Today, Monday 22nd of February 2021, the Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, will release the 2020 matric results and the long wait ends. Learners will have access to their results and can finally…. just breathe! Two National School of the Arts matriculants wrote a song, titled ‘NEW DAY’, to inspire matriculants across the nation, and as a tribute to the resilience of the class of 2020 who prepared for, and wrote their final exams during the coronavirus pandemic. The song is a vibrant celebration of hope, invites possibility and encourages optimism. Irrespective of the results and the marks – it is crucial that the matric class of 2020 believes in the promise of a NEW DAY.
The lyrics: “So when in doubt just breathe, just breathe” and “let’s be kind to one another, let’s be there for one another because you don’t know what he’s going through, you don’t know what she’s going through, everybody show some goodness”, are great advice. Yet, despite the overwhelming message of positivity it does not lessen the challenges or fears, but offers tools to cope.
Liebah Masango, the vocalist, said that music “brings joy, is transformative, and my voice is my gift to fellow matriculants”. Ayanda Yumba, looks forward to producing and composing more music. He reflects on his time at the NSA, saying that “it shaped who I am. It will always be home.”
“Focusing on the positive, while motivating other students is exactly what’s needed as we navigate the ‘new normal’, said Elouise Kelly, COO, Universal Music South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa. “We congratulate Ayanda, Liebah and the NSA fraternity on the release of this inspiring track, which demonstrates how unifying and uplifting music can be, and we look forward to many collaborations with the talented learners of the NSA”, she added. The song’s feel-good video is available on Youtube and on all the digital platforms.
The NSA is the premier school of specialization in performing and creative arts, and attracts creatively gifted teenagers from across South Africa. Four disciplines: art, drama, dance, and music are offered within a full academic curriculum. The 2021 intake of learners is slowly being orientated, and this year’s programme will find the creative opportunity in the restrictions and not settle for compromise. Despite theatres being empty across the globe, it is essential to reassure and nurture our young artists to believe that there will be a New Day, a tomorrow, and many stories to tell.
‘NEW DAY’ was a serendipitous result of Old Mutual’s #21 Acts of Goodness for the Matric Class of 2020 initiative. NEW DAY has the spirit to boost not just the matric class as they get their results but all learners as they get into the rhythm of their 2021 academic year. With the promise of a vaccine – the song could be a soundtrack for our time – it is a NEW DAY.
