In celebration of Mandela Day, we take a look at some members of our talent roster who have been involved with the South African icon.
Wednesday 18th July is Nelson Mandela International Day, also known as simply Mandela Day. Celebrated on Nelson Mandela’s birthday every year, Mandela Day was declared by the United Nations in 2010, not as a public holiday, but as a day to celebrate Mandela’s legacy through honouring his values.
In the spirit of the day, we shine a light on some individuals and groups from the MN2S talent roster who have been involved with Nelson Mandela in some capacity.
The only athlete on this list, Francois Pienaar is best known for captaining South Africa’s 1995 World Cup rugby union team. At the post-match ceremony, Nelson Mandela himself awarded Pienaar the Webb Ellis Cup whilst wearing a jersey with Pienaar’s number on the back. In his acceptance speech, Pienaar made it clear that his team’s victory was for every South African. This moment in history was later portrayed in the movie Invictus, with Matt Damon playing Pienaar and Morgan Freeman playing Mandela.
Versatile vocalist Sam White has performed on tour with the likes of Rag N Bone Man, Olly Murs, Duran Duran and Florence and the Machine. After starting out as a choral vocalist as a teen, White’s career took her all over the world to perform for many esteemed world leaders, including Queen Elizabeth II and, earning her a place on this list, Nelson Mandela himself.
Originating in the 1990s, hip-hop group Arrested Development have always been dedicated to spreading a positive message and doing good in the world. The group travelled to South Africa to meet Nelson Mandela, and they dedicated a concert to the slain children of Cape Town while they were there. MC Speech describes the event as a career highlight for Arrested Development, and the group went on to donate a large amount of their income to Nelson Mandela’s charity to continue supporting the cause.
How can I celebrate Mandela Day?
It’s not just MN2S acts who will be celebrating Mandela Day this Wednesday. Since it’s what would be the former South African president’s 100th birthday this year, organisers are arranging what might be the biggest ever musical tribute to the icon.
Mandela Concerts is putting together shows in cities all over the world, all to be performed in succession to make sure the music never stops for 24 hours. When one concert ends, another will begin for the entire day.
Money raised from these concerts will support the Nelson Mandela Leadership for Literacy Project, which helps children in impoverished areas learn literacy and numeracy, helping them get a fair chance in life.
Specifically, the project aims to raise money to build 100 libraries at vulnerable South African schools, 200 mobile library units for children aged 5-6, a skills programme to implement in high schools from 2021, a digital library, and a fund to sustain the project going forward.
Visit the Mandela Concerts website to see how you can get involved. As Nelson Mandela himself said, ‘It’s music and dancing that makes me at peace with the world.’