Mercury, though, was born in Zanzibar (modern day Tanzania) as Farrokh Bulsara, and lived in Africa and India until he moved to England when he was 8. It is these roots that inspired Irish composer Stuart Leathem to create a new single featuring Freddie’s vocals, entitled “Little Freddie Goes to School.” The vocals are covered by Esther Trousdale, and the Irish singer worked with Leathem to create a track heavily inspired by Mercury’s journey to boarding school in India. The track also features two isolated vocals from the late Freddie Mercury (who died in 1991) in his Barcelona sessions.
“Lyrically the song focuses on the person of Freddie Mercury, and the idiosyncrasies that made him so unique, right down to the unorthodox way in which he hammered the piano,” Leathem explains. “Essentially the track is a tribute to a shy boy who went on to achieve incredible things. It should also give the impression (just now and again) that the two vocalists are belting the song out on the same stage, with a wonderful Indian/Asian/Western fusion of musicians backing them.”
Leathem’s tribute track will donate 10% of proceeds to the Mercury Phoenix Trust, a charity created in Freddie’s name to raise money for AIDS awareness and research. “It is an alternative tribute to a wonderful artist, and he contributes in unmistakable fashion,” he said.
Listen to an instrumental version of the track below. The full version is available for purchase on iTunes.