Steemit Engagement Challenge Season3 Week #2 |All About My Local Music by @patjewell

These words roughly translate to “Lord hear our prayers, save my people, end suffering and wars. Save my people” .

So often the world sees South Africa as a divided nation with the word “apartheid” glued to it.

Through the years the country and its people were brought together by hosting International sporting events.

It is not only the hosting of these events which united the people but the music which embraced every corner of our beautiful country, its multicultural and multilingual inheritance.

South Africa is a country rich with history and diversity, the Rainbow Nations as known globally.

From 1652, when South Africa was founded, music has always played an important role in the building and uniting of my country and that is what I want to share with you. How music can change a nation!

Not the type of music and not the musicians but what we needed most of all, to stand together in song.

South Africa’s music united South Africans!

South Africa was the host for the 1995 Rugby World Cup. Yes, we won the cup but it is not the only thing which left a memory on millions of South Africans.

It was the first time that South Africans stood together as a Nation. The beauty is that rugby was a sport known to be played by whites yet, all colour, all race and all ages were dancing and singing to “Hier kom die bokke” .

A song sand by Leon Schuster. It was a real wacky song but oh my word, LOVED by all.

South Africa’s music artists unites Africa!

The FIFA World Soccer Cup was hosted in South Africa, the first for Africa. “Waka Waka” was chosen to be the official anthem. Yes it was a song that originates from Cameroon but what made it special was the re-mix of the song which were sang by Shakira and a South African band Freshlyground an Afro-fusion band.

Their music includes kwela, indie rock, blues, jazz and fold music. True music from Africa!

This time it was the other way round. Soccer was not well known by the whites but nothing stopped the country coming together singing this beautiful song and blowing their “vuvuzelas”.

Did we win?

No, but not even a win could have measured the unity shared by South Africans and the proud of Africa.

South Africa’s music unites The World!

COVID-19 and the world is in dire straits. Billions of people all over the world is sitting in their homes under lockdown.

A 24-year-old South African Master KG “created” a song which went viral. Soon the billions was not only singing together but also dancing. The world united by Jerusalema.

What music has done for not only my country but also for Africa and the world cannot be described in words.

I invite:

@ishayachris
@mmekan
@mariez