In keeping with “Mandela Day” celebrations, the Johannesburg and KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestras have spiced up their routines by teaming up with SA rock group, Just Jinjer.
Together they have presented a new orchestral rendition of “What He Means”, a song that was originally released in 2006 and performed live at the Nelson Mandela 46664 concert. The orchestral arrangement was done by Eddie Clayton.
Bongani Tembe, chief executive and artistic director of both the JHB and KZN Philharmonic Orchestras, said he was moved by the power and the lyrics of this song which emphasised the importance of peace, love and tolerance in society.
“We are delighted to be collaborating with Just Jinjer. Mandela Day provides us with a unique opportunity to reflect on his life and to promote his legacy of selfless giving. In particular, I was moved by the power and the lyrics of this song which emphasise the importance of peace, love and tolerance in society. Indeed, as South Africans collectively fight this global pandemic of Covid-19, we need faith, light and hope,” he said.
The celebration of Nelson Mandela Day recognises and gives credence to Nelson Mandela’s commitment to human rights, conflict resolution and reconciliation.
The musicians from the JHB and KZN Philharmonic Orchestras collaborated for this special tribute for Mandela Day, each recording their own performance from their various homes throughout Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, with Just Jinjer doing a recording in a studio in Johannesburg.
‘’We hope that sharing our talent with the people of South Africa will uplift their spirits during this difficult time and encourage collaboration and compassion”, said Tembe.
Just Jinjer is one of South Africa’s top selling rock bands and in the last decade performed and toured with bands like “U2”, “Counting Crows” and “Def Leppard”.
Among their six released albums, the band's debut album, “All Comes Round”, became the best-selling rock album in South African history.
‘’We are stoked to have collaborated with the JHB and KZN Philharmonic Orchestras for this special tribute to recognise and appreciate the sacrifices made by our former President Nelson Mandela, who played such an important role in bringing peace to our beautiful country and also inspired many other nations all over the world to follow in his footsteps. His legacy will continue to live forever,” said Ard Matthews, Just Jinjer band member.
Watch the video here:
*Find more organisations and worthy causes to support on Mandela Day: https://www.iol.co.za/trends/mandeladay