Culturally speaking, there has been a growing interest in hip-hop as a global phenomena, but oddly little mention of “Breakdance.” It is not uncommon for music genres to get global exposure, but having a whole culture accepted globally is rare.
On Saturday, the Ghetto Kids auditioned on the dazzling stage of Britain’s Got Talent and earned a golden buzzer mid-performance for their sensational act that electrified both the judges and the audience.
The Ghetto Kids appeared on the stage of Britain’s Got Talent, a televised talent competition where groups and individuals showcase their talents in various categories on a stage before a panel of judges. There are two ways for contestants to move on to the next stage of the competition either they get three yeses from the judges or they get the golden buzzer, which grants them a place in the semi-finals stage allowing them to skip the boot camp stage.
However, the Ghetto Kids broke a record on Saturday by being the first act in the whole competition to ever earn a golden buzzer in the middle of their performance from Italian judge Bruno Tonioli. “I’ve to do it now”, he said before reaching for and hitting the buzzer in the middle of the dance crew’s energetic routine. Like true professionals the children continued to dance till their routine was finished as golden confetti floated around them creating a magical scene on stage.
The group was put together in 2007 by Kavuma Dauda, a former teacher and rose to fame when their dance video for the popular song Sitya Loss by Eddy Kenzo went viral in 2014. Since that video went viral the group has performed on various stages both at home and abroad.
They have most notably appeared in the music video for the song ‘Unforgettable’ by musician French Montana and the Black Entertainment Television awards (BET) among others. They have also done various tours in multiple countries that has opened them up to new opportunities to grow and further their talent.
Kavuma started with five children but now has over 30 children who he provides for through his philosophy of making life better through dance. All the members of the group are former street kids who were given a new lease on life through dance by their mentor Kavuma, who has enabled them to go to school and have all their basic needs met.
Kavuma’s story is similar to any of his mentees as he was a street child as well. He lost his father at a young age and his family struggled to make ends meet which led to him dropping out of school. He was noticed by a school football coach who offered him a chance to go back to school. “He told me if I give you a chance, would you go back to school? I said, yes, that’s what I really want. So, from that day, I promised myself that when I grew up, at least I would help one child,” Kavuma says.
Ghetto Kids have taken the world by a storm and inspired many with their immense talent, bright smiles, energetic aura and resilient spirits that keep them moving forward.
