LISTEN | The Drakensberg Boys’ Choir tries to make sense of the world through song

Thanks to technology and their love of music, the young artists of the Drakensberg Boys’ Choir's latest cover of Water Fountain is a jam.

The boys' latest project was inspired by the national lockdown and was recorded in its entirety by the pupils from their own homes, using only their mobile phones. The song Water Fountain was first released in 2014 by the American band The Tune Yards.

The song is a collection of crazy ideas that makes one stop to think about what really matters in this world. It was originally written as a response to the water crisis in California, but the text becomes universally appropriate in our current world order of social distancing and, in particular, the complete decimation of the performing arts industry.

Even though the boys are trying to stay positive, their headmaster has revealed that the choir was dealt a difficult hand by the pandemic.

“Our choir school has been dealt a devastating blow by the coronavirus. We were due to be on tour in Singapore and Taiwan in April, as well as in Cape Town during the month of May. Our upcoming tour to Italy in August is also hanging in the balance. On top of this, we have already cancelled 12 concerts and a music festival on our campus, and public performances are not likely to resume any time in the near future,” the Executive Headmaster of the School, Greg Brooks, said.

Watch their virtual performance below.