(The Daily Advertiser) – The streak is over. In its previous five years, the Best Regional Roots Album Grammy category has had all Louisiana winners.
But that streak ended Sunday when Hawaiian singer Kalani Pe’a and his album “E Walea” won the Regional Roots Grammy. Lafayette band Roddie Romero and the Hub City All Stars were nominees in the category, along with Joel Savoy and Josh Caffery, and Barry Ancelet and Sam Broussard.
The results were announced Sunday afternoon during the 59th Grammys Premiere Ceremony at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Winners in 75 of 83 Grammy categories are announced in the afternoon ceremony.
Kalani Pe’a, who blends his native Hawaiian music and language with R&B, is heralded as a rising star in world music. “E Walea,” which is his debut album, went to No. 1 on the iTunes world music chart and No. 12 in Billboard’s World chart.
The 33-year-old singer’s victory halts Louisiana’s domination in the six-year-old Regional Roots category, which includes Cajun, zydeco, Hawaiian, Native American, polka and New Orleans brass bands. Previous local winners included Courtbouillon (Wayne Toups, Steve Riley and Wilson Savoy), Terrance Simien and Jo-El Sonnier. New Orleans pianist Jon Cleary was the 2016 winner.
This year, Romero and keyboards player Eric Adcock were also nominees for Best American Roots Song for the title song of their CD, “Gulfstream.” That award went to Vince Gill for “Kid Sister.”
With a chance to win two Grammys, Adcock was disappointed to come home empty handed. But he still feels victorious.
“Somebody’s rooster is always in the loser gumbo,” said Adcock. “I don’t like to lose, but I was honored to be even nominated with the band.
“The feeling of the community of Acadiana and our fans behind us has been simply incredible. We never realized how many people were in our corner from our hometown until this happened. The outpouring of support is so humbling.
“It always stings to lose. We just have to keep on making great art. We were very fortunate that the (Recording) Academy deemed this album worthy of a nomination.”
Lafayette native Lauren Daigle, a nominee for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song for “Trust in You, served as an awards presenter, with the Christian duo For King & Country. Hillary Scott and the Scott Family won in Daigle’s category for “Thy Will.”
In other news, blues legend and Homer, La. native Bobby Rush, 83, won the first Grammy of his 55-year career for his album, “Porcupine Meat.” Memphis soul icon William Bell, who performed at the Acadiana Center for the Arts in January, won the American Album Grammy for “This is Where I Live.”Want to go?What: Roddie Romero and Eric Adcock at Acadiana RootsWhen: 7 p.m. ThursdayWhere: Daily Advertiser Community Room, 1100 Bertrand Dr.Tickets: $10Information: tickets.theadvertiser.com
