A 12-year-old girl was overjoyed when her lyrics were arranged into a song for the 67 Blankets for Mandela campaign.
With lyrics by songwriter Neill Solomon and voices added by PJ Powers, Tim Moloi and Proverb, the anthem for 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela was released on iTunes last week for R7.99.
Times Live reported the seventh grader, Ella, a pupil at Clifton Prep in KwaZulu-Natal Midlands was honoured to have her lyrics, combined with those of two inmates, were arranged into a song. The inmates, Ntutuzelo Mdingi and Nkosinathi Majola, are from the Zonderwater Prison in Gauteng.
The grade 7 pupil said it was a “great honour”.
“It’s not something usual for a normal girl to write a song and for it to be used in such a big campaign. I’m hoping that it will help raise money for it.”
Her father, Brendan Grealy, a local actor approached his friend to hone the lyrics into a song.
“I thought it would be great if Ella’s lyrics were used for an official song for the 67 Blankets for Mandela campaign,” he said.
The girl is the goddaughter of the founder of the campaign, Carolyn Steyn.
Steyn took the campaign, started two years ago, to Facebook and has reached beyond the borders of SA to countries such as India, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia and Ghana.
Thousands of blankets have been hand-crafted and distributed to elderly and children’s homes.
American music producer Nate Butler produced another version of the song, featuring the vocals of The Voice USA finalist Blaze Johnson and Moloi for the same price on iTunes.
“That world-famous recording artists agreed to perform is testament to how highly people regard Steyn’s 67 Blankets initiative,” said Brendan.
With lyrics by songwriter Neill Solomon and voices added by PJ Powers, Tim Moloi and Proverb, the anthem for 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela was released on iTunes last week for R7.99.
Times Live reported the seventh grader, Ella, a pupil at Clifton Prep in KwaZulu-Natal Midlands was honoured to have her lyrics, combined with those of two inmates, were arranged into a song. The inmates, Ntutuzelo Mdingi and Nkosinathi Majola, are from the Zonderwater Prison in Gauteng.
The grade 7 pupil said it was a “great honour”.
“It’s not something usual for a normal girl to write a song and for it to be used in such a big campaign. I’m hoping that it will help raise money for it.”
Her father, Brendan Grealy, a local actor approached his friend to hone the lyrics into a song.
“I thought it would be great if Ella’s lyrics were used for an official song for the 67 Blankets for Mandela campaign,” he said.
The girl is the goddaughter of the founder of the campaign, Carolyn Steyn.
Steyn took the campaign, started two years ago, to Facebook and has reached beyond the borders of SA to countries such as India, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia and Ghana.
Thousands of blankets have been hand-crafted and distributed to elderly and children’s homes.
American music producer Nate Butler produced another version of the song, featuring the vocals of The Voice USA finalist Blaze Johnson and Moloi for the same price on iTunes.
“That world-famous recording artists agreed to perform is testament to how highly people regard Steyn’s 67 Blankets initiative,” said Brendan.
