Launch of “We Believe in You” all-star collaboration

Making it; listening to it; and dancing to it – music has long had a special place in South African culture and celebration. What a better way than to acknowledge a group of special South Africans who are true heroes in people’s lives, than through music. For this reason, an exciting music collaboration was undertaken to pay tribute to a group of South Africans who are true heroes in our society.

 A number of leading South African artists, together with the Discovery Foundation, are proud to announce the official release of the single and music video, “We Believe in You”. The vibrant track and moving video are a heart-warming tribute to South African doctors whose work makes them heroes. It pays homage to their commitment, shown through their tireless work in public hospitals around the country, even as far as remote rural areas.

SA rock legend, Cito, rapper royals Shugasmakx and JR, and Ryno Zeelie of Figure of 8 Productions teamed up to produce the track which is touted to attract massive appeal. The track, a unique song writing collaboration, has already been described by some as an anthem for doctors across South Africa. “Through this song, we hope to honour medical professionals who save the lives of thousands of people every day – and often face great challenges in doing so. We want our track to be an emotive call to action to the people of South Africa: to support and recognise the work done by our doctors and acknowledge them as the heroes they are,” says Executive Producer Alan Hilburg.

The buzzing and enchanting voices singing the message especially for these hero doctors include  well-known local musicians, Graeme Watkins, ChianoSky, JR, Shugasmakx Tamara Dey, Moneoa, KB Motsilanyane, Timothy Moloi and Cito with support from the Clash of the Choirs finalists the Sweet Sounds Ensemble joined by the Discovery Foundation choir.

Associate Producer and co-songwriter, Cito of The CoLab Network says; “I believe there is no more powerful way of voicing a message than through music. When I approached the other artists involved,  they felt just as strongly as I did, that these true life heroes should be honoured. All the artists jumped at the chance to be involved and we are humbled that we could play even a small part in this heart-warming initiative”.

Andronica Mabuya, Senior CSI Specialist at Discovery, says the Discovery Foundation wanted an original, heartfelt and entertaining concept to highlight the work done by medical professionals in the country. “Over the past eight years, the Discovery Foundation has worked closely with doctors in our healthcare communities at medical schools and in public hospitals. We believe in the work they do; we believe in them. Now, we want to showcase this belief to the rest of South Africa,” she says.

Commissioned by the Discovery Foundation and written and produced exclusively for the 2014 Discovery Foundation Awards, the song features solo excerpts from each of the main performers with a vibrant chorus sung by Sweet Sounds Ensemble and the Discovery Foundation Choir backing these nine powerhouse vocalists.

Together with the movie, “Our Journey to Health” – a documentary-style film tribute to healthcare professionals working in South African healthcare – the “We Believe In You” track aims to honour them for their commitment to research excellence, scientific rigour, and medical innovation. Produced by Nicola de Chaud and directed by Jasmyn Asvant, this film follows the lives of doctors and personnel at Groote Schuur Hospital, Tygerberg Hospital, Zithulele Hospital, Mosvold Hospital, and National Health Laboratory Services for a behind-the-scenes look at the dedication and passion of many of the doctors in our country.

“Doctors are the heroes in their communities – they are heroes to their families, to their patients and should be seen and recognised as heroes in the broader South African society. Join us in celebrating our heroes with the new “We Believe In You” single,” adds Mabuya.

We Believe In You will be available for free download from Soundcloud as well as from the Discovery website. The music video is freely available on Youtube http://youtu.be/6HS9KE5NQDc and Vimeo https://vimeo.com/104092770

For more information, contact Collett Dawson at collett@thecolabnetwork.com