Other international stars will include South African bass guitarist Bakithi Khumalo, Roberta Fleck and reggae band Third World, renowned violinist Daisy Joplin and one of the world’s best percussionists, Bashiri Johnson.
Johnson’s last biggest project was a percussionist’s role in the late Michael Jackson’s This is It project, among others.
“It all started when I took my son for a Daisy Jopling show for children here in Peekskill, New York. I realised that Jopling was very passionate about helping children and it inspired me to do something about orphaned children in Zimbabwe,” said Ngwenya.
Ngwenya said during the performance he thought about what the orphans and underprivileged children in Zimbabwe were missing thus he decided to talk to Joplin about the project and she happily agreed to assist.
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He said his main aim was to help the Pakare Paye and The Salvation Army Horse Shoe school projects in Zimbabwe as both projects involved underprivileged children.
He said they also aimed to start a violin class for orphans and underprivileged children at Pakare Paye.
“In Guruve, US-based New Sounds for Christ (NSFC) group from Harlem, would also like to help build a classroom block for the children there. NSFC were in Zimbabwe in 2006 on the same project and we donated
US$26 000. NSFC Director, Ken Burton is determined to see those children in a sheltered classroom,” said Ngwenya.
He said it was going to be great for Mtukudzi and Mapfumo to sing on the same song and Tuku had already put his guitar and voice on the song while Khumalo had worked on the bass and Johnson would be the producer.
Ngwenya said when he told Joplin about the song for orphans which he had written and not recorded they went to Brian Taylor’s studio where they played around with it.
He said Taylor did some magic on the demo and everyone who heard it was touched by the lyrics and violin sound.
“That is when I thought of the ‘We are The World’ concept of involving other musicians and artistes,” he said.
Ngwenya said it was not a sad song but a celebration of God’s blessings on orphans.
Ngwenya says Mtukudzi had indicated that he found this initiative positive and promised to make the best he could.
Ngwenya said the song would be pre-empted at a concert in New York on November 1 and it would be a Christmas present for Zimbabwe and the rest of the world.
He said they were planning to be in Harare end of January and Joplin was planning to perform in schools and orphanages before February 3 2012 with her husband.
“We want everyone to be involved in this project including companies, organisations, individuals and we will reach out to as many people as we can through word of mouth, social sites and text messages,” he said.
