Watch South Africa's Ndlovu Youth Choir Deliver 'Infectiously Uplifting' Audition on AGT
The Ndlovu Youth Choir from South Africa blew away the judges of "America's Got Talent" with a joyous, energetic performance.
The Ndlovu Youth Choir traveled all the way from South Africa to compete in "America's Got Talent" and proved that Africa's got talent too.
The Choir took to the stage and blew the judges and the audience away with their joyous energetic performance of an original song, "My African Dream."
“Our dream is to let children know that just because you’re born into poverty doesn’t mean that you are poverty.” Ralf Schmitt
BRINGING THEIR DREAM OF A BETTER LIFE TO AGT
The choir comes from the Limpopo region, one of the poorest areas in South Africa, and was founded by Choir director Ralf Schmitt in 2009.
Schmitt explained that many of the singers had been orphaned and had been raising their siblings on their own, and the choir provided a much-needed escape from their difficult lives.
"To try and help those orphans and vulnerable children, we started a choir. When they join us, many of the kids have the weight of the world on their shoulders and their problems feel insurmountable,” he explained.
A DAZZLING DISPLAY OF RHYTHM AND TALENT
The Ndlovu Youth Choir trooped onto the AGT stage in their brilliantly colored traditional clothes and proceeded to blow away the judges with their flawless performance of a song that combined traditional African music with Westen influences.
GABRIELLE UNION WAS ON HER FEET
The choir's performance had the audience on their feet, as well as judge Gabrielle Union who gave them a standing ovation.
“From the second you walked out, I think this whole place was rooting for you and you did not disappoint. You showcased the beauty that you represent. You are giving so much hope, I can’t thank you enough,” she said.
AGT JUDGES UNANIMOUS IN THEIR PRAISE
Julianne Hough joined her praise to Union's calling the Choir's performance "so beautiful, so magical.”
But the supreme accolade came from music mogul Simon Cowell. The notoriously difficult judge was unequivocal in his approval.
“We’ve always been waiting for a choir like this, something we’ve never heard before. Your energy was literally bouncing off to me right there, it was great. You, I’m going to remember,” he said.
The Ndlovu Youth Choir's aim is to inspire other young people around the world in similar circumstances and encourage them to reach for their dreams.
Well done, Ndlovu Youth Choir.
VIOLIN BOY RULES THE STAGE AT AGT
"America’s Got Talent" hosted one of the most unusual talents in the person of 11-year-old Tyler Butler-Figueroa from North Carolina who presented himself as a violin player.
“I started playing the violin when I was 7½. I wanted to start playing the violin because I was being bullied in school. It’s because I had cancer, I almost died,” he said.
Butler-Figueroa had been diagnosed with Leukemia when he was 4½ years old, and luckily beat the disease.
"I just didn't want to be the kid with cancer. So now, I'm the kid who plays the violin,” he said.
He performed Kelly Clarkson‘s “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” on the violin with such verve and skill that he won himself Simon Cowell's Golden Buzzer.