Thursday, February 11, 2010

It Was Twenty Years Ago Today

Nelson Mandela's release from jail on this day 20 years ago is one of those "where were you when..." moments. I recall it as a cold February Sunday afternoon on my 27th birthday. The BBC's normal current affairs programme scrapped its format for the day & transmitted live pictures from South Africa.
Of course, much has changed since then, a good deal of it inimical to those like Mandela who dedicated their lives to the struggle. That discussion can, however, wait at least a short while.
Here's a clip I saw on Channel 4's "The Tube" back in 84 of Jerry Dammers & chums, produced by Our Declan (Elvis Costello), performing one of the songs which became the soundtrack to the final push for apartheid's demise:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxENtgItiH8 .
Twenty-six years on it still works as a powerful calling-to-arms.

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