Oshawa, Ont., teen writes song for Black Lives Matter

An Oshawa teenager is using music to explore the issues touching so many lives these days.

The young artist is performing a song she wrote at Black Lives Matter solidarity events.

Music is Boluwatife (Bolu) Adefemi’s passion.

The 13-year-old singer-songwriter finds inspiration in everything around her and being a young Black woman, she recently created a song for Black Lives Matter.

“We can’t get things done if we’re always fighting. We can’t get what we want to happen in the world, we can’t get to the future in what we need if we continue to put each other down and continue making people lower than the other,” said Bolu.

She wrote the song Make It Right after being asked to perform at a Black Lives Matter solidarity event in Orono, Ont., a couple of weeks ago.

“Just knowing the little or big amount of people that I impact, just knowing that my song can help them and give them hope that we will become equal, we will be together like we’re family,” said Bolu.

Bolu’s mom hopes the song can help bring change.

“The colour of our skin doesn’t matter and beauty comes in differences, diversity, so it’s very timely, very crucial and I hope people can actually listen to the lyrics and take them to heart,” said Sibusiso Adefemi.

Adefemi says Bolu has been singing since she could talk and writing music since she was five years old.

“Very creative in her own way, sing about everything, anything, the billboards, the weather, life issues and she’s moved on to singing about inspiring people, with stress, anxiety, like, daily challenges. But I love her messages, they’re always positive,” said Adefemi.

Roxanne Christian is a mentor to Bolu.

She runs a music therapy business, Live Love Life Music, that the teenager has been volunteering with for the past two years.

“She’s bold, yet respectful. To see someone at such a young age to share her opinions on a sensitive or political topic in such a creative and tactful way was so special to me,” said Christian.

Bolu will be performing again at Black Lives Matter events in Millbrook, Ont., and Bowmanville, Ont., this weekend and says she has more planned in the weeks ahead.