Rapper with a golden heart

tjil chats to Reeziana who dedicated her latest single to people with special needs.
Yanna Smith
A lot of artists often look into their own personal lives for motivation for the songs they produce. One who recently did this is award-winning Afrikaans rapper Reeziana who produced a song for children with special needs. In commemoration the month where awareness for special needs, October, the rapper dedicated the song 'Oak Tree' to a little boy with Down's syndrome.

Asked as to why she is passionate about singing for children, she took a trip down memory lane to where it all began. According to Reeziana, she grew up with seven younger siblings and had to help her single mother raise them.

The creator of 'The Dawn of the Underdog Year' album, she said enjoyed being a big sister as it meant that she could correct her siblings' mistakes with no one to correct her.

“No one was there to do that for me. I had to be my own grown up and my own child. My mum was there for me but there were always younger kids that needed her more than me. That's how I got to love babies,” she said.

The artist said she got her name from an aunt who always believed that she could be an artist and she deserved a beautiful name. Growing up, she would envision herself performing for millions of people who became happy from her music. Reeziana says artists have an important role to play in society, which includes being change-makers and singing with a purpose.

“I feel being an artist is more than just going in the studio and recording a song or releasing a song. Young children look up to us they want to be like us… it's just the same as most of us who are artists now looked up to those that came before us. It's our duty to motivate them to do right things to have fun,” she said.

She believes in telling the truth about reality through her music hence the strong messages in her work. “I don't also want to sell the lies like life is cream and berries, because it's not. I experienced that personally and that's where songs like Xamgu come in where I show kids that there are bad people with weapons and they seem strong, but knowledge is way more powerful. I'm sure most of the guys, if they had a mentor, would not have turned out like they did.”

'Oak Tree' will be released tomorrow on Donlu and Namibian music websites. The rapper says the song is for everyone born different and the title is to represent their strength for withstanding some of lifes greatest challenges.

“The tree gives us hope, a sense of belonging, safety and the ability to let go of pain and suffering. It is really motivated by a little boy at my workplace but, it is for everyone. It is okay to be different,” she said.

June Shimuoshili

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Namibian Sun 2024-03-28

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