Nomcebo Zikode, Zakes Bantwini, and Wouter Kellerman Bring Home the Grammy for Best Global Music Performance
Following in the strides made by other legendary South African acts like Ladysmith Black Mambazo and the Soweto Gospel Choir, trio Zakes Bantwini, Wouter Kellerman and Nomcebo Zikode scooped golden gramophones at the 65th annual Grammy Awards.
A first for Bantwini and Zikode, the three were nominated under the Best Global Music Performance category for their joint song titled ‘Bayethe’, beating a stiff competition that included Burna Boy’s smash hit ‘Last Last’.
“Thank you so much. This is such a beautiful moment. On the road to sharing South African music and culture with the world. Thank you, Nomcebo; thank you, Zakes for your incredible creativity,” Kellerman said during his acceptance speech.
“You know I just wanna say we coming from Africa, for South Africa. And this moment right here, to anybody who’s in Africa, just proves and affirms that every dream is valid (sic),” Zakes Bantwini said on-stage for his acceptance speech. “And I wanna say thank you to the Academy and thank you to each and everybody.”
Zikode started her speech by singing a part of her mega-hit “Jerusalema” with Master KG. “Thank you so much to God. You know I once gave the world a song that took the world by storm (sic),” she said, alluding to ‘Jerusalema’.
The win by ‘Bayethe’ marks the second time in the 2020s decade that Mzansi musicians have made history with first-ever wins. At the 2022 Grammy Awards held in Las Vegas, Nevada, world-renowned South African DJ Black Coffee won his first Grammy for Subconsciously in the Best Dance/Electronic Album category.
