Unathi Nkayi (For Dazed & Confused : Japan)

In The Words Of:
The Cousin: "Why don’t we talk about the pain we feel? /Talking day to day but its not real/ Why is it fine to hide our hurt behind our nervous smiles/ Faking joy that’s bliss all the meanwhile/ Resentments got me numb/ Trapped in burns I run/ I try so hard to free/ The disillusioned me/ I don’t wanna hide anymore/ My heart so young is sore/ I wanna hide within/ Why can’t we find the ease in inner peace? /When thoughts whirl round in a gentle breeze/ The talk of pain, my soul deep cleanse/ With this I make amends / Speak of my cries I try/ Laugh at my fears with tears/ Know I can truly smile/ And this is my reason why/ Why is it everybody looses heart/ The moment things get a little hard/ When life itself seems to darken as the days pass/ Cuts your soul into hardened bitter halves/ I’ve gotta talk about the pain I feel/ Feel the ease with my inner peace/ Coz it’s the breath I breathe/I don’t wanna hide anymore/ My heart so young is sore/ I wanna smile within” – Unathi Nkayi : I Don’t Want To Hide.

"To this day I am very grateful that my cousin was open and comfortable enough to disclose to the entire family about her status. She only told a few of us at first and then later told the rest of the family and instructed them to inform everyone. My family had mixed emotions when they found out. There were those who were saddened by the prospect of loosing her, so young and beautiful. But there are those who aren’t as knowledgeable as they should be regarding the virus, that are still in denial about the cause of her death. Some still say, “ AIDS is a white man’s disease designed to kill our people." When my cousin eventually passed away I never got the chance to mourn her death. I was on tour and finishing off the album when one suddenly one day I just burst out crying for hours on end. I found myself writing the first few lines of this song. Music became like therapy for me. I know that there are mixed feelings on all the messages that are sent out via media and concerts in the fight against HIV/Aids. And I guess things are changing slowly.

"But what we need to understand is that what mankind actual needs is a lifestyle change and this concerts and ribbons and messages though they play their role won’t change things over night. Each individual person around the world needs to be empathetic, realistic and mature enough to know that it’s imperative that we all fight the fight together. Right now with regards to the HIV/Aids pandemic, our generation is going through one of the biggest struggles in world history. One that won’t be solved by world leaders sitting down and negotiating over a round table. A war that will only be won with everyone doing his or her part. I am hopeful that just like generations who have lived before us, we will overcome this and win this fight. Personally as TV personality, Radio host, musician and proud young African, my personal tool in fighting HIV/Aids is “ To love myself enough to protect myself and preach until I loose my voice. My question is what is yours? We all have one..."

Later.