World Music Superstar Angelique Kidjo And Soul Man Ryan Shaw Receive Grammy Nominations

LOS ANGELES (Top40 Charts/ One Haven/ RED/ Columbia) - In today's announcement ceremony for the 50th annual Grammy Awards, breakout soul artist Ryan Shaw was recognized in the category of Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance for "I am Your Man" from his debut release THIS IS RYAN SHAW. This marks Shaw's first Grammy nomination. International music star Angelique Kidjo was also recognized in the category of Best Contemporary World Album for her Razor & Tie Entertainment/Starbucks Entertainment release DJIN DJIN. This is Kidjo's fifth Grammy nomination.

Produced by Jimmy Bralower, THIS IS RYAN SHAW is a revitalization of the golden age of R&B. Shaw's songs are rapidly moving the young singer to the forefront of modern soul. The critical acclaim continues as People Magazine recently declared, "Ryan Shaw possesses a voice and style that belong to another era, when R&B was about real singers, real instruments and real songs."
The San Francisco Chronicle stated, "he achieves the perfect balance between raw passion and melisma-rich vocal prowess". Shaw recently performed on the The Ellen Degeneres Show. In addition, Ryan has been featured on The Martha Stewart Show, "The CBS Saturday Early Show", Last Call with Carson Daly and Ellen Degeneres' first-ever primetime variety special Ellen's Really Big Show.

Produced by the legendary Tony Visconti, DJIN DJIN finds the Benin-born Angelique Kidjo partnering with such luminaries as Josh Groban, Alicia Keys, Peter Gabriel, Carlos Santana, Joss Stone, Branford Marsalis and Ziggy Marley to create an album which is truly global in scope. The album has received an abundance of critical praise.
The Associated Press stated, "Musical collaborations based on mutual respect can elevate both performer's artistry. Angelique Kidjo packs DJIN DJIN with just these kinds of duets from artists in three words, lush, dense and beautiful", while USA Today said, "the Benin-born singer delivers a thoroughly engaging collection of songs she spans musical cultures with her mesmerizing vocals Kidjo seizes your attention and then keeps you riveted." This year alone, Kidjo has appeared on The Tonight Show, The Late Show With David Letterman and The CBS Saturday Early Show.