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CNN Live Saturday
Concert Staged In South Africa To Raise AIDS Awareness
Aired November 29, 2003 - 16:15 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KELLY WALLACE: And you are looking at Annie Lennox, live pictures now coming from a major benefit concert in Capetown, South Africa. It is being organized by former South African president Nelson Mandela, trying to raise awareness of AIDS. Mandela vowing to conquer the disease like he conquered apartheid.
Dozens of musical stars are involved here. To get a sense of what's going on, we are joined on the phone right now by CNN's Charlayne Hunter-Gault, who joins us on the phone from Capetown with details. Charlayne, first, what's the mood there right now?
CHARLAYNE HUNTER-GAULT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The mood is so joyful. In fact, this is one of the most fun moments in the seven years I've been in South Africa. As the international and local musicians answer Nelson Mandela's call to rally around his passionate fight against HIV and AIDS.
In fact, veteran musician Peter Gabriel told me this afternoon that he saw this as a transitional moment away from what he called the genocide that AIDS is causing. You know, some 6,500 lives a day in Africa are being lost to AIDS and he was one of the performers who sang for the first time live here with the song he wrote about the South African hero Steven Vetos (ph), who was murdered for fighting for the country's freedom from apartheid, a fight, as you say, Mandela hopes this concert will ignite.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NELSON MENDELA, FRM PRESIDENT OF SOUTH AFRICA: 46664 was my prison number for the 18 years that I was imprisoned on Rubid Island (ph). I was supposed to be reduced to that number. Millions of people infected with HIV-AIDS are in danger of being reduced to mere numbers unless we act.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNTER-GAULT: You know, the music rocked the house, but so did the many messages. I mean, Beyonce, who was one of the premiere stars here was telling young women, especially, that they had to respect themselves and protect themself. And she and Bono went on a tour this morning to some of the AIDS places. She told me the experience was life changing.
Bono telling young people they must act to force the politicians all over the world to act, because he believes that governments must do more or they have to be thrown out. Clearly, all of them are hoping, the musicians who have come here from all over the world, are hoping that the audience, their audiences all over the world, will help after this, their music will help ignite their love of them as well as their cause -- Kelly.
WALLACE: Charlayne, thank you so much for joining us. Charlayne Hunter-Gault reporting live from Capetown, South Africa.
This side note, 1 billion people were expected to watch that concert live today.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired November 29, 2003 - 16:15 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KELLY WALLACE: And you are looking at Annie Lennox, live pictures now coming from a major benefit concert in Capetown, South Africa. It is being organized by former South African president Nelson Mandela, trying to raise awareness of AIDS. Mandela vowing to conquer the disease like he conquered apartheid.
Dozens of musical stars are involved here. To get a sense of what's going on, we are joined on the phone right now by CNN's Charlayne Hunter-Gault, who joins us on the phone from Capetown with details. Charlayne, first, what's the mood there right now?
CHARLAYNE HUNTER-GAULT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The mood is so joyful. In fact, this is one of the most fun moments in the seven years I've been in South Africa. As the international and local musicians answer Nelson Mandela's call to rally around his passionate fight against HIV and AIDS.
In fact, veteran musician Peter Gabriel told me this afternoon that he saw this as a transitional moment away from what he called the genocide that AIDS is causing. You know, some 6,500 lives a day in Africa are being lost to AIDS and he was one of the performers who sang for the first time live here with the song he wrote about the South African hero Steven Vetos (ph), who was murdered for fighting for the country's freedom from apartheid, a fight, as you say, Mandela hopes this concert will ignite.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NELSON MENDELA, FRM PRESIDENT OF SOUTH AFRICA: 46664 was my prison number for the 18 years that I was imprisoned on Rubid Island (ph). I was supposed to be reduced to that number. Millions of people infected with HIV-AIDS are in danger of being reduced to mere numbers unless we act.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNTER-GAULT: You know, the music rocked the house, but so did the many messages. I mean, Beyonce, who was one of the premiere stars here was telling young women, especially, that they had to respect themselves and protect themself. And she and Bono went on a tour this morning to some of the AIDS places. She told me the experience was life changing.
Bono telling young people they must act to force the politicians all over the world to act, because he believes that governments must do more or they have to be thrown out. Clearly, all of them are hoping, the musicians who have come here from all over the world, are hoping that the audience, their audiences all over the world, will help after this, their music will help ignite their love of them as well as their cause -- Kelly.
WALLACE: Charlayne, thank you so much for joining us. Charlayne Hunter-Gault reporting live from Capetown, South Africa.
This side note, 1 billion people were expected to watch that concert live today.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
