South Africa’s hit talent show #IdolsSA has been trending every Sunday night since its return earlier this month but on Sunday the Twitter timeline was dominated by one song: Yoki Yoki. If you don’t immediately recognise the title you’re forgiven – the newly crowned national treasure was an original song by Venda auditionee Vhudie and it has immediately captured the hearts of viewers across Africa.
When auditioning for a show like SA Idols, you’re often advised against singing an original song. Many contributors have been mocked in the past, while judges often feel more comfortable assessing a song they can easily compare to the original. But that didn’t stop Vhudie from shooting his shot and in many ways, we’re glad that he defied the best practices.
The Limpopo-born songwriter shared his wholesome and catchy song, whose chorus was so powerful that the judges were begging for an encore. Watch how it all played out below:
The song has had music lovers across the continent cheering for him and celebrating his golden ticket like no other contestant in recent history. In fact, some big names across South Africa and Nigeria have already expressed an interest in working with Vhudie:
You can watch the full “Yoki Yoki” music video below: