Commissioned by the Director of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture Matsie Ratsaka-Mothokoa before her retirement, this song embraces all values Joe Nina has advocated for during his whole career as well as his life.
In a period of general insecurity and imposed separation, Joe Nina embraced the challenges of a multiple artists’ production, giving birth to a song that speaks of hope and unity to fight and overcome our current societal issues like xenophobia and gender-based violence.
Joe Nina applied the unique principle of Ubuntu to the actual song, coming to the creation of One Africa through collaboration with established musicians as well as up-and-coming artists.
The song ensembles the artistic abilities and uniqueness of some of our most talented artists, seeing the originality of some of our most exemplar performers as Steve Kekana, Bongo Riot, Joe Nina and Fana Zulu on bass guitar, as well as some of the most talented up and coming musicians with Be, ThembiT, Joe Dassim from Congo and Philani on vocals, supported by the poet Matshepiso, as well as a marimba band from Kwa Thema and the Bino’s choir (a choir of young and vibrant young albinos from Polokwane and Gauteng).
Joe Nina gave live to an exemplar anthem to promote a solution to our current challenges, becoming a hymn and practical example of the Ubuntu fundamentals encapsulated in the “I am because you are” slogan, applied to musical creation.
This song could not have been without the unique contribution of all the artists involved.