13th January 2013
the one direction boys were doing their rendition of One Way Or Another for comic relief here in Ghana.
i was asked to do a rendition of any song i wanted, and it just felt the most fitting to do a song by my father.
so i am doing a remix of heal the world and the lost children by my father.
i'd already obviously recorded the track in studio about 2 weeks ago, now it's just recording the music video for it here in Ghana.
"are you ready?" joel asked me and i nodded with tears in my eyes as all the children are around in the village.
"it's okay." he nodded over at me.
"3,2,1.. action" he pointed over at me holding the camera up as he recorded me
"today i've woken up on the other side of the world," i smiled softly "i'm in Ghana for comic relief." i say proudly "helping the disadvantaged and sick children of ghana... i'm so happy i got asked to do this, this is really close to my heart." i say as my eyes tear up.
"right now we're in a small village here in Accra which is the largest city here in Ghana." i give the people who will end up watching this some background knowledge
"you can see behind me the children here, living their lives, playing football." i say and turn to look at them instead of the camera. the camera moved around me and looked out to the children "it's lovely to see them so happy, even though.. you know.. they live like this." i nod to the huts with clothes hanging outside of them.
"there's the one direction boys playing football with the young boys of the village." i point smiling "we've been here all morning and they're absolutely loving it.. it's different for them. seeing different faces.. makes them feel seen." i turn to the camera "i was talking to a young girl who's little brother was in hospital with some illness..." my eyes watered "she said the doctors and nurses had only given him a couple more weeks to live." my heart broke, as well as my voice as i spoke
"it's absolutely heartbreaking..." i shook my head "our work here will raise money for these young girls and boys who are suffering... it won't help Ivani's brother, Kwame as it's probably too late for him, but it's not too late for the rest of these children. all of this is for children like Kwame." a tear rolled down my cheek.
"my charitable single is going to be Heal The World with a remix of The Lost Children, also by my father." i smiled "i felt it was most fitting for the situation.. comic relief suggested doing a happy upbeat song so it'll sell more but... i don't know, i felt like it defeated the point of what we're trying to raise awareness for." i spoke to the camera honestly, this was going to be for the behind the scenes of filming the music video.
"takara!!!" a little girl shouted and i turned smiling "will you paint with me??" she questioned me making me smile instantly, it was Ivani.
"yes!! let's go!" i said happily, joel followed me with the camera and recorded me sitting down and painting with Ivani.
we laughed as we painted.
"what's it like?" she asked me softly as she painted
"what's what like?" i asked her softly
"being michael jackson's daughter, my mom and dad love him." she smiled and i chuckled
"it's cool, he was a good dad." i nodded softly speaking to a 9 year old girl about my father
"do you miss him?" she asked and i nodded immediately "yes! so much." i say honestly "if he was still alive he'd be here with me, he wouldn't miss this for the word." i honestly said, it was true. if he was still with us he'd be down here in ghana with me with the children trying to make a difference.
"sakari." i hear a voice. i look up and it's joel "it's music video time." he told me and i nodded. i turned to Ivani and smiled "i have to go and film the music video.. are you coming?" i questioned her and she nodded smiling.
"where's the playback?" joel asked, and Ricky and music producer sorted it out and some speakers.
"think about um, the generations, and uh, say we want to make it a better place for our children and our children's children so that they, they, they they know it's a better world.. for them. and think that they can make it a better place" my voice from a child that my father recorded played. and i smiled softly.
"There's a place in your heart
And I know that it is looove
And this place could much brighter than tomorrow
And if you.. really try
You'll find there's no need to cry
In this place, you'll feel there's no hurt or sorrow" i sang along with my voice as i walk around bare footed on the dirt roads of this village where the children run around me.
"There are ways to get there
If you care enough for the living
Make a little space
Make a better place" i sang to the camera and then held my arms out while the children ran around me cuddling me "Heal the world
Make it a better plllaacceee
For you and for me and the entire human race
There are people dying
If you care enough for the living
Make a better place for you and for meeee" i sang softly as i squeezed some little boys cheeks who was looking up at me with admiration.
yesterday after noon a group of children in this village was taught the chorus of this song so when we get round to it, when it sounds like a choir on the track, they all sing it for the music video.
"If you want to know why
There's a love that cannot lie
Love is strong, it only cares for joyful giviiinggg
If we try, we shall see
In this bliss, we cannot feel
Fear or dread, we stop existing and start liviiinggg" i sang passionately as all the children tried holding my hands making me smile "Then it feels that always
Love's enough for us growing
Make a better world
So make a better world" i sang as i nod at the children
i sang the chorus again walking through the village
8 then got to the bridge which is my favourite part of the song
"And the dream we were conceived in will reveal a joyful face
And the world we once believed in will shine again in graaace
Then why do we keep strangling life
Wound this Earth, crucify its soul?
Though it's plain to see this world is heavenly
Be God's gloooowwwww" i sang looking around at the village
now verse 3... one of my favourites
"We could fly so high
Let our spirits never die
In my heart, I feel you are all my brothers" i crouch down and hug the children
"Create a world with no fear
Together, we'll cry happy tears
See the nations turn their swords into plowsharessss" i sang softly as i hug the children "We could really get there
If you cared enough for the living
Make a little space
To make a better place"
"cut!" joel called out
"kids! gather around, c'mon guys!" he beckoned all id the village kids around and they joyfully all huddled around us like penguins "this is your guy's time to shine!! to sing for this camera!" he pointed to his big camera as i see the one direction boys walk over to us.
the children cheer happily making me smile hard at them.
"so when you see me do this signal with my hand..." he showed the children, as he waved at them with his left hand "that's when you start singing with Takara." he he pointed at me
"can we join??" louis called out and joel turned to them, then he looked at me, i gave a nod then he turned back to them "the more the merrier!" he smiled at the boys "go stand with the kids." he instructed the boys
"right, chorus playback..." joel said "3,2,1" he pointed at me and i started singing the chorus with my voice playing through some speakers.
when we got to the second part of the chorus, joel waved at the kids with his left hand and that's when the children chorused with me loudly making me smile.
we all sang together happily, this is what i wanted the music video to be like. so wholesome, and eye opening.
the boys even joined in, wrapping their arms around me, and the children lovingly.
it was just such a lovely moment, and i'm so glad i got to catch it all on camera.
i hope this video and song changes their lives in one way or another from the money that comes from it.
this is when the audio slightly changed for 'the lost children'
"When you sit there addressing, counting your blessings
Biding your tiiiimmme" i sing passionately and softly
"When you lay me down sleeping and my heart is weeping
Because I'm keeping a place
For all the lost children" i beckoned my arm out to all the children around me
"This is for all the lost children
This one's for all the lost children, wishing them well
And wishing them home..." i sing softly "heal the wooorrlldddd make it a better place, ooohhhh" i carry on with heal the world and then the song comes to an end and that's when the children all huddled around me and the boys.
this, was quite simply, one of the greatest experiences of my entire life.
something i'll treasure forever.
YOU ARE READING
Everything About You (Zayn)
Fanfictionyou've heard of Beyoncé and Jay-Z. well, Takara and Zayn are the next big industry relationship with unbearing trials, tribulations and hardships.
