‘A beautiful moment’: Zakes Bantwini, Nomcebo Zikode and Wouter Kellerman win Grammy Award

06 February 2023 - 06:52 By Jen Su
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South African artists Wouter Kellerman, Zakes Bantwini, and Nomcebo Zikode won the Grammy for Best Global Music Performance for their collaboration “Bayethe”.
South African artists Wouter Kellerman, Zakes Bantwini, and Nomcebo Zikode won the Grammy for Best Global Music Performance for their collaboration “Bayethe”.
Image: Jen Su

Zakes Bantwini, Nomcebo Zikode and Wouter Kellerman, are taking home the award for Best Global Music Performance for their collaboration Bayethe at the 65th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.

On stage with the Grammy in hand, Kellerman thanked those who worked on the collaboration.

“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. Thanks to Tholsi Pillay, my manager and friend, who stood with me and thank you JB Arthur. Thanks to you all my peers who supported us. I’ll never forget it.”

Bantwini, who spoke on stage with his business partner and manager Sibo Mhlungu at his side, said: “I want to say we’re coming from Africa, from South Africa. And this moment we’re here for anybody who is in Africa just proves and affirms every dream is valid.”

“I want to say thank you very much to the (Recording) Academy and to each and every one and for every child in the ghetto, in the village, know it’s possible.”

Zikode, wearing an exquisite flowing gown with looped beaded accents by Gert-Johan Coetzee, broke into a short a cappella excerpt from Jerusalema before her acceptance speech.

“Thank you so much to God. You know I once gave the world a song (Jerusalema) that took the world by storm. The world that got us together, but I didn’t get this nomination or this award.

“But God was saying to me, ‘Don’t worry my daughter, I will give you Bayethe. Thank you so much to my mom, thank you so much to my husband, Selwyn Fraser. Believe me, this is yours. Your support is amazing. Thank you so much to all my team. Thank you.”

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