A good week for Tyla

Our Grammy winner adds an MTV award — and sets the world straight on oversimplifying African music

Picture: REUTERS/Andrew Kelly
Picture: REUTERS/Andrew Kelly Picture: REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

A good week for Tyla

Tyla Laura Seethal, known simply as Tyla to her fans, has had another fabulous night at a music awards function. Last week she added an MTV Video Music Award — in the category  Afrobeats — to her Grammy, becoming the first South African to win an MTV prize. She beat Usher and Burna Boy, among others, to the line. The 22-year-old from Joburg, who has been called “Queen of Popiano” for her fusion of pop and amapiano, got in a dig at the organisers in her acceptance speech, making the point that you can’t squeeze the diversity of African music into a single category, Afrobeats.

Picture: SUPPLIED
Picture: SUPPLIED Picture: SUPPLIED

A bad week for Renaldo Gouws

Renaldo Gouws, like many whose prejudices are captured on social media, has paid the price. When his racist comments on YouTube were exposed, the DA member faced the wrath of the nation and the party. Last week the DA federal executive decided unanimously to expel him as a member, which cost Gouws his parliamentary seat. He has since said he will “explore legal and ethical options” to overturn the decision, but the case against him seems open and shut, with incontrovertible evidence — and should be a warning to all racists out there.