South Africans Encouraged to Sing for Change

A young South African boy, Sam Kaase, has written a song called "Insurgence", to change South Africa

Sam Kaase, 18, who is a former member of Cape Town’s South African Youth Choir, is using music to plead with South Africans to speak out for a better way of life. "Don’t fear – together we can fight crime and initiate change," he says.

Politicians Patricia de Lille, Helen Zille, Mangosuthu Buthelezi and Bantu Holomisa have all added their voices – quite literally – to his recording, showing that they also truly care about South Africa and its people.

Buthulezi, who contributed to the song by singing the chorus and providing a voice-over message about crime and moral regeneration, has a strong musical connection in his family.

His mother, Princess Constance Magogo kaDinizulu was a respected composer and singer of Zulu music.

Part of the song’s lyrics go as follows: “I’m calling my country, and I’m calling Africa. I’m calling those people with passion for change. I’m calling all leaders to come let’s unite now.”

All the artists performing with Sam (on keyboard, drums, flute, trombone, violin and back-up singers) are children still at school. “We wanted to preserve the fact that this project was done by the Youth for the Youth, and whole of SA,” said Laurika Steenkamp of Music At Work, who arranged for the song to be recorded.

“This project was inspired by God saying to me that I must get SA singing together. I had no idea how to even start such a project. Then Sam came to our studio to record a demo of Insurgence. Immediately I knew this was the song!” said Steenkamp.

“When I wrote the song Insurgence, I wanted it to be a voice for the people in and out of our country who cannot be heard in their horrific day-to-day circumstances, people who experience endless tragedies and have no-one to turn to. The overall inspiration of the song is the unstable political situation of this country and how it affects the citizens and the country at large,” said Kaase.

Insurgence is available for free download at www.musicatwork.co.za

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