Concerto tributo per i 70 anni di Nelson Mandela

Il Concerto tributo per i 70 anni di Nelson Mandela è stato un mega concerto pop rock dalla durata di 11 ore che ha avuto luogo l'11 giugno 1988 al Wembley Stadium di Londra, organizzato per chiedere la scarcerazione di Nelson Mandela nel giorno del suo 70º compleanno.^[1] L'evento è conosciuto anche con i nomi di Freedomfest, Free Nelson Mandela Concert e Mandela Day.

Il concerto è stato trasmesso in diretta televisiva per un'audience globale di 600 milioni di persone. Tuttavia nel paese di Mandela, l'Africa meridionale, ne è stata vietata la messa in onda dal governo dell'apartheid. Inoltre negli Stati Uniti la rete televisiva Fox ha effettuato pesanti censure sui discorsi e gli aspetti politici del concerto.^[2]^[3]^[4]

Artisti e oratori

In ordine di apparizione:

The Farafina Drummers
Sting (presentato da Harry Belafonte) – If You Love Somebody Set Them Free, They Dance Alone (Cueca Solo), Every Breath You Take, Message in a Bottle
George Michael (presentato da Lenny Henry) – Village Ghettoland, If You Were My Woman, Sexual Healing
Sir Richard Attenborough - discorso
Whoopi Goldberg e Richard Gere - discorso
Eurythmics (presentati Richard Gere) – I Need a Man, There Must Be an Angel (Playing with My Heart), Here Comes the Rain Again, You Have Placed a Chill in My Heart, When Tomorrow Comes, Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This), Brand New Day
Graham Chapman - discorso
The Arnhemland Dancers
Whoopi Goldberg - discorso
Amabutho Male Chorus
Lenny Henry - parodia di Michael Jackson
Al Green (presentato da Lenny Henry) – Let's Stay Together
Joe Cocker – Unchain My Heart
Jonathan Butler - True Love Never Fails
Freddie Jackson - Jam Tonight
Ashford & Simpson - Ain't No Mountain High Enough
Natalie Cole - Pink Cadillac
Al Green, Joe Cocker, Jonathan Butler, Freddie Jackson, Ashford & Simpson, Natalie Cole - He's Got the Whole World in His Hand, Higher and Higher
Stephen Fry e Hugh Laurie (Stand-up, presentati da Lenny Henry)
Tracy Chapman (prima apparizione) - Why?, Behind the Wall, Talkin' 'bout a Revolution
Wet Wet Wet (presentati par Daryl Hannah) - Wishing I Was Lucky
Tony Hadley (degli Spandau Ballet) - A Harvest for the World
Joan Armatrading - Love and Affection
Midge Ure e Phil Collins - Peace and a Restless World
Paul Carrack - How Long
Fish - Kayleigh
Paul Young - Don't Dream It's Over
Curt Smith (dei Tears for Fears) - Everybody Wants to Rule the World
Bryan Adams - Somebody
Bee Gees - You Win Again, I've Gotta Get a Message to You
Ali MacGraw e Philip Michael Thomas - Introduction for Jonas Gwangwa
Jonas Gwangwa
Salif Keïta (presentati da Lenny Henry)
Youssou N'Dour - Pitche Mi
Jackson Browne e Youssou N'Dour - When the Stone Begins to Turn
Sly & Robbie e Aswad - Set Them Free
Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens
UB40 (presentati da Gregory Hines) - Rat In Mi Kitchen, Red Red Wine
UB40 e Chrissie Hynde - I Got You Babe, Breakfast in Bed, Sing Our Own Song
Whoopi Goldberg - One Woman Show
Tracy Chapman (seconda apparizione) - Fast Car, Across the Lines
Billy Connolly - discorso
Hugh Masekela/Miriam Makeba - Soweto Blues
Miriam Makeba - Pata Pata
Courtney Pine & IDJ Dancers
Simple Minds (presentati da Emily Lloyd & Denzel Washington) - Waterfront, Summertime Blues (ft. Johnny Marr), Mandela Day, Sanctify Yourself, East at Easter, Alive and Kicking
Peter Gabriel, Simple Minds - Biko
Steven Van Zandt, Simple Minds, David Sanborn - Sun City
Jerry Dammers, Simple Minds - Free Nelson Mandela
Harry Enfield (Stand-up)
Amampondo
Whitney Houston (presentata da Corbin Bernsen e Jennifer Beals) - Didn't We Almost Have It All, Love Will Save the Day, So Emotional, Where Do Broken Hearts Go, How Will I Know, He/I believe (Duo con la madre Cissy Houston), I Wanna Dance with Somebody, Greatest Love of All
Salt-n-Pepa (presentate da Meat Loaf) - Push It
Derek B - Free Mandela
Stevie Wonder - I Just Called to Say I Love You, discorso, Dark 'n' Lovely
The Fat Boys e Chubby Checker - The Twist
Harry Enfield (Stand-up)
Billy Connolly (Stand-up)
Dire Straits con Eric Clapton (chitarra) (presentati Billy Connolly) - Walk of Life, Sultans of Swing, Romeo and Juliet, Money for Nothing, Brothers in Arms, Wonderful Tonight (interpretata da Eric Clapton), Solid Rock
Jessye Norman - Amazing Grace (Finale)

Appaiono anche Grupo Experimental de Dansa, H. B. Barnum, Mick Karn, Mark Kelly, Ray Lema, Steve Norman.

Note

^ Communiqué de l'ANC Archiviato il 2 giugno 2008 in Internet Archive.
^ The Art of Protest, by T.V Reed, p174. University of Minnesota Press, 2005)
^ Unreliable Sources: A guide to Detecting Bias in News Media, by Martin A Lee and Norman Solomon. ISBN 0-8184-0561-9. Quoted by Norman Solomon in Political and Corporate Censorship in the Land of the Free, by John Shirley, Gauntlet No.3 1992.
^ Boston Globe, June 13, 1988, By Steve Morse, Globe Staff