‘Song for the nation’ released ahead of election

Sikelela – Lord Heal Our Land is the name of a new “song for the nation” that was released last Friday by withJoy, a non-profit Christian Music publisher based in Johannesburg

Laurie Woolacott, 75, of withJoy told Gateway News that he and withJoy co-director Thulas Zondi, who have been collaborating on the song since late last year, and their producer Andy Maritz, pushed very hard to get the song out before the upcoming elections because of their sense that it carries an important message of repentance, unity and hope for this time.

The song, which features the Soweto Gospel Choir, references 2 Chronicles 7:14 and lines from the South African national anthem in different languages. It opens with words in the San language which feature on the South African coat of arms and mean “diverse people unite”.

Laurie said that Sikelela – Lord Heal Our Land is an extensively reworked version of a song called Father Have Mercy which he wrote in 1985 during the peak of the apartheid era. It was one of a number of songs he had written in the 1980s after coming to faith in Jesus and being impacted by the Charismatic renewal that was sweeping through the world at the time.

Decades later on a visit to Bethel Church in Redding, California, with a group of South African Christians, his songwriting call was revived again. He sensed God was calling him to get his old songs published and to  write songs that would help to break through cultural barriers in SA. During that time he said he had many “kairos moments” involving songwriting. In one of these moments while he was in the US, God prompted him to seek advice from an accomplished US Christian songwriter. When he obeyed the Lord he discovered the songwriter lived near Pittsburgh, where he was at the time. He contacted him and they spent a fruitful weekend together.

Back in South Africa he approached various worship leaders in the Vineyard Church movement to join him in establishing a songwriting network which became withJoy. During this time he was introduced to Thulas Zondi, a talented musician who became a friend and co-director of withJoy, whose vision is to encourage and equip Christian songwriters and to produce transformational Christian music.

Last year, while working on a new album project, Laurie and Thulas decided to revive the 1985 song Father Have Mercy. Laurie said Thulas played a massive role in transforming the song into what it is today. “He created the hook, he changed the rhythm — without that, the song wouldn’t be anything like what it is,” he said. Thulas’ inspiration to make the song more African also led to the idea of inviting the Soweto Gospel Choir to be part of the production.

Also see: https://withjoy.co.za/home/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100067614183193
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eO1Zvp4Uo-0

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