This post is named after the text I sent my friend +Monica this morning, still buzzing with enthusiasm from last night's activities. This post (refreshingly) has nothing to do with my PhD, but since today is graduation day, and I am working hard on bottling the bitterness that I am not currently in a red gown glowing with happiness in my parents' photos, I think I will allow myself a bonus blog this week and gush about how awesome last night was.
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| Mandela in Pink on the fan walk |
We caught a train from Rondebosch and headed through to town. It was certainly reminiscent of the 2010 World Cup, a sense of anticipation, friendly camaraderie and an excessively full train from the southern suburbs to town. We even walk the fan walk (now re-dubbed the "walk of remembrance") from the station to the stadium. A fantastic traffic policewoman told us it was our right to cross the road with a big grin as she stopped the flow of cars - amazingly she kept this enthusiasm going all night when we spotted her on our return journey at 10:30pm still smiling.
Once at the stadium the security was really relaxed, everyone seemingly more interested in being friendly than thorough. The crowd was also a really relaxed, friendly crowd, with people striking up conversations with random strangers sitting close to them. I think that is a general characteristic of South Africans at sporting venues (or at least it has been in my experience).
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| "Sell out" crowd of 53 000 - rumour has it... |
We were sitting near the top of the stands and the sound wasn't awesome, so I was checking the twitter feeds to see if I was missing anything important and to tell me who some of the VIPs were that were speaking, because I couldn't quite catch the names. (I didn't really care that much about the sound because I was so happy to be there and it was an entirely free event hosted at short notice, and later we moved to where the sound was better anyway). Twitter mentioned something about boo-ing, but I didn't hear any, and I thought the atmosphere was generally friendly, celebratory, joyful and proudly South African! (I am anti booing; I was really disappointed to hear what happened in JHB, it wasn't the time or place, show your dissatisfaction with your votes.)
The first time I really identified as being "South African", and PROUDLY so, was during the 1995 Rugby World Cup - I was 12 years old. It was the last time I knew every single player on the national team, and what positions they played. I knew more about rugby then than I do now. I get goose bumps when I hear "Shosholoza", STILL! I can still picture the streets of northern suburbs Johannesburg after the final, and it brings a lump to my throat! It was fantastic to hear the then captain of our victorious rugby team still bring in the enthusiatic, voice-drowning cheers. Francois Pienaar, you beauty!
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| Trevor Manual and Patricia De Lille lapping up the crowd's cheers. |
You can check out the different articles online, and so won't go through everything. (Although my experience differs to what has been reported in some press e.g. this Mail and Guardian article which suggests that Annie Lennox was a welcome relief... And you can see photos here, including a selfie of Francois and Shado Twala referencing the selfie of Barack Obama, David Cameron and Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt, (and some people from my department in the center of the photo 4). I thought Helen Zille gave a really brave, enthusiastic speech, I loved Francois of course, and I have always liked Trevor Manual and he didn't disappoint last night. What really stands out is the 11 year old poet, Botlhale Boikanyo she spoke with such passion and confidence, I was blown away. 
I wasn't sure about Annie Lennox, but I loved, will always love Johnny Clegg - the man is a legend and I wish he had stayed on stage for longer. The crowd were all on their feet for the Bala Brothers who were goose-bump brilliant. I haven't seen them before but I will definitely be trying to see them again. 
Somehow, we wangled our way on to the field once the sun was down and the dancing started in earnest. (The sound was infinitely better from there). I have wanted to see Freshly Ground live for years, and somehow or other I have never managed to coordinate my schedule and budget to their performances. I think that it was worth the wait that last night's magical celebration was the first time that I ending up seeing them; dancing to "Waka Waka" (+Dayne!!!!!!!!!) on the pitch of one of the World Cup 2010 Stadiums will be something I never forget. I was jumping up and down too much to get a photo. The evening ended with Ladysmith Black Mambazo's hauntingly beautiful voices. Well, and a train trip back to the southern suburbs with a lovely group of fellow train go-ers, and glimpsing the green lazer Mandela on the side of Table Mountain. What a night... What a magical way to remember and celebrate the life of the most extraordinary South African, the most amazing human. 
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