South African sensation Tyla continues to make waves with her hit single “Water” which has since been a global hit. This time, the 22-year-old artist has won the 2024 MTV VMAs award for Best Afrobeats with the same track.
While accepting her Moonperson, Tyla gave a heartfelt shoutout to African trailblazers like Burna Boy, Tems, Wizkid, Rema, and Ayra Starr, acknowledging their contributions to the genre.
In her speech, Tyla emphasized her roots, stating, “I come from South Africa. I represent amapiano, I represent my culture.” She went on to explain that Amapiano is a unique South African genre that blends elements of house, jazz, and the ’90s sound of kwaito.
Despite the honor, Tyla expressed her thoughts on how African artists are often grouped under Afrobeats, even though the continent’s musical landscape is incredibly diverse. She shared, “This is so special, but also bittersweet because I know there’s a tendency to group all African artists under Afrobeats. Afrobeats has opened so many doors for us, but African music is much more than that.”
This is Tyla’s first VMA award and she is the first South African artist to win this award.
Check out her speech below:
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