Fenland-born singer from TV's The Voice releases special song in tribute to NHS heroes
A Fenland-born singer who appeared on last year's series of The Voice has released a very personal song and short film in tribute to the NHS.
Kenza Blanka, may have failed to win the judges over on the BBC series, but she has still found acclaim in the music world but now the qualified nurse has decided to release a track she has written to fundraise for the NHS and has also issued a social media challenge to others.
The 35-year-old singer, now lives in King's Lynn, but she was brought up in Leverington where she attended the local primary school, Kenza also worked as a waitress at the White Lion Hotel, in Wisbech. Her parents still live in Fenland.
She spent more than 10 years working in the NHS before turning to her a career in music.
"I come from a family of nurses. My aunties are working in the intensive care unit at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn, they are on the front-line, risking their lives to help others," said Kenza.
She continued: "I'm no longer a nurse, and I have chronic asthma so it is not possible for me to return to help right now. I kind of felt useless and wanted to do something to say thank-you to all our NHS heroes. I can't run, and I didn't want to shave off my hair, it's taken too long to get this big, so I wrote this song, and hope people will download it and donate.
"I am also asking people to take pictures of themselves with messages of thanks to their own personal heroes. I have been very careful not to use the word NHS in the song, because that way it can be a message to all our front-line heroes - like the posties, the care workers or those working in supermarkets.
"I want people to share their photos with me using the #NHSthankyouchallenge or #challengethankyou so I can find them and use them to create a short film paying tribute to all our heroes.
"I'm still in touch with former nursing colleagues and we are talking to my aunties on Whatsapp and so I know how hard it is for them. They are doing a fantastic job, and I just wanted to do my bit to say 'thank-you'."
Kenza was helped with the production of the track and film by her husband, music producer Flomine it can be found here: www.youtube.com
You can donate to her appeal through Justgiving.com