Black hits a BET high note

MUSICIAN Amanda Black is set to fly the South African flag high when she jets off to Los Angeles later this month for the prestigious Black Entertainment Television (BET) Awards.

Black was recently announced as a nominee in the Viewers Choice: Best International Act category at the awards.

She joins Babes Wodumo‚ AKA and Nasty C‚ who bagged nominations in the Best International: Africa category.

“I am like a little girl with all the lollipops. I’m so happy,” Black said.

“I saw my name on the nominees list and I went berserk.”

It is the latest in a series of achievements for the former SA Idols top 10 finalist‚ who won two awards at the Metro FM Music Awards in February and three awards at the South African Music Awards last month.

“I feel like I am living a fairy tale at the moment. It is so humbling to be able to make music that I love and for it to be loved so much by other people too.

“I put a lot of honesty in my music and for people to relate to that and see it as their story too is just humbling‚” she said.

Black is hoping to follow in the footsteps of DJ Black Coffee‚ who became the first South African to win a BET award last year.

She said the DJ’s hard work and influence had inspired all local artists to dream big.

“It used to be that we [South African artists] would have to go America to be noticed but we are now being recognised and are still able to stay in South Africa. I think a lot of that is down to Black Coffee.

“For so many years we tried to break into the market by sounding like Americans and now we are just being ourselves and we are getting recognised for who we are.”

South African music veteran Yvonne Chaka Chaka will also be honoured with a BET International Global Good Star and Power award at the event.

The BET Awards will be held at the Microsoft Theatre in California on June 25.