Local gospel singer releases first single
Heal the Nations is a song all about getting up after Covid-19 has knocked you down.
When President Ramaphosa announced that the country was going into an extended lockdown in 2020, many people found themselves with much more free time than they’ve ever had in their adult lives. Everyone filled their time in a their own way, most taking on old and new hobbies.
Tselane Diphoko, known by her stage name Brooke, had her birthday on the very first day of the first lockdown. It’s been nearly a full year since that day and Tselane filled her quiet days at home by turning up the volume.
She started singing as a little girl and was a member of her pre school, high school and church choirs.
Feeling down and out like most others did during lockdown, she decided to translate her feelings into lyrics, and slowly built on her love for performing.
“I was looking for work before lockdown, but nothing came up. I then decided to write Heal the Nations and recorded it in Soweto a while ago. When I was there I met a local rapper, Sfarzo and told him to jump in. I had an idea of the rhythm, but my producer then came up with the beat,” explained Tselane.
Heal the Nations is a gospel, house and hip-hop style song that’s all about getting out of the emotional and economic hole created by the pandemic. In her words, “Asking God for healing. The nation needs healing from Covid-19. Not just South Africa but the world and the generations to come. I needed healing. Covid-19 was a shock! If I can heal, then everyone can heal.”
She said she would like her song to be used in worldwide projects such as those of the World Health Organization (WHO). Her song is currently available on SoundCloud. She’s already shot the music video, but it still needs to be edited and will only be available by the end of March.
“Right now I’m still finding myself. I want to go far with this. I don’t just have to sing gospel but can go into hip hop or any other genres.”
