The St Vincent School for the Deaf have shared their beautiful performance of ‘Mtakamama’ in the “Silent Choir” advert that is giving everyone goosebumps.
South Africa (15 August 2023) – If your social media has been flooded with Springbok adverts, you are not alone! We have scrolled through many and a few have really given us a good chuckle or left goosebumps. The most recent one that we adore, is the “Silent Choir” advert by MTN featuring the St Vincent School for the Deaf.
The choir perform a silent version of the iconic Gwijo song, ‘Mtakamama’ otherwise known as ‘Thina Siyazalana’. The silent Gwijo pays tribute to the diversity of South Africa and aims to inspire the entire nation, including the deaf community, to rally behind the Springboks as they defend their title next month.
The ‘Silent Choir’ was made up of 16 children between the ages of 15-18 years old and is led on-camera by the school principal Cathy Williams of St. Vincent School for the Deaf and with off-camera support by Mmatlou Moloto and Sophia Rudham.
This incredible advert follows on from the one aired two weeks ago that called for the unity of all 60 million voices in South Africa, to get behind the Boks ahead of the Rugby World Cup in France.
“Through the power of Gwijo, our Silent Choir brings together voices that transcend spoken language and barriers. With this initiative, we are not only celebrating South Africa’s rich cultural heritage through Gwijo but also ensuring that the melody of the Gwijo anthem resonates with all South Africans, regardless of their hearing ability,” – Nomsa Chabeli, GM: Brand & Marketing at MTN SA
The school shared their pride in being involved in the project along with the video. It was very well received. The official advert was released this week and already it has the nation talking. Following on from the landmark law signing, we are proud to already see change for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. Inclusivity and unity are what the rainbow nation is all about.
“So proud our kids and staff were involved in the making of this advert for the Springboks!!!” – St Vincent School for the Deaf
The school and MTN are backing the Boks in South Africa’s 12th official language. Take a look below.
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