Soweto Gospel Choir bags Best World Music Album at Grammy Awards
JOBURG – City congratulates Soweto Gospel Choir for winning their 3rd Grammy Award.
The Soweto Gospel Choir won the Best World Music Album Grammy for their album Freedom at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards.
“I would like to congratulate the Soweto Gospel Choir for winning the Best World Music Album for Freedom. This was the Soweto Gospel Choir’s fifth nomination in this category and they have won the award three times – for Blessed in 2007, African Spirit in 2008 and now for Freedom,” said MMC for Community Development, Nonhlanhla Sifumba.
Consisting of 30 members, the choir has performed all over the world, and last year it performed Halo alongside Beyoncé at the Global Citizen festival in Joburg. The group was formed in Soweto in 2002 by David Mulovhedzi and Beverly Bryer, to celebrate the unique and inspirational power of African Gospel music.
The Best World Music Album is for albums containing at least 51 per cent playing time of new vocal or instrumental world music recordings. Other nominees included Nigerian musician Omara ‘Bombino’ Moctar; Malian musician Fatoumata Diawara; and Nigerian musicians Seun Kuti and Egypt 80.
“The Soweto Gospel Choir’s achievement is not only a recognition of their hard work and excellence but also a tribute to South Africans. We are very proud of the Soweto Gospel Choir and are looking forward to seeing them soar to higher heights in the future. The City of Johannesburg is proud to be the home of the Soweto Gospel Choir. We look forward to their future offerings and congratulate them for flying the South African flag high”, said Sifumba.
