The Scottish National Jazz Orchestra celebrates International Mandela Day with 'A Change is Gonna Come'
Friday, July 17, 2020
Sam Cooke's 'A Change is Gonna Come', directed by Tommy Smith, is premiered today
The Scottish National Jazz Orchestra are celebrating International Mandela Day today (July 18) with the premiere of a new film of Sam Cooke's 'A Change is Gonna Come', directed by Tommy Smith.
The SNJO are raising money to help the Nelson Mandela Scottish Memorial Foundation and their aim of creating an inspirational statue at Nelson Mandela Place in Glasgow. You can find out more and donate to the cause here: https://mandelascottishmemorial.org/donate
This moving version of 'A Change is Gonna Come' has been arranged by Joe Locke and features vocals from Kenny Washington. Locke says: 'Sam Cooke’s stardom shone brightly in the American firmament, approaching that of Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley. But he was so much more than a pop star. He was a man of great compassion who cared deeply about justice and equality for people of colour in America. He not only wrote and sang about change, he worked for it. His untimely death was a tragedy for us all. Myself, Kenny, and the SNJO are proud to honour his memory.'
Enjoy the premiere of 'A Change is Gonna Come' below: