South African artist and renowned backing vocalist, Kananelo Leeuw has recently released his debut single, Uthando. He shares that the song was inspired by his upbringing and the love he received from his grandmother. He adds that he wrote the song understanding that he was not supposed to be where he is today if it was not for the grace of God; and through that same grace he got the opportunity to be fixed by his grandmother. “I was a problem child and I was a mess of a child, ” he says. To him, the love he received from his grandmother is a practical demonstration of the deep love God has for him; he emphasizes that love is what saved him hence the title of the single, Uthando.
He shares that the song was initially recorded in 2019 and after experiencing setbacks, he was left discouraged. Once again, love came through for him when his close friends encouraged him to get back to the studio and work on the single again. When looking back at the journey with his single, he says it epitomizes the saying, God’s timing is the best. “I promise you, I worked with everyone I wanted to work with on this project and the single sounds way better than it sounded when it was initially recorded.”
His biggest wish is that those who listen to the song reminisce about the old evangelism, the kind that he grew up on. He shares that the song has a depth that is relatable and a sound that is nostalgic while at the same time combining new concepts that will appeal to the younger generation as well.
The future is looking bright for this young man and he expresses his greatest gratitude to his supporters whom he lovingly refers to as his friends. “I really appreciate the support that they’ve shown me. Honestly, I never expected so much love to be shown to my song, ” he says. With his voice quivering as he gets emotional, he says having experienced discouragement before, seeing the influx of love, encouragement and support even from people he doesn’t know fills his heart with so much gratitude.
Uthando is available for streaming and download on all digital music stores. So go ahead and experience the overwhelming love of God!
