An award-winning musician based in Yatton has teamed with a cast member of the West End production, Hamilton to release a song inspired by the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement.
Rachel Mason's Make A Start draws inspiration from the Black Lives Matter protests that followed the death of George Floyd in May - including a crowd of people removing a statue of Edward Colston from its plinth in Bristol.
Rachel is joined by Aaron Lee-Lambert, who stars as George Washington in the Hamilton production, and revealed the process she went through in order to make the song a reality.
She said: "I realised that staying silent was no longer ok - I needed to do something.
"I had worked with Aaron Lee Lambert on a television show called Sing: Ultimate A Cappella. I contacted him to see if he would like to collaborate on a song.
"It felt like the perfect opportunity for us to reconnect during lockdown and respond to the BLM movement and support charities close to our hearts."
Half of all proceeds raised from the song will be donated to South West-based social enterprise, Babbasa which supports young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and Rachel is an ambassador of.
The charity's chief-executive, Poku Osei, was touched by Rachel and Aaron's effort - calling it 'an incredibly kind gesture. We wish it all the success it deserves'.
Covering sensitive subject matter is something Rachel intends to continue as she revealed her belief that musicians have a responsibility to do so.
She added: "As an artist, I feel drawn to real-life issues as they are things that unite us and make me question my feelings.
"This felt like a huge responsibility but it was a challenge Aaron and I were determined to take on as we wanted to encourage discussion amongst people who listen to the song.
"Music has an incredible power to impact people’s minds and hearts and as songwriters, we have a responsibility to use our musical ability to shed light on important issues."
To listen to the song, search Make a Start on Spotify and to support Babbasa visit www.babbasa.com/join-the-team
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