Northern Cape’s cultural gems nominated for SATMA Awards

The LegoralaMmino cultural group, founded by Palesa Portia Siwa, has once again been nominated for the Best Setswana Artist/Group at the South African Traditional Music Achievement (SATMA) Awards 2024.

This marks the Northern Cape group’s second nomination in this prestigious category, having first been nominated and winning the award in 2021.

LegoralaMmino was established in 2015 by Siwa in her hometown of Jan Kempdorp to further her passion for cultural music.

Siwa’s passion for cultural music began at the tender age of 11, participating in school choirs and later joining the local group JKD Meloding. Her early experiences in music laid the foundation for her to create her own group.

The group’s debut single, “Banna”, released in 2016 and featuring Casper the Golden Voice from Botswana, was a significant success, earning them the SATMA award for Best Setswana Artist/Group in 2021. Following this success, Siwa released a second single, “Kgomo”, which has also been well-received, leading to their current nomination.

Siwa is currently collaborating with SB Media House on a new album set to release later this year.

Expressing her gratitude for the nomination, a jubilant Siwa said, “I am humbled to be recognised by SATMAs again. I am proud that it shows that my hard work is being noted and that the industry believes in us. This is another opportunity to show the world that the Northern Cape is rich with talent.”

Supporters can vote for LegoralaMmino by sending an SMS with “080SATMA19” to 32436. Each SMS costs R1.50, and there is no limit to the number of votes one can cast.