13 African acts team up in Covid-19 track
Thirteen African artists including the country’s South Africa-based musician Lawi have collaborated in a song titled ‘Phumelela’, in response to Covid-19 pandemic.
The song was released on Friday on the Bekezela Music YouTube channel.
The project’s publicist Mgcini Nyoni, said in a press statement that Bekezela has teamed up with 13 musicians from across Africa to produce the song ‘Phumelela’.
He observes that Covid-19 pandemic has come at a time the world is facing multiple problems that include poverty, war, unemployment and other diseases.
“In light of this situation that makes Covid-19 one more problem in addition to other existing problems, the song ‘Phumelela’ even though motivated by the current pandemic problem is not specific to the coronavirus,” Nyoni says.
He says the song speaks to the enduring spirit of human beings and how to overcome the problems that have come and gone over the centuries of human existence.
Apart from Lawi, who is the only artist from Malawi, the other acts making the list dominated by South Africa are Bekezela (Zimbabwe), Candy Tsamandebele (South Africa), Liezel Marshal (South Africa), Akinwale James (Nigeria), Mono Mukundu (Zimbabwe), Nonny D (Nigeria), Simba CI (Zimbabwe), Papy Nsenga (DRC), Zodwa Mabena (South Africa) and Khoisan (Botswana).
Produced by Bongani Radebe, Thokozani Monare and Bekezela and written by Nyoni, Motong, Bekezela and various artists, the track was recorded at RMSE Studios in South Africa.
Nyoni said other musicians could have been part of the project, but due to lockdown in many countries, only those who stay close to the studios or have home studios took part.
“As this is a legacy project that is meant to outlive the current Covid-19 pandemic, more projects will be done once the lockdown is over,” he said.
In the song, Lawi, sang his verses in Chichewa showing the beauty of African languages and other artists have done the same.
Some people on YouTube described the song as beautiful with an African touch and that it has a positive message, builds hope, unifies Africans and that it has different voices and languages.
Lawi, who is working on his third album Thirties scheduled to be released this summer, said the beauty of the song was in the coming together of all the voices from across the continent to uplift hearts during this difficult time.
“In many African countries people have lost jobs and opportunities to make a living caused by the impact of the pandemic. Some have lost their loved ones and others bread winners. There is so much fear in the hearts of people across the world and music is the only thing that still gets us singing and hoping that a brighter day will come,” he said.
Lawi has advocated for unity in most of his songs and he also produced ‘One Africa’, an African celebration song that shows the beauty in the people.
