LISTEN | ‘He’s a musical genius’ — Proud wife Nandi Madida celebrates Grammy-winning Zakes Bantwini

Probably the proudest wife in the country at the moment, Nandi Madida, musician and wife of Zakes Bantwini, has expressed her pride in her husband, who bagged the first Grammy Award of his career.

Zakes, real name Zakhele Madida, hogged headlines on Monday following his Grammy win for the song Bayethe which he shares with flautist Wouter Kellerman and vocalist Nomcebo Zikode.

Nandi led the masses in celebration of the trio and shared her joy about her husband's achievement. 

“The most inspiring is that no matter what he achieves, Zakes continues to remain humble, loving and kind-hearted. No matter what the accolade may be, the true essence of who he is and his character is what I celebrate most about him and enjoy,” Nandi told TshisaLIVE.

Listen to Nandi speak proudly about her husband's journey:

The Bantwini family asked for privacy and prayers when his family announced the death of his elderly father, Sihlangusihle Jeffrey Khanyile, last month. Nandi said the loss was devastating for Zakes and she is sure his father is proud of his achievement.

“Father and last parent alive  passed on last month . It was such a challenging time for Zakes. But I know his father is so proud of him right now. You have a gained a powerful ancestor . Congrats on winning the Grammy.”

In a press release shared with TshisaLIVE, Zakes said he hopes this can prove to all young South Africans that anything is possible.

“This award is not just for us, it’s for everyone back home. This moment is testament to the fact that our dreams are valid and we can accomplish anything we set our minds on. I want every young kid in the ghetto in South Africa to dream big and believe we deserve to be recognised on the biggest stages in the world. Thank you to my team at IMG Africa, my collaborators Wouter Kellerman and Nomcebo Zikode, and everyone who has been supporting us along this journey.” 

Before their win, the trio were honoured on Saturday at an African nominees brunch at Spring Place in Beverly Hills hosted by Guba Enterprises to celebrate outstanding individuals from Africa.

“Being in LA for the Grammys and being able to network and connect with other fellow African artists, music executives and entrepreneurs is such an amazing thing.

“I’ve been busy here with meetings with music executives, taking part in a Grammy Week panel discussion at the Grammy Museum, and later today I’m going to the studio to do some song programming and writing music, and of course getting ready for the big night,” Zakes said at the event.