A musical collaboration between American/West African singer-songerwriter Angélique Kidjo and Luxembourg trumpeter and composer has resulted in a second Grammy nomination for the duo.
Kidjo's album 'Sings', arranged entirely by Gast Waltzing and recorded in Luxembourg with the Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg, conducted by Waltzing himself, as been nominated in the 'World Music' Category for the 2016 Grammy Awards. This marks the first time that a production recorded in the Grand Duchy and arranged by a Luxembourgish artist is nominated for the biggest music award in the world.
Kidjo and Waltzing first tasted Grammy success together in 2014, with the album 'EVE', featuring a song arranged by Gast Waltzing, winning 'Best World Music Album' and debuting at number one in the Billboard World Music chart. 'SINGS' is comrpised of orchestral versions of nine songs from previous albums produced by Angélique Kidjo, as well as two original songs entitled 'Nanae' and 'Otishe'.
A celebrated Luxembourg trumpeter and composed, Gast Waltzing has instigated several jazz projects including Largo and the Luxembourg National Jazz Orchestra, as well as composed music for films and television programmes. He has previously won 'Best Composer' at the 1989 European Film Awards with 'A Wopbobaloobop a Lopbamboom'; the Deutscher Filmpreis (Musik) in 1997; and the 2005 Lëtzebuerger Filmpräis for 'George and the Dragon'.
'Sings' is nominated alongside Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Anoushka Shankar, Zomba Prison Project and Gilberto Gil. The Grammy Awards will take place on 15 February 2016 at the Staples Centre in LA, California.
Photo by Alberto Ferrante
