How Africa News
A small crowd gathered at Johannesburg’s Oliver Tambo airport to greet Grammy award winners Zakes Bantwini, Wouter Kellerman, and songstress Nomcebo Zikode, who returned home on Friday.
At the Grammy Awards on Sunday in Los Angeles, the trio’s collaboration song ‘Bayethe’ won best global music performance.
“It is an incredible honour and privilege to be received like this by our own people,” said Nomcebo Zikode.
‘Bayethe’, which means ‘hail’ in the local Zulu language, combines traditional African beats, Zulu lyrics and the flute.
The victory provided a brief distraction for South Africans who are otherwise facing record power cuts, high unemployment and rampant crime.
South Africa’s arts and culture ministry applauded the group in a statement, saying the country was “proud of the great work” they produced “without compromising national identity”.
South Africa, a continental music powerhouse, has already produced numerous Grammy winners, including well-known male acapella groups Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Soweto Gospel Choir, and singer Miriam Makeba.
