mhlongo shared his perspective, stating, “Grammys are not Nigerian music awards. The level of entitlement thinking that only Nigerians who are nominated are qualified, I think what hurts the most is that it’s a girl, and it’s not a Nigerian lady… It’s a South African woman, who was nominated amongst three Nigerians, if I’m not mistaken.”
Mhlongo perceived the negative remarks aimed at Tyla as an effort to undermine Davido’s standing in the industry. He expressed concern that such actions reflect poorly on Africa, suggesting that the continent’s diversity is being reduced to petty disputes.
“Davido is too much of a superstar to be caught up in this (nonsense). Everyone in that category deserved to win. Trust me, I doubt there was gonna be a South African who was going to complain if any of the people who were nominated won. But South Africans were going to be provoked if a Nigerian won. Yo! We were not gonna hear the end of it,” Mhlongo added.
Mhlongo addressed the confusion among Nigerians regarding Tyla’s music classification, stating, “I want to correct you, that category was not the Best Afrobeats Performance. It was the Best African Music Performance. And stop saying Tyla’s music is not African. Who the f*** do you think you are?”
He emphasized Tyla’s South African identity and the connection her music establishes with local audiences. “Stop thinking you’re the Gods of music, you’re taking away the beauty of Nigerian music,” he remarked.
The Grammys’ CEO, Harvey Mason Jr., previously clarified the award selection process, highlighting that, “You have to understand that the only way to win is to have the membership of the academy vote for you. To be a member of the academy, you have to be a professional working in music in the United States.”
He continued, “Once you’re a member of the Recording Academy, all the music gets submitted. The members of the Recording Academy will evaluate it on the quality, not the sales, not the streams, not how many fans, not how many followers, but purely on the opinion, that’s how you win.”
In light of the ongoing disputes and dissatisfaction from Nigerians, it is noteworthy that all nominees, including Tyla, have not made public statements regarding the controversy.
