i posted this song on some message boards and most people just do not get it... i too did not experience apartheid (first hand, from the sufferer's side), but the joy of liberation, all those cruel years coming to an end, expressed in this song... like first rays of the sun after winter... just so fucking beautiful.
in Morocco last month one night at this western style nightclub there was an african singer entertaining european tourists with Sade and Michael Jackson... at around 1 AM i requested this song -- the spark in her eyes and smile on her face at the mention of it was just amazing. so she switched the music off, and everyone quieted down as she closed her eyes and did it acappella... and gave it 110% -- her voice just soared and tears did fill my eyes. this photo is from right after:
to me the power and spirit of this song is perfect for this occasion, 20 some years after its recording. and i feel so sorry for all the dead-inside cynical people that can not feel the ecstatic glory of this monument to love, life, and freedom...
3 comments:
That's awesome! Thanks Zhao. Your blog is an inspiration to me on multiple levels!
Wow, thank you! I hope you check out the http://www.thestateworkers.com site (my band), as i think we may have some common thinking grounds.. at least alotta coffee grounds! No really, thanks for the song. We made, incidentally, a Rednecks for Obama song (somewhat related). Which got our bass player and drummer each a"disorderly conduct" and "unreasonable noise" tickets from the police in the New York City streets where they started up a "dance-off"- style of conflict resolution a few weeks ago. the crowd was too enthusiastic for the greenwich village gendarmerie, apparently. anyway pls check out our site, thanks again! PS i have you linked on my classical blog "statework.blogspot.com" because you rock.
nice one, cool story
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