South African musicians are rare diamonds.
There is a distinct beauty about their voices.
Have you ever heard the heavenly harmonies of a choir from Soweto during a Sunday Service? Or the singing of a mob, trying to find solace through the heartaches and dark days of apartheid?
From as far back as the 1960’s, The Grammy Awards have honored the raw talent on the shores that Hugh Masekela’s trumpets once echoed. In 1966, South African icon and Civil rights activist Miriam Makeba, became the first African artist to win a Grammy Award. Since then, the likes of Soweto Gospel Choir, Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Black Coffee have all followed ‘Mama Africa’s blueprint.
On the 5th of February, 2023, history repeated itself as Wouter Kellerman, Zakes Bantwini & Nomcebo Zikode became the latest South African acts to bring home the prestigious gold-plated trophy. Their collaboration on a song titled, “Bayethe” secured their Best Global Music Performance victory at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.
The award-winning trio were greeted to a heroes’ welcome by dozens of adoring fans upon their arrival at King Shaka International Airport, Durban. Jozi Gist caught up exclusively with Zakes Bantwini to ‘give us the tea’ about what happened in LA, the success of “Asanda” and what he plans to do next after the biggest achievement of his career so far. This is the exchange that followed:
What was the highlight of your trip to L.A? and how did you feel after winning your first Grammy?
My major highlight was winning the Grammy. I would love every artist to have the opportunity to feel the joy and pride I feel right now. It is such a great feeling to be able to walk on that stage and receive that gramophone.
Did you think the “Bayethe” record would ever get this far?
When we made this record, we made sure it was a Grammy competitive record. In our studio sessions, we had several conversations about making a record that will compete on a global level. We did our research on what it takes to win a Grammy for the Best Global Performance. We were not chasing numbers, we were chasing a Grammy win and we did it!
Which artist left you star struck at the Grammys?
I don’t get star struck by anyone. I admire certain artists. There are only three international artist’s I would love to make a record with at the moment; they are Kanye West, Adele and Burna boy.
“Asanda” is doing quite well on local radio charts, what is the story behind the track?
I worked with Kususa and Argento Dust. Samurai of Kususa always wanted to have a record with me. He would come almost every day to look for me at my studio in Durban. He was so persistent. Eventually, he finally got an opportunity to make me listen to the record and I was immediately blown away. We made it happen and the rest as they say, ‘was history’!
What needs to improve about the African sound?
Producers need to stop being so obsessed with what they think the fans want to hear; they need to stop following existing trends in music and experiment more. They need to fearlessly infuse other genres into the Afro sound. We also need to share our styles of music more on the African continent. I would love to hear Amapiano from North Africa for example. We also need to elevate the quality of our mixes and masters. This is just as important as picking the right PR team and stylist.
What is the biggest lesson you have learnt in your career?
Discuss royalty splits, immediately after you are done recording a hit song.
Would “Abantu” still be your final album or have you change your mind?
I have not changed my mind. There’s no better time to leave than when you’re at the top of your game. I’m at the top of the game now. I want to get more involved in the executive side of the game. I’m also looking forward to spending more time with my family because I’ve been traveling across the world non-stop recently.”
What is your perception of the talent in South Africa at the moment?
We have great talent here in South Africa and all we need is support and we can consistently compete on a global scale.
After bagging two South African Music Awards (Highest Airplay and Best Collaboration), a GQ Award for Musician of the Year, a South African Social Media Award (SASMA) and a Grammy Award all in the space of a few months, it is clear to see that Zakes Bantwini is yet another precious African diamond that the world is glad to have discovered.
Welcome The ‘Ghetto King’ from KwaMashu, Kwazulu-Natal to the red carpet!