The award winning group, Soweto Gospel Choir, has added another accolade in its cabinet by scooping the prestigious Grammy Award for Best Traditional World Music Album.

The talented group won the award through its album, Blessed, at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards on Sunday.

Since its inception in 2002, the choir had made great achievements in South Africa and internationally, which include winning the Best Gospel Award at the American Gospel Music Awards in 2003. In the same year, they were nominated to the South African Music Awards.

Congratulating the group for winning the Grammy award, Arts and Culture Minister Pallo Jordan said on Monday that their achievement demonstrated South African talent and the country's ability to compete internationally
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"Our choristers, conductors, composers and other musicians enjoy our full confidence that, when given a fair chance, they can impact on the global stage, carried by the quality of their performances," he said.

The minister hailed the group's music as telling the story "of one human family under one heaven".

The South African choral music had in the past gained wide recognition as it resonated with the hearts and souls of humankind, said Dr Jordan.

He said the group's award was a shared achievement with millions of talented choristers, conductors and composers who have not been recognised for decades.
"It is an acknowledgement and recognition of South African choral music and those who have persevered in its practice with little prospect of reward.

"The unknown families, friends and communities who have supported male and female choristers, whose sustained belief in choral music has been vindicated by this award, share in it alongside the performers whom they have supported," said the minister.

Dr Jordan concluded that this achievement was a matter of nation pride because it afforded South African artists to compete with their counterparts from different parts of the world.

Source: Thapelo Sakoana, BuaNews


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