African artists lend voices to Live 8's global call
From the Afro-Cuban melodies of Senegal’s Baobab Orchestra to the funky rhythms of South Africa’s Mahotella Queens, African musicians lent their voices today to Live 8’s global call for a fairer deal for the world’s poorest continent.
More than 5,000 people – some in brightly coloured beaded skirts, others dressed in jeans and talking into mobile phones – jumped, danced and waved signs at the Johannesburg concert, demanding “trade justice” and “give us food.”
Organisers expected the crowd to swell to as many as 40,000 throughout the course of the concert, one of a series around the world aimed at grabbing the attention of leaders of the richest nations ahead of their summit next week in Scotland.
“I don’t want my children to suffer like we are doing, so we need to stand together to fight against poverty,” said Absalom Maphanga, a 27-year-old student in the crowd.
Anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela – a leading campaigner against poverty and injustice in Africa – was expected to make a brief appearance.
The Johannesburg concert was added after former rock star Bob Geldof, organiser of Live 8 and of Live Aid two decades ago, was criticised for not including enough African artists in a musical marathon whose main focus is their continent.
Geldof said the goal was to draw the most attention possible to the cause, and for that “we need the biggest artists as defined by popularity and sales.
“The fact is that most African kids these days listen to Eminem and 50 Cent,” he said.
Jabu Khanyile, a popular South African singer known for his jazz-infused work with the band Bayete, welcomed the chance to perform in Johannesburg but said Westerners would like to hear of Africa’s suffering “from the horse’s mouth, rather than have their own people talk for us.”
“We are the ones who can spread the message with passion,” he said before the show.
Live 8 worked with an alliance of aid groups, the Global Call to Action Against Poverty, to arrange the African concert.
Organisers scrambled to assemble a line-up in just over two weeks. Most of the artists come from South Africa, including reggae icon Lucky Dube and Zola, the one-named star of the country’s rap-flavoured kwaito style. Senegal’s Baobab Orchestra and Mali’s “songbird” Oumou Sangare represent the rest of the continent.
“We are here to say down to poverty in Africa,” Dube said to cheers from the crowd. “Africa is standing tall.”
But for many here, the free concert is less about sending a message to the world than escaping the daily grind and enjoying some of their favourite artists.
“I came to enjoy the day with the whole of South Africa as well as Africa,” said 20-year-old township resident Nkhosi Ndlovu.
The concert was being broadcast live across Africa, and messages from South Africa were to be beamed to those watching the other concerts. But on a continent where many don’t have electricity – let alone a television set and satellite dish – few will be able to see it.
