Magic in the Music, for sure!

Gripsholms Castle

The imposing red-brick turreted Gripsholm Castle rises up beside the lake where it has stood for almost five hundred years. I am sure that the thick walls have withstood much and would have many stories to tell if they could. In recent times many performers have played within these walls, including the Swedish group, ABBA.  But I doubt whether they have been rocked by music like they were last Thursday when our young band from Cape Town burst into the jazzy rhythms from home.

After a more sedate start to the proceedings of the 11^th Annual Awards Ceremony of the World Children’s Prize for the Rights of the Child, the seven teenagers took to the stage and ROCKED! They had hardly played the last note when the audience literally exploded into applause. I felt the first tears to prickle behind my eyes, I was so proud.

It is a long way from Delft on the Cape Flats to the picturesque town of Mariefred in Sweden. Golden yellow daffodils and crimson-red tulips bloom along the roadside and in pots in front of many doors. The castle stands on the edge of Lake Malaren. Beautiful parks and walks surround it. It is here that HM Queen Silvia of Sweden presides over the Awards, an award that she herself has called “a kind of Nobel Prize for Children”.

The ceremony is conducted in such a way that the very emotional stories of children’s rights activists and the experiences of the children themselves, is balanced by musical items by children. This year the children were from Brazil, Sweden and South Africa.

The Special Stars

The Cape Town band did us proud. Adelia, the pint-sized singer packed a mighty punch. Time after time they took to the stage to wow the audience. Every time they played they it seemed that they grew in confidence. They were clearly having such a good time that it was infectious.

Adelia signing autographs

Afterwards people flocked around them congratulating and hugging them. They appeared to be on such a high that I had difficulty gathering them for photographs. Everyone else wanted photographs and even a few autographs were requested.  At dinner, I was beset with questions about the group - everyone was talking about the energy with which they played, their confidence and their talent.

The next day I walked through the park to visit them in their hotel. I saw the (Portuguese-speaking) Brazilian children who had also played at the ceremony – they were humming a very familiar tune, occasionally I made out a few words. As I came closer I realised they were singing the Mafikizolo song, Hamba nawe... I think that sums up the impact our children made.

Visit World Children's Prize for more on the ceremony.