Ndlovu Youth Choir didn't win 'America's Got Talent', but they won our hearts

19 September 2019 - 06:42 By Kyle Zeeman
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The Ndlovu Youth Choir performed Toto's Africa in the America's Got Talent finale.
The Ndlovu Youth Choir performed Toto's Africa in the America's Got Talent finale.
Image: America's Got Talent YouTube

The Ndlovu Youth Choir may not have won America's Got Talent, but they represented everything that is wonderful about Mzansi and united the nation behind them.

The group made it through to the final of arguably the biggest TV talent show competition in the world, at which they performed Toto's Africa on Tuesday.

The performance drew applause from the audience and judges, who danced in the aisles.

Locally, they trended at number one on Twitter and a video of their performance topped the YouTube chart with more than 780,000 views in less than 24 hours.

On the final results show on Wednesday, they performed Higher Love and Can't Hold Us! with fellow finalists The Detroit Youth Choir, DJ Kygo and Macklemore.

Sadly, the group failed to make the top five. This season was won by 22-year-old vocalist Kodi Lee.

The choir's impact was huge, though, and they won over many in the US.

“You showed us how to have fun and for that we’ll always love The Ndlovu Youth Choir,” a message to the group posted by the show's official Twitter page read.

The choir's members were also positive about the future. They said their journey on the show had changed their lives forever and “shared a message of hope, unity and above all love with the world”.

“Our America's Got Talent journey may have come to an end but this is only the beginning. We are so excited for what lies ahead and we look forward to continuing sharing love, unity and above all hope,” they added.

One of the choir's biggest fans, veteran SA TV presenter Felicia Mabuza-Suttle, said the group had made every South African proud.

“They are ready to get back home now, as the song says. We are so proud of the Ndlovu Youth Choir from the dusty streets of rural Limpopo to the star lined walkway of the Dolby Theatre. They entered confidently singing their warrior songs and left and singing a song about wanting to go home now. “Sikhumbule khaya.” We are immensely proud of their accomplishments on the world's biggest stage, where reportedly two billion people watched around the world!”


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