The Vhavenda Cultural Group shone like true superstars at this year's South African Traditional Music Awards (SATMA) and proudly returned home with the award for Best Tshivenda Album of the year. The event was held at the Mbombela Stadium in Mpumalanga on 1 October, and the album in question is called Dziya Fhiritanashudu.
Their manager, Mr Mpho Miriri, said the group started their singing careers by performing at shopping complexes and public areas. "We are over the moon! We are really excited and happy returning with a winning trophy, which only means that we are heading in the right direction," he said.
The group's main aim is to promote the Tshivenda culture through their music. "We want to keep young people in one place, off the streets, and for them not to forget their cultural roots. Most of our members are youths," said Miriri.
On behalf of the group, he thanked everyone who had voted for them. "Without your support, we are nothing. We would further like to thank the Almighty God for giving us the strength to work hard on our music. We believe God's time is the best time. Everything happens by his grace.
"The music industry is very delicate. Since we play live music, we would like to empower young and other artists, especially in rural areas, by giving them a platform to perform on a big stage. We feel very honoured and humbled to be recognised for our music and also thank our fans for their support. To everyone who was nominated at the SATMA Awards: we are all winners here," Miriri said and thanked the promoters, event organisers, and all the radio stations that keep playing their music.
The group have previously won several other awards, which include the 2018 SATMA award, the 2019 Tshivenda Music Award (TSHIMA), and the 2019 Golden Shield Heritage Award.