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Grammys
Alicia Keys, whose classically influenced
soul debut was one of last year’s biggest albums, and
the bluegrass sound track to “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”
each won five Grammys.
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The
Irish rock band U2, whose inspirational music struck a new chord
after Sept., 11, took four awards and denied Keys the chance
to set a record for most Grammys ever by a female artist. Keys’
song “Fallin” won song of the year, and she was named
best new artist. She also won three awards in rhythm ‘n’
blues categories, tying Lauryn Hill’s 1999 record of five
awards.
“I’d like to dedicate this to just thinking outside
the box and not being afraid of who you are no matter what you
do,” the 21-year-old Keys said after picking up one of
her trophies. U2’s record of the year award for “Walk
On” marked the second straight year they won that top category.
Last year, it was for “Beautiful Day.”
“The songs do change their meaning. Music changes shape
to fit the predicament it finds itself (in),” U2’s
lead singer Bono said. “This year the predicament was a
very different America. We’ve always loved coming here.
But this year I’ve rediscovered my love of America, the
great ideas as opposed to the great country.”
The “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” soundtrack won album
of the year. The album of country roots music and bluegrass
was shunned by country music radio and beat out U2 and Bob Dylan
for the top album award. |
“We are filled with
gratitude not only that you have chosen to honor this work in
this way, but also because we were afforded the chance to make
it in the first place,” said producer, T Bone Burnett.
“And, for the great joy that making it was.” Another
artist who had a chance to break Hill’s record was India,
Arie. The alternative soul artist whose debut was “Acoustic
Soul” had been nominated for seven awards but won none.
Host; Jon Stewart poked fun at the show’s increased security,
pretending to set off a metal detector while walking on stage,
and poignantly reminded the audience of how the world had changed
since the Sept 11 terrorist attacks. Two large guards stripped
him and left the comedian in his boxer shorts. “Remember
when security was tight because Eminem was going to sing with
Elton John?” Stewart joked.
“Those were the days, right?” The folk country act
Alison Krauss and Union Station won two awards, for best country
performance by a group and best bluegrass album for “New
Favourite.” Beside best album, “O Brother” won
best compilation disc and garnered Ralph Stanley, who sung “O
Death,” best male country vocal, his first Grammy win.
It also won the Soggy Bottom Boys the award for best country
collaboration with vocals. Stanley’s win came two days
after he celebrated his 75th birthday. “I think this is
the best birthday I’ve ever had,” said Stanley. Traditional
country also trumped more commercialized fare in the majority
of the country field; “Timeless,” tribute disc to
Hank Williams featuring Sheryl Crow, Bob Dylan, Ryan Adams and
others, won best country album; Dolly Parton won best female
country vocal for “Shine”, off her bluegrass disc
“Little Sparrow”; and “The Lucky One,” by
Krauss and Union Station, won best country song.
Other winners were Eve and Gwen Stefani, who won the inaugural
best rap/sung collaboration for “Let Me Blow Ya Mind”;
Sade, who won best pop vocal album for “Lovers Rock”;
and best-selling rock group Linkin Park, which won best hard
rock performance for “Crawling.” Canadian newcomer
Nelly Furtado bested veterans like Sade and Janet Jackson with
a win in the pop female vocal category.
“Cool! Highly unexpected,” said a buoyant Furtado.
The hoopla of the ceremony was a temporary relief from the industry’s
headaches. Music sales for 2001 were down 5 percent, the first
decline in more than a decade. Recording companies blame the
slump mainly on free downloading from the Internet.
“No question the most insidious virus in the most of this
illegal downloading of music is piracy on the net,” said
Recording Academy President Michael Greene. “It goes by
many names and its apologists offer a myriad of excuses. This
illegal file sharing and ripping of music is pervasive out of
control, and it’s oh, so criminal.”
At the same time, some musicians are trying to win more rights
for artists in relation to record companies. The Eagles, Joel,
Sheryl Crow. No Doubt and others gave four concerts around the
Los Angeles area to raise funds and awareness for that cause.
The Eagles’ Don Henley, a nominee, alluded to the fight
when he presented the award for best rock performance, which
went to Train for “Drops of Jupiter.” “Somehow
I don’t feel like the most popular guy in the room,”
he quipped. |
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