The most touching Mandela tribute came from the least expected place-in the form of a flash mob.

[Cha]

Last edited Thu Dec 12, 2013, 08:00 PM - Edit history (1)

The song was written during Mandela's incarceration as a call for his freedom

"A South African chain store has laid on one of the most touching tributes to Nelson Mandela we've seen in the past week – and it was in the form of a flash mob.

Woolworths teamed up with the Soweto Gospel Choir, who posed as shoppers and store workers at the Parkview store in Johannesburg.

The choir then began an "impromtu" rendition of Asimbonanga [We have not seen him], singing:"

Asimbonanga (we have not seen him)
Asimbonang' uMandela thina (we have not seen Mandela)
Laph'ekhona (in the place where he is)
Laph'ehleli khona (in the place where he is kept)

Asimbonanga
Asimbonang 'umfowethu thina (we have not seen our brother)
Laph'ekhona (in the place where he is)
Laph'wafela khona (in the place where he died)
Sithi: Hey, wena (We say: hey, you)
Hey, wena nawe (Hey, you and you)
Siyofika nini la' siyakhona (when will we arrive at our destination)

Edit~ http://za.news.yahoo.com/watch--the-most-touching-mandela-tribute-came-from-the-least-expected-place-070947330.html

http://theobamadiary.com/2013/12/12/rise-and-shine-664/

Keep a hankie handy~

[shenmue]

1. Now that's harmony

[DonViejo]

2. Thanks for posting this, Cha!

[Cha]

5. Glad you saw

it, DonViejo! I was worried it would get lost on a Thursday late afternoon EST time.

[Cha]

3. Is it not the most loving

song imaginable in honor of Tata Madiba, shenmue?

[sheshe2]

4. Oh wow, Cha.

What a beautiful tribute to TaTa Mandela~

"Well done, Woolies. Well done."



http://za.news.yahoo.com/watch--the-most-touching-mandela-tribute-came-from-the-least-expected-place-070947330.html

Thank you Cha.

~

[Cha]

7. Yes, "Wow", she~

What a magnificent loving tribute to Madiba.. I love flashmobs!


Given the sweep of his life, and the adoration that he so rightly earned, it is tempting then to remember Nelson Mandela as an icon, smiling and serene, detached from the tawdry affairs of lesser men. But Madiba himself strongly resisted such a lifeless portrait. Instead, he insisted on sharing with us his doubts and fears; his miscalculations along with his victories. “I’m not a saint,” he said, “unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying.”

http://theobamadiary.com/2013/12/10/rise-and-shine-tribute-to-nelson-mandela/



she~

[Cha]

36. I did miss this..

thanks for the link, she.. I should have put both links in..

I'm going to put it in the OP, now! Lesson Learned!

[sheshe2]

37. !~

[redwitch]

6. Absolutely beautiful!

And I couldn't help but think how far we have come. I seem to recall a Woolworth's sit in during the civil rights movement in this country. There was a time when people of color would not be served in a Woolworth's. And in 2013 Woolworth's teams up with this amazing choir. This really moved me.

[Cha]

9. That's right, redwitch. That is an incredibly

amazing thought of our Planet's evolution to keep in mind. Mahalo!

And, always.. so much more to go~

[marybourg]

52. Not the same chain.

That's a different - British - chain, not the same. By the way, if you request "African Music" or "Ladysmith" from Pandora, it'll play that gorgeous piece for you every day.

[redwitch]

55. Thanks, I didn't realize that.

It IS a gorgeous piece of music, very uplifting. I adore African voices singing choral music!

[Iliyah]

8. K & R

thanks!

[Cha]

10. Mahalo to you, Iliyah~

[boomersense]

11. Simply outstanding. Thanks...............nt

ddddddd

[Cha]

12. YOu're Welcome, boomersense..

Thank you!

[LittleGirl]

13. Wow, that was beautiful!

thanks for posting. love that.

[Cha]

14. I know.. "Wow", huh! Thank

you, LittleGirl.

[brush]

15. Thanks, Cha. It's wonderful. nt

[Cha]

17. So glad you got to

see it, brush~

[Number23]

16. Cha, I love you for that. TRULY, I love you

My only regret is that something so magnificently beautiful has to be associated with the corporate behemoth that is Woolworth's.

I will carry that song with me for the rest of the day. Thank you for posting this. Thank you.

[Cha]

18. I love

you back, 23.. Mahalo

You're are so Welcome.. I get teary eyed just reading the lyrics..

[Mnemosyne]

19. Hanky well-used. Beautiful Cha, just beautiful. Thanks...

[Cha]

22. YOu're most Welcome, Mnemosyne..

Mahalo to you~

[ancianita]

20. Wow. Is this what happens around here? Because it's not the first time someone's reposted my stuff

The report called it a flash mob, but that's technically for dancing. And it wasn't located on the obamadiary site. Nice reposting, Sheshe and Cha.

[DFab420]

21. Are you really bitching about a repost?

[ancianita]

23. Come on. It's a question. I don't remember seeing reposts,so I ask. Are your dukes up?

It's in a different thread and gets more views. That's what's important, it's that good.

[Cha]

24. Actually, I did repost it from The Obama Diary, ancianita..

http://theobamadiary.com/2013/12/12/rise-and-shine-664/

If you'll scroll down.. it was posted by..

79 Alycee (@jazziz2)

Yes, I love reposting from the always awesome "The Obama Diary" in the Barack Obama Group on DU.

[ancianita]

25. Okay. Looked but must have missed it. Thanks.

[sheshe2]

32. "Nice reposting, Sheshe"......

What????

I clicked on Cha's link. Scrolled down found the tweet and clicked the link.

How is that a repost, ancianita? This is not even my thread. I posted a comment. Why are you calling me out???

Would you care to give the link to your post that I supposedly reposted from?

Oh and here is the tweet at The Obama Diary~

Alycee @jazziz2
Follow
WATCH: The most touching Mandela tribute came from the least expected place - Yahoo News SA http://za.news.yahoo.com/watch--the-most-touching-mandela-tribute-came-from-the-least-expected-place-

11:09 AM - 12 Dec 2013

[ancianita]

47. Relax. I saw that it got reposted on a different thread. AND...

I'm still learning how stuff gets spread around here. Don't make such a fuss. There's no one "calling you out."

[Cha]

48. It's a mystery to me, too, she.. why the

"nice reposting, sheshe" when you were just replying to the thread.

Ya just never know.. there's a beautiful thread about an amazing tribute to Madiba from the Soweto Gospel Choir and Woolsworth and out of the blue.. there's "nice reposting".

Was that a compliment?

[sheshe2]

49. LOL~

"compliment"~ maybe.

Cha

[lillypaddle]

26. Keep a hankie handy is right!

That was incredibly touching and beautiful. Thanks for posting.

[Cha]

31. You're Welcome, lillypaddle~

Thank you!

[grantcart]

27. thanks

[Cha]

34. You're Welcome,

grantcart.

[hopemountain]

28. so much love and reverence

beautiful.
thank you, cha

[Cha]

35. Yes, hopemountain.. besides the beautiful song and voices..

"the reverence" was palpable!

[Solly Mack]

29. Thank you.

and I so needed a hankie.

[Cha]

39. You're most Welcome, Solly Mack~

[think]

30. Beautiful /nt

[Cha]

40. Just so, think~

[think]

42. there were tears..

[Cha]

43. There were..

It's a Song I want to go back to from time to time to remember what an incredibly amazing legacy Madiba has left the World from the People of South Africa~

[think]

44. May it carry over where it may. Greedy that I am

I know it had an impact on me that will stay for a long long time.

Peace be with you....

[Cha]

45. One Love!

Mahalo for Bob Marley..

[font color=blue]PEACE be with you, think~[/font]

[Hekate]

33. Oh Cha, that is exquisite, and I am crying

Thank you so much.

[Cha]

41. That's great word for it, Hekate~

You're Welcome, dear~

[IrishAyes]

38. Beautiful. Thank you very much.

[Cha]

46. My absolute pleasure, IrishAyes~

Mourners gather to honor Nelson Mandela at an inter-faith service at the Grand Parade in Cape Town

The always awesome http://theobamadiary.com/2013/12/07/mandela-a-global-salute/

[Cha]

50. ...

[sheshe2]

51. Kick!

[Warpy]

53. Learned the song in the 80s in Boston

when I had occasion to bellow along with real singers from time to time.

Having it done by a flash mob was really special.

The way you know reconciliation worked is no one in that crowd of any part of the human rainbow was frowning.

Reconciliation was part of his genius. A lesser man would have deported all the colonists.

[Cha]

54. That's great Warpy about learning this song in the 80s!

Exactly.. "Reconciliation was part of his genius. A lesser man would have deported all the colonists" The Flash mob singing Asimbonanga is brilliant.

[Cha]

57. No worries, Grateful~

This is the Perfect time to comment, imo, because it's an important reminder how uplifting this song written for Mandela's Freedom Really is!

Mahalo, GFH~ And, thank you for the link!

[Grateful for Hope]

58. So sorry, Cha

I am late to the party here, and wish I had commented sooner. Truth is, when I first listened to this, I was so overcome with emotion that I simply bookmarked it so I could listen to it whenever I needed to be uplifted and to be reminded that the human race does have a few members who have earned the descriptions of "awe-inspiring greatness", "hero", and "worthy of being honored and emulated". Mandela is my hero and I so wish I could have had the privilege of knowing him.

In another thread which had also posted this video, there was a video of Asimbonanga performed by Johnny Clegg, the artist who wrote this magnificent piece, with a "surprise' appearance by Mandela himself - performed in 1999 when Mandela was 80. http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024176420#post2

I watched this video with even more emotion (if that is possible) than what I felt when viewing this magnificent video that you posted. So many things jumped out at me - it was so obvious how much Johnny revered Mandela - all you had to do was look at his eyes. Mandela himself expresses such joy as he dances - I have never seen such a joyous smile (although I have to admit that Obama is a close second). Third, I was struck at how thin Mandela was - and I did some research and from what I understand now he was very thin when he was first released from prison in 1990 - and I understand he remained that way. There are probably no words to describe what he went through during those long 27 years. And, fourth, the full words of Asimbonanga are the most beautiful I have ever heard in any song.

Anyway, thank you so much for impacting my life in such a positive way by posting this achingly beautiful video.

[Cha]

59. I love that you're posting now, Grateful for Hope.. as I stated above..

"This is the Perfect time to comment, imo, because it's an important reminder how uplifting this song written for Mandela's Freedom Really is!"

Thank you for the background on Johnny Clegg.. I had no idea! And, the link which I will be checking out very soon!

I'm so happy that you got such an important positive feeling from seeing Asimbonanga performed by the Soweto Gospel Choir and Johnny Clegg, GFH!

I'm going to have to kick this occasionally for uplifting of spirits.. you know there will be times

From my FB page..



Mahalo, GFH, for your Inspiration~

[Grateful for Hope]

60. Cha

Thank you