S. Africa says Obama won't visit Mandela in hospital

[DreamGypsy]

3. Respect for Madiba and a tribute...Asimbonanga...

... in song.

The British born South African musician Johnny Clegg wrote a beautiful song in 1987 calling for the release of Nelson Mandela from prison.

The title translates as "We haven't seen him", a phrase which can describe so many disappeared in the struggle for freedom.

Clegg's music was both implicitly and explicitly political; not only was the fact of the success of the band (which openly celebrated African culture in a bi-racial band) a thorn in the flesh of a political system based on racial separation, the band also produced some explicitly political songs. <snip> Even more explicit was the later Savuka album Third World Child in 1987, with songs like "Asimbonanga" ("We haven't seen him&quot , which called for the release of Nelson Mandela, and which called out the names of three representative martyrs of the South African liberation struggle - Steve Biko, Victoria Mxenge, and Neil Aggett.

My favorite version of Asimbonanga is done by Joan Baez, with Johnny Clegg and Savuka.