Today, an all-African ‘first’ will explode onto the music scene and into the charts. The hit song and video, titled Tell Everybody, features some of the continent’s biggest stars, including Mafikizolo (South Africa), Yemi Alade (Nigeria), Diamond (Tanzania), Sauti Sol (Kenya), Toofan (Togo), Becca and Sarkodie (Ghana). Written, recorded, produced and released by Africans for Africans, the song hopes to ignite the political passions of young people to hold their leaders to account in meeting the Global Goals: to end extreme poverty, fight inequality and fix climate change by 2030.
The hit song and video, titled Tell Everybody, is just one of Africa’s contribution to the ambitious global initiative to get the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to everyone on the planet within 7 days of being adopted by all the world’s leaders on 25 September. It features verses in English, French, Swahili, Pidgin and Zulu.
Tell Everybody is also Africa’s first-ever crowdsourced song! To capture the voice of Africa’s youth, a mobile competition was launched which saw youth from 24 African countries submitting lyrics via their mobile phones. The winners received a $500 prize each and a songwriting credit on the track!
Cobhams Asuquo, the song’s producer, said, “We decided to let the young voices of Africa be heard in this song. Not only did we love the winning verses but all the entries informed the vision, lyrics and sound of the song. The African youth are powerhouses in their own right and collectively they can make change happen.”
Watch the new video, and #TellEverybody
Why did the artists get involved with the project? Well, let them tell you…
Mafikizolo’s Theo Kgosinkwe and Nhlanhla Nciza from South Africa
“As artists we have the opportunity to reach so many people, and an obligation to give them more than music, more than entertainment but to educate and empower them as well. This is our gift and our privilege”.
Sauti Sol from Kenya
“It’s a song about Africa rising, with the youth at its wings. For us, it inspires optimism and energy in a generation of Africans who need to be more aware of themselves and demand a better, brighter future.”
Diamond from Kenya
“Young people feel they don’t have a voice in politics. This song tries to challenges that thinking. Poverty is political. It’s time for young people to know their power and use it wisely.”
Becca from Ghana
“There is no better way to deliver the Global Goals message than through music. This song, I believe, is going to be that breakthrough.”
Sarkodie from Ghana
“It’s a protest song for 21st century Africa. We chose the popular medium of a song to share the goals with everyone in Africa. I hope it wakens a thirst in young people to fight for their rights.”
You will be able to download the song on iTunes.
