CAPE TOWN – The Stormers have been employing the power of music following every match this season not only as a unifying tool and to lift team spirit, but also to celebrate one of the country’s icons of the music industry.
The legendary Johnny Clegg, best known as the co-founder of the bands Juluka and Savuka, passed away in July 2019 after a long struggle with pancreatic cancer.
Coach John Dobson and his team found a connection with one of Clegg’s compositions and decided to sing The Crossing after every match they play during the Super Rugby season.
“Music and singing are integral to team spirit, so necessary in rugby – choosing to learn the song of an iconic South African, taking our players out of their comfort zones and encouraging them to celebrate our diversity through music has been incredibly powerful,” said Dobson in a preamble to the video.
The team released the video on Wednesday to encourage South Africans as the country enters the final week on the current three-week Covid-19 enforced lockdown.
Dobson’s message ended with: “Stay safe, South Africa, stay home. Together, we will beat this coronavirus pandemic.”
While the video remains a team effort, several players, led by team captain Siya Kolisi, surprised with their individual performances and in duet with the professional artists.
Local artists who appear in the video include Zolani Mahola, Francois van Coke, Paxton Fielies, Amy Jones, RJ Benjamin, Chad Saaiman, James Stewart, Chantal Stanfield, Heinrich Frans, Marc Lottering and Amy Tjasink. Josh Hawkes, Dan Shout and Mornay Hoffmeester provided the instrumental accompaniment.
Prepare for the goosebumps.