“Give Them a Grammy Now”: Parktown Boys’ High School Learners Stun Mzansi With Powerful War Cry Show

• Learners from a historic Johannesburg boys’ school delivered a coordinated instrumental routine that quickly caught the attention of South Africans online last week
• The powerful performance blended brass instruments and drums, and showed discipline and teamwork often seen during major interschool derby matches across Gauteng
• The modern twist on a global hip-hop track gave the traditional school war cry fresh energy and reminded many of spirited assemblies and sports days

Learners from Parktown Boys’ High School in Parktown, Johannesburg, delivered a thunderous war cry that had social media buzzing on 21 February 2026.

The all-boys school in Gauteng became the talk of the timeline after pupils performed an energetic routine on campus. The performance drew attention online for its rhythm and creativity.

The performance took place at the historic school grounds in Parktown, near Auckland Park and Melville. The school was founded in 1923. The boys used only musical instruments to execute the routine. Trumpets led the melody, and a drum drove the tempo. The war cry was led by a learner who controlled the pace with sharp drum beats. The group recreated Metro Boomin’s hit Superhero using brass sound.

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School war cries are a proud SA tradition

War cries are not new in South African schools. They are commonly found in boys’ high schools. They form part of assemblies, interschool sports days and derby matches. Institutions such as Jeppe High School for Boys and King Edward VII School are known for powerful chants that echo across sports fields during rugby clashes.

These performances are often competitive. Schools rehearse for weeks. The aim is to intimidate the opposition and boost team spirit. Some war cries rely on booming vocals alone. Others mix chanting with stomping and coordinated claps. A few schools, like Parktown Boys’, take it a step further by bringing in full brass sections.

Over the years, videos of school war cries have gone viral online.

The video was shared on TikTok by @lukhanyo412 on 21 February 2026. It has amassed close to 80,000 likes and more than 2,000 shares at the time of this report.

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Watch the TikTok video below:

Mzansi reacts to the performance

The clip gained traction, with viewers praising the coordination. Others compared it to their assemblies across the country that have no capacity to pull off such a show.

@Filwe S commented:

“Otla Di tsebela kae o tsene Tatazela Secondary?” Translation: How will you experience such when you attend school at Tatazela Secondary?

@Thabani said:

“These boys are having the time of their lives.”

@Mbangela wrote:

“As soon as I saw the video I knew only Mzansi can have so much rhythm.”

@JAMB 2026 said:

“Give them a Grammy now.”

@Mysterious Man Organisation commented:

“Your high school will never see such, mine also won't.”

@Tebo The Nerd highlighted:

“I’m definitely scoring three tries if I have to hear this in the stands.”

More war cry-related articles

• Briefly News previously reported that Parktown Boys High students performed a powerful war cry on their school field, combining tradition with modern music.
• A viral high school war cry has Mzansi glued to screens, as learners perform a perfectly synchronized chant with blazers, leaving viewers amazed.
• Boys from the Stellenbosch school, Paul Roos Gymnasium, showcased incredible energy on the bleachers during their war cry.

Source: Briefly News