(Carolyn Steyn, the founder of 67 Blankets)
Initially,
celebrities hauled out their knitting needles for Madiba. Then they invested in
crochet hooks. And now they've brought their mics to the table, and non-profit
organisation 67 Blankets for Mandela has its own song.
Like the
beautifully crafted blankets that keep thousands of people around the world
warm, each verse of the song was stitched together with lots of love and care
by selfless people who wanted to be part of something bigger. Renowned musicians
PJ Powers, Timothy Moloi and Proverb donated their voices. The lyrics to the moving
67 Blankets Anthem were written by
11-year-old Ella Grealy and two prison inmates, Ntutuzelo Mdingi and Nkosinathi
Majola. Musician Neill Solomon wrote the music and Mauritz Lotz did the arrangement.
Each time the song
is downloaded, it will raise funds for the 67 Blankets journey. And its going
for a song on various platforms from as little as R7.50. Two versions of 67 Blankets Anthem are already
available, and a third is in the pipeline. Some of the money raised from sales
of the song will go towards having Buskaid play on version three. Who knows
maybe the combination of Ella, the two Zonderwater prisoners, acclaimed
flautist Wouter Kellerman and Buskaid could notch up another Grammy win for
Kellerman. The rest of the sales will go to wool.
As 67 Blankets
gears up to take back its world record for the biggest crocheted blanket
recently snatched by a blanket measuring more than 11,000 square metres in
India on April 22, it is also getting ready for a huge recording of the new
anthem.
Prior to the world
record attempt, there will be an event at Steyn City, near Sandton, on April 10
with Lead SA, said founder of 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day, Carolyn
Steyn.
“We need all
knit-wits to buy the song so that we can film them singing the song on April 10
at Mandela Park.”
Brendan Grealy, who
was the driving force behind the song, explained how his daughter, Ella (who is
also Steyn’s god daughter) starting writing it in January 2015. “We were seated
at the piano and, as is her wont, she just plays and sings,” Grealy explained.
Grealy approached
his old mate Neil Solomon about writing the music, the other lyricists and
musicians signed up and all of a sudden a very good backing track was in place.
PJ Powers, Tim Moloi
and Proverb recorded in Solomon’s Passage One Studios. A video was produced by
Richard Nosworthy of Plum productions. The fact that world-famous recording
artists agreed to perform on the record was testament to how highly people regard
Carolyn Steyn’s 67 Blankets initiative, said Grealy.
A second version of
the anthem has been recorded. Nate Butler, a well-known producer from the
United States re-arranged the original and come up with a different version of
the same song. This second rendition of the 67
Blankets Anthem also features Blaze Johnson, a finalist on The Voice USA
team Adam Levine, and once again Tim Moloi.
Both songs are
available on iTunes just type 67 Blankets into the information box for R7.99
for one or both for R15.98. On MTNplay, the song is available for R7.50 and the
ringtone for R2. The songs are also available on CCA (Content Connect Africa).
Stitch by stitch,
note for note, and download for download, the 67 Blankets team of volunteers
will continue to endeavour to keep people warm this winter.
For more
information visit www.67blankets.co.za
or 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day (South Africa) Facebook page.
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