The winners of the 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards were announced this evening by The Recording Academy at Staples Center in Los Angeles. In the Best Contemporary World Music Album category, the award goes to ‘Throw Down Your Heart, Tales from the Acoustic Planet, Vol. 3: Africa Sessions by banjo innovatorm Béla Fleck (USA). The Best Traditional World Music Album is for Douga Mansa by kora master Mamadou Diabate (Mali). The Best Latin Jazz Album award goes to Juntos Para Siempre by Cuban father and son duo Bebo Valdés and Chucho Valdés.
Other roots music categories:
- Best Bluegrass Album The Crow: New Songs for the Five-String Banjo by comedian and actor Steve Martin.
- Best Traditional Folk Album: High Wide & Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project by Loudon Wainwright III
- Best Contemporary Folk Album: Townes by Steve Earle
- Best Hawaiian Music Album: Masters of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar – Volume 2 by Various Artists (Daniel Ho, George Kahumoku, Jr., Paul Konwiser & Wayne Wong, producers)
- Best Native American Music Album: Spirit Wind North by Bill Miller
- Best Zydeco Or Cajun Music Album: Lay Your Burden Down by Buckwheat Zydeco
- Best Reggae Album: Mind Control Acoustic by Stephen Marley
- Best Traditional Blues Album: A Stranger Here by Ramblin’ Jack Elliott
- Best Contemporary Blues Album: Already Free by The Derek Trucks Band
- Best Americana Album: Electric Dirt by Levon Helm
Author: World Music Central News Room
World music news from the editors at World Music Central
