Italian expat in Dubai releases single to raise money for African children

Dubai: An international percussionist based in Dubai has dedicated his latest song to the work of a non-profit organisation in Africa called 'WeAfrica'.

Italian expat Walter Scalzone, based in Dubai, has launched a single Nikido to raise funds for African children in the continent and celebrate the completion of 13 water well projects in Burkina Faso.

About Nikido

Scalzone said Nikido is available on YouTube and Spotify. “The song is named after one of the children WeAfrica worked with during the water well project. Nikido features handpan sounds combined with melodic techno grooves and sweet African lullabies. The music video for ‘Nikido’ takes viewers to Burkina Faso, where they can see just how impactful the work of WeAfrica is on the lives of locals.

The music video of the new single, Nikido can be watched on YouTube.

About Walter Scalzone

Scalzone has been performing for more than ten years in clubs around the world. He has played shows in countries such as Italy, Spain, the UK, US, China, and the UAE. The globally-recognised acoustic and electronic percussionist has worked and recorded with well-known DJs such as DJ Kryder, Federico Scavo to name a few.

Take this: The water well project of WeAfrica now enables individuals and their livestock to drink clean water. “Clean running water is taken for granted by many individuals, but not all villages across Burkina Faso have the luxury of drinking water free of dirt and parasites. WeAfrica’s work has enabled the people of Burkina Faso to live without the worry of water-born illnesses,” said Scalzone.

Why Africa is close to his heart

Scalzone, originally from Naples, spent the vast majority of his childhood with African kids. “My mother worked as a Consul in Naples and she was given the responsibility of an African community. I spent a lot of time with African children who were living in a community in Naples. I remember they used to play drums as that was their only ‘toy’,” he said.

In an interview to Gulf News, Scalzone recalled his mother taking him to a community after school in order to socialise with less fortunate kids and play with them. “The only toy they had was an African drum,” said Scalzone.

Walter reckons that his passion, talent and creativity come from his childhood days with these children which has helped establish him as one of the most “in-demand” live performer in the Middle East. Take this: “He is breaking world records with his live performances. All my passion and talent comes from my interaction with these children who inspired me to become a percussionist. In fact, this is one of the ways I want to give back to the community.”

Scalzone uses his music to help African children thrive and become successful as they grow into adults. So much so, Scalzone has not forgotten his roots and all the music he plays is centred around a clear vision — to save as many African kids as he can.

New video series

His journey to help the African community does not end here.

Starting this month Scalzone will launch a video series called (A) live, which will feature live performances in stunning hotspots of the UAE. “The objective is to raise awareness and funds towards WeAfrica in order to build as many water-wells as possible, thereby allowing children in the continent to drink clean water. There will be one episode a month all through 2021 and these videos will be featured on YouTube. People can make their donations to WeAfrica directly,” explained Scalzone.