Former presidential aide and activist, Reno Omokri, has stated that Sade Adu is the first woman to win a Grammy Award in Nigeria and not Tems as speculated.
British Nigerian singer, Helen Folasade Adu, popularly known as Sade has won the awards four times after nine nominations.
Nigerian singer Tems was nominated in the ‘Best Melodic Rap Performance’ and ‘Best Rap Song’ and won the ‘Best Melodic Rap Performance’ category on Sunday night, at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.
After Tems win, a lot of have hailed her as they tag her as the first Nigerian songstress to win a Grammy award. However, Reno Omokri has debunked the claims that Tems is the first Nigerian adding that Nigerian-British singer, Sade Adu, never identified herself as a Nigerian.
According to Reno, Sade has spent 40 years promoting Nigeria and it would be wrong to give her credit to Tems.
He wrote: ”Sade Adu has always identified with Nigeria. When interviewed, she stressed her Nigerianness. She did not funkify her name to make it sound European.
In interview after interview, she asserted the fact that she is a Nigerian born in Ibadan. So, let us appreciate her. She is the first Nigerian female to win a Grammy in 1986. In honouring another female who eminently deserves to be honoured, let us not dishonour Sade Adu.
By saying someone else is the first Nigerian female to win a Grammy, what we are telling Ms. Adu is that she is not a Nigerian. I know many people will rush here to insult me. But before commenting, take a minute to put yourself in Sade Adu’s shoes.
You have spent 40 years promoting Nigeria. Insisting to the British media that you are Nigerian when they proudly claimed you for Britain. Then today, you read that someone else is the first Nigerian female to win a Grammy. How would you feel? If after you have put yourself in Sade Adu’s shoes you still feel the need to insult me, then please go ahead.”
