Stars Gather for Nelson Mandela Birthday Show
| AR Articles on Groveling |
|---|
| The Humiliation of Trent Lott (Feb. 2003) |
| Philly Flap (Oct. 2002) |
| Race in “The Real World” (Oct. 2001) |
| Groveling Fails Again (May 2000) |
| Search AmRen.com for Groveling |
| More news stories on Groveling |
Queen, Leona Lewis, Amy Winehouse and a host of African stars joined tens of thousands of music fans Friday to salute Nelson Mandela at a concert honoring the South African statesman’s 90th birthday.
The outdoor show in London’s Hyde Park opened in eclectic style with Jivan Gasparyan, an Armenian master of the duduk wooden flute, followed by British band Razorlight.
Organizers said Bono and The Edge from the Irish band U2 had recorded a version of “Happy Birthday” that would be shown on big screens during the show.
{snip}
Proceeds from the show—which organizers hope would be attended by 46,664 people—will go to 46664, the AIDS charity named for the number Mandela wore while imprisoned for opposing South Africa’s apartheid regime.
{snip}
Josh Groban and the Soweto Gospel Choir were also lined up for the event, hosted by Will Smith and held to mark Mandela’s birthday on July 18.
It also came 20 years after a 70th birthday concert at Wembley Stadium that helped press South Africa’s apartheid authorities for Mandela’s freedom.
Queen guitarist Brian May said the event was “as important and as joyful as anything we’ve done in our lives, and has a great serious significance as well.”
{snip}
Annie Lennox, who performed at the 1988 show as part of Eurythmics, was scheduled to sing Friday. Also on the lineup are reggae star Eddy Grant, girl group Sugababes and African artists including Emmanuel Jal, Johnny Clegg and Papa Wemba.
Jim Kerr of Scottish band Simple Minds, which also played the 1988 show and was due to perform again Friday, said the mood was very different 20 years on.
“I was angry the last time,” Kerr said. “It was very much a protest concert. This is a joyful occasion.”
(Posted on July 1, 2008)
Comments
Happy birthday to you.. happy birthday to you.. you look like a monkey and you live in a zoo.
Posted by Unemployed WASP at 5:09 PM on July 1
Darnit, I hate to miss this homage to a terriorist. Maybe Sec. Rice can make a brief appearance and blast America for not doing enough to end the horrible politics of apartied. Then go to South Africa and see what it’s like now!
John
Posted by at 5:37 PM on July 1
Tell Bono there is another human-rights violation going on in South Africa, a real big one. I guess he’s the fiddler while Rome burned.
Posted by at 5:58 PM on July 1
Why isn’t this event taking place in south africa? Are they afraid of the high crime rate? The violence?
When are we going to have an event for the white victim? That I would go see.
Posted by flyingtiger at 6:11 PM on July 1
Amy Winehouse? Yeah, she’s a real class act.
Jim Kerr of the Scottish band Simple Minds? I think that says it all.
You know, far from being tolerant and enlightened, the society we live in has got to be one of the most brutal and unthinking societies in history.
Here we have a bunch drug-addicted, washed up, three chord barbarians partying on down with a man who is considered by many to be the greatest man alive—if not the greatest man who ever lived—and I can guarantee that no one other than us sees the absurdity of this.
Posted by Bertrand at 6:20 PM on July 1
“Statesman, Joyful”, why is he not celebrating in South Africa? I guess living in White areas is what he now prefers, same as the beloved Rev. Wright moving to an all White area in Chigago as he gives the finger to the beloved Blacks he leaves behind.
Posted by Bandmo at 6:30 PM on July 1
Isn’t the ‘Queen’ of Queens dead?
Posted by at 6:44 PM on July 1
Proceeds from the show—which organizers hope would be attended by 46,664 people—will go to 46664, the AIDS charity named for the number Mandela wore while imprisoned for opposing South Africa’s apartheid regime……………..Well thanks to Nelson Mandela South Africa has become the HIV and Rape capital of the world.Notice this birthday party was held in London not Johannesburg.I wonder why.
Posted by Tony Soprano at 6:48 PM on July 1
The fact he is celebrating in Britain - not Africa - speaks volumes. Shame on those stupid Brits for falling all over themselves for this guy.
Posted by at 9:05 PM on July 1
“…This is a joyful occasion…”
Spoken by Jim Kerr of the appropriately named Simple Minds.
Yes, for simple leftist minds there is much to celebrate! SA is SO much better off since Mandela wrested control of the government from Evil White Racists, is it not?
Discover the Network reports on the great accomplishments of the ANC since 1994:
“…Since then, the largely unsuccessful administrations of Mandela and his hand-picked successor, Thabo Mbeki, have plunged what was once an orderly and somewhat prosperous country into an abyss of crime and poverty….More economic difficulty looms as black businesses attempt to expropriate the wealth and property of white-owned enterprises.
Crime has been rampant and largely underreported by the press…. The rate of rape against women, both white and black, has been extraordinary. The rape of children, sometimes in exchange for cash payments to the parents, has also been on the rise. Crimes against white farmers have been on the increase, with at least 6,000 attacks leading to 1,600 murders and innumerable rapes and assaults reported since the end of apartheid. Overall estimates of those killed in all violent crimes in the country since 1991 total 230,000.
Incidents of HIV infection have been rising steadily, fueled in part by the declaration of Mandela’s successor, President Mbeki, that AIDS is not linked to the HIV virus. The country’s hospitals have, for the most part, deteriorated, and diseases long thought to be cured have returned. Much of the road system, sewer systems, and the electrical grid have fallen into decay. ..”
http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/individualProfile.asp?indid=759
Gee, who wouldn’t want to immigrate to the ‘joyous’ ANC paradise of SA after Mandela took control?
Bon
Posted by BonBon at 9:21 PM on July 1
“Isn’t the “Queen” of Queens dead?” posted by 6:44 PM.
Freddie Mercury (Farrokh Bulsara), lead singer of Queen, was a bisexual who died 24 Nov 1991 of complications from AIDs. Mercury’s ashes are at Kensal Green Cemetery, where also rest the remains of other greats such as Wilkie Collins, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, William Makepeace Thackery, and Anthony Trollope, among others. John Deacon retired from Queen following Mercury’s death, but Brian May and Roger Taylor have attempted to revive the rock group in recent years with a replacement singer. If memory serves, Mercury got his start selling bric-a-brac and second-hand clothes from an antique stall on Portobello Road. It is a supreme irony that “moderate” Islamic groups engineered the cancellation of Mercury’s (posthumous) 60th birthday celebration, on grounds that his sexual orientation was incompatible with Islam. The insult to this great rock star was gratuitous, because the man was not Muslim —he was of Persian and Zoroastrian heritage and proud of his British citizenship. It should also be noted that Freddie Mercury and Queen were blacklisted by the United Nations because they violated the UN boycott of white South Africa by performing at Sun City, which was then located in one of the former apartheid Bantustans.
Posted by Petronius at 9:27 PM on July 1
Darnit, I hate to miss this homage to a terriorist. Maybe Sec. Rice can make a brief appearance and blast America for not doing enough to end the horrible politics of apartied. Then go to South Africa and see what it’s like now!
John
I expect Rice WILL be in SA shortly, to accompany Mbeke to the inaugural ball of Mugabe’s landslide victory in the presidential election. And she will say glowing things of all the African leaders of course, and pay homage to Mandela. hahahaha
Posted by Skip at 12:32 AM on July 2
Not present at this event, bombing victims, murder victims, victims of his exwife and her group of thugs, white farmers from S.A, and other African countries, or victims of the rapes and murders that have taken place in S.A. since the takeover by the ANC.
Posted by abc at 6:18 AM on July 2
Can anyone introduce Bono to Joe Horn?
Posted by SG at 9:47 AM on July 2
I hope the concert closes w/ a duet between Mandela and Robert Mugabe singing a medley: Kill The Boer/ Kill The Farmer / Kill the Ama Bhulu.
Posted by Madison Grant at 11:16 AM on July 2
I’m glad Nelson Mandela got together with Amy Winehouse. They were made for each other.
Posted by Sardonicus at 12:19 PM on July 2
Why isn’t this event taking place in south africa? Are they afraid of the high crime rate? The violence?
That whole flaming tire around the neck really scares the liberal wusses. Rock on groovy dudes! Do you think they invited Ted Nugent?
Posted by Kellie at 1:43 PM on July 2
The U2 guys are genuine superstars, but most of this lineup—including Amy Winehouse who is addicted to crack cocaine and is a public drug addict—have seen better days.
Posted by at 2:30 PM on July 2
“You know, far from being tolerant and enlightened, the society we live in has got to be one of the most brutal and unthinking societies in history.”
Yeah, it’s just what the doctor ordered, medium rare before we eat it up…
Posted by man #2 behind curtain at 2:44 PM on July 2
“Not present at this event, bombing victims, murder victims, victims of his exwife and her group of thugs, white farmers from S.A, and other African countries, or victims of the rapes and murders that have taken place in S.A. since the takeover by the ANC”
That’s why it had to take place in the UK
Posted by at 2:44 PM on July 2
This murderer is no Ghandi or the Dalai Lama. Let’s have celebration for the Dalai Lama who refuses to perpetrate any types of violence. No African can even understand the true meaning of peaceful resistance since they are not an advanced race, it’s not in them. MLK didn’t advocate violence but he knew that the tough no nonsense whites would have really taken care of rioters, murderers, and looters with relish if they tried this back then.
Posted by realist at 3:25 PM on July 2
Oh Gosh, I’m so diappointed that I won’t be able to attend Nelson’s 90th birthday. NOT!!!!!!!
Posted by Gayle Sollenberger at 3:27 PM on July 2
Maybe old Nelson can get up on stage and “necklace” a few of his competitors for old time sake. He can start with Bonehead and go on from there. Won’t need lights and it’ll give the whole affair that proper authenticity that our liberal friends worship.
Maybe the idiot Swedes will give him another “peace prize” to boot!
Posted by mderpelding at 4:32 PM on July 2
According to the Human Rights Commission, during the 46 year Apartheid era 1948-94, 21,000 Africans died in political violence, of which 92% died as a result of black on black inter-tribal political violence.
In the 6 year post Apartheid period, 1994-2000, according to the South African government’s site at that time, 174,220 people died violently in SA. See: http://www.saps.org.za. God knows how many more have died in the 8 years since 2000, but the Government of Mbeki won’t release the current figures.
This is a tragedy of massive proportions and yet the world is strangely mute. They continue to rejoice over the transitioned South Africa, birthday parties and rock singers and dancing. The Simple Minds fella says he is not angry at this concert like he was at the last one. Why not? Don’t 174,000 plus dead Africans mean anything to him?
Mandela should have been encouraged to celebrate his birthday quietly and with dignity, not like this while his fellow countrymen are dropping like flies.
It’s this kind of carry on confirms my belief that people who led all those boycotts and demonstrations years ago cared nothing whatsoever for Africans, they only bore hatred for White Capitalists.
Nauseating.
Arc.
Posted by Arcadian at 4:57 PM on July 2
I’ll pass on celebrating his birthday, but please, please let us know when this SOB (and/or his necklace-burning wife) drops dead.
The party is at my house.
Posted by Superman at 5:03 PM on July 2
This murderer is no Ghandi or the Dalai Lama. Let’s have celebration for the Dalai Lama who refuses to perpetrate any types of violence. No African can even understand the true meaning of peaceful resistance since they are not an advanced race, it’s not in them. MLK didn’t advocate violence but he knew that the tough no nonsense whites would have really taken care of rioters, murderers, and looters with relish if they tried this back then.
How funny, No nation or culture has been more violent and brutalized, tortured and wiped out other nations and cultures than Whites, yea, advance in the art of killing and deception, you are 100% right on that one.
Posted by at 8:24 PM on July 2
Yeah, the two things about this that stick out are,
1- That no one is comparing post-Apartheid with pre-Apartheid South Africa.
and
2- That the celebration is, as others here have noted, being held in fashionable London and not in crime-ridden and deadly dangerous Johanesburg.
This is no small thing.
Here they all are, these people who were protesting on his behalf for years and years. What better way to show what a good thing it was that they did. What better way to show that were a part of “History” and that releasing this man was a good thing, then to go to South Africa and honor him in HIS Country!.
But no, they are so pathologically dishonest and f-ing creepy with their addiction to self-righteousness (which ALWAYS demands an “enemy”) that they ignore the failure that IS South Africa, but at the same time partcipate in the demonization of James Watson for the speaking the truth. A truth based on experience with a subject those who denounced him know nothing about!!!!!!
Could this be the reason Mr. Self-Righteousness himself, Bono, didn’t attend?
Either way, it wasn’t exactly an A-list. But then, Celebrity has degenerated so much now that there is no more A-list.
Posted by Bono Must Die at 8:33 PM on July 2
“Maybe old Nelson can get up on stage and “necklace” a few of his competitors for old time sake.”
No, he’d be castigated by Bono for increasing his carbon footprint.
Posted by Iain at 3:08 AM on July 3
“…How funny, No nation or culture has been more violent and brutalized, tortured and wiped out other nations and cultures than Whites, yea, advance in the art of killing and deception, you are 100% right on that one….”
Posted by at 8:24 PM on July 2
Superior IQs produce superior weapons. Germs introduced by Whites helped as well.
What with our history of violence and brutality you’d think non-Whites would want to keep away from us by ‘any means necessary.’
Why do you think non-Whites risk life and limb to enter White-created countries? Why would any non-White want to live around Whites?
Shouldn’t non-Whites shun and scorn everything Whites have created—our First World cities, our modern technology, clean water, modern medicine, financial systems that work?
Why is it that non-Whites are not able to create a First World society for themselves? They are not even capable of copying what we’ve done to re-create our societies without falling completely apart—SA and Zim are fine examples.
Oh Yeah! Must be White high IQ AND creativity at work.
Bon
Posted by BonBon at 11:57 AM on July 3
Nelson Mandela is an international socialist propaganda tool of the power elitists on London and Wallstreet.
After imposing Socialism and communism on South Africa they were able to exploit South Africa’s mineral wealth after overiding the country with blacks.
Two long term goals now achieved.
Posted by Joseph at 2:09 PM on July 3
…imprisoned for opposing South Africa’s apartheid regime.
No, he was imprisoned because he was caught with tons (literally) of weapons lovingly supplied by the Soviet Union. His reasons are irrelevant. He was charged and convicted of a crime and sentenced accordingly. Nobody has ever called it trumped up charges or a show-trial. Mandela is a killer and a criminal. Nothing more.
Posted by at 5:10 PM on July 3
How could any moral person ” honor ” this bigoted, terroristic murder and nation destroyer ; especially a white-Christian one ?
Posted by Michigan Patriot at 5:24 PM on July 3
Just exactly what is it that they are “celebrating”?
Posted by voter at 10:47 PM on July 3
This is a celebration that stupidity has won the day and possibly the era of stupidity is in ascendancy. Hooray! obama ‘08/tire necklaces ‘09
Posted by Lars at 5:34 PM on July 5