On Saturday, the Soweto Gospel Choir surprised unsuspecting
customers at the Woolsworths in Parkview when they began singing Johnny Clegg's
"Asimbonanga" -- a song the South African musician wrote for Mandela.
The choir had originally planned to sing James Brown's
"I Feel Good," according to Woolworths' YouTube page, but they
changed their performance after the news of Mandela's passing.
Clegg formed the first integrated rock band in South Africa,
according to the Los Angeles Times. On Friday, he released a touching statement
on Facebook in Mandela's memory. An excerpt from it reads:
"In the defining and tempestuous years of 1990 through
to April 27th 1994, [Mandela's] leadership never gave the impression that he
was overwhelmed by events, even in the darkest hours of Boipatong and other
atrocities that were meant to derail the negotiations. When at times we felt
doubt or fear, his strong resonant voice rolled out over the radio or TV and,
like a tide going out, our reservations about the future receded.
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