For more than eight years now, businessman Castro Musinyali has been in and out of court, seeking custody of his daughter. The prolonged and very expensive battle led him to turn to music to convey a message and shed light on the plight of many other fathers in similar situations.
To amplify their voices and raise awareness of their challenges, he, along with other men in similar circumstances, founded a non-profit organisation called "We Are Fathers We Are Parents Forum."
Years ago, the well-known businessman had a stint as a Deejay at Univen Radio, where he first delved into the music industry. When he became involved in the custody battle, he decided to use music as a powerful medium to convey his message.
In 2020, he recorded a song titled "A Child's Prayer" under the banner of his parental-rights-advocacy group, We Are Parents Forum. While the song was received well, Musinyali felt its impact was somewhat limited because of its hip-hop nature, which appeals mainly to specific fans. "I needed something that would spread like wildfire. It was then that I decided to explore a different genre. Given my background as a fan of soulful, deep house music, that became my focus for my current project."
He collaborated with Pretoria-based vocalist Maz Sings. "We wrote the lyrics within a few hours while in the studio, and a song, initially without a name, was born. The song tells the story of a young girl asking her mother and father if they consider her emotional well-being, growing up without her father," he explained.
Musinyali emphasised that the song was inspired by the reality that children growing up in fatherless homes are adversely affected by the situation. "I worked on the song from March 2023, took breaks, and continued to refine it until I completed it a few weeks ago. Initially, the song didn't have a name. When I was discussing this with my daughter's mum, my 11-year-old daughter overheard and immediately suggested the title 'Think of Me.' I instantly adopted the name, realising the power of children's fresh perspectives," Musinyali said.