Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2003. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Sunday Times - Sunday, 30 November, 2003
Gillian Anstey
He was surrounded by the world's hottest stars, but former President Nelson Mandela was once again in a league of his own.
Despite the rarified presence in Cape Town's Greenpoint Stadium of singers Beyonc Knowles, Anastacia, Bono, Peter Gabriel and The Corrs to name but a few, the loudest and most rapturous applause by the 35,000-strong crowd was reserved for Madiba.
In his address to the crowd attending his "46664" charity concert to fight Aids, Mandela - wearing a sweatshirt with his prison number 46664 on it - said he had given his prison number to help fight aids because he had been reduced to a number while imprisoned. Today, millions of people are "in danger of being reduced to mere numbers unless we act", he said.
Mandela said Aids had claimed more lives than "the sum total of all wars, famine and floods" and had become a human rights issue.
The former president, accompanied by his wife Graca Machel and US talkshow host Oprah Winfrey had taken his seat at 5pm before Beyonc , founding member of Destiny's Child, kicked off the concert with a pulsating performance about two hours later.
Dressed in a micro-mini and accompanied by six dancers, she had the crowd chanting 46664 before launching into her hits Baby Boy, Dangerously in Love and Crazy in Love.
She was followed by Sir Bob Geldof, who was also in good humour.
"This is going from the sublime to the ridiculous," he said. "I don't have her voice. I don't have her breasts. I don't have her dancers. I don't have her songs."
Geldof said the solution to the Aids epidemic was "political".
The rest of the international line-up included Annie Lennox, Bono, the Corrs, Peter Gabriel and Yusuf Islam (formerly known as Cat Stevens). African stars included Baaba Maal, Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Angelique Kidjo, Johnny Clegg and Sipho Mchunu.
Some of South Africa's biggest corporate players also used the opportunity to wine and dine guests in a VIP hospitality marquee decorated with African motifs.
Companies present included the Nelson Mandela Foundation, Virgin Active, SABC2, Old Mutual, Vodacom, and Tokyo Sexwale's Mvelaphanda Holdings.
Among the VIP guests were Branson, who signed autographs on people's clothes; former Kaizer Chiefs coach Muhsin Ertugral and his wife Verena; film producer Anant Singh, former Cabinet ministers Pallo Jordan and Jay Naidoo and Generations soapie actor Strini Pillay.
Local muso and superstars write special song
Cape Town musician Steve Louw joined forces with leading international stars to write a special song, Amandla, which they performed at last night's 46664 concert.
Singer-songwriter Louw, who first hit the spotlight in the mid-1980s with his band, All Night Radio, and is now with Big Sky, composed Amandla with Dave Stewart, formerly of Eurythmics, and Queen's Brian May.
"It was a wonderful experience working with them and an honour to have been involved in writing a song for the incredible 46664 concert," said Louw yesterday.
The writing of the music happened spontaneously in Cape Town in March.
Louw had arranged a studio for Stewart and May who had come to record South African singers and musicians.
Stewart said: "Let's write something together." May sat down at the piano and started playing chords, and the magic happened.
Dave Stewart completed the production of the song in the UK.
Pop star Anastacia wrote the lyrics for Amandla, except for the chorus, which is Louw's creation.
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