Less than a week before Nelson Mandela died at age 95 from a long enduring illness, Irish rock band U2 released a tribute song in honor of the first black South African President and all his righteous triumphs.
U2 consists of members Bono, The Edge, Larry Mullen Jr., and Adam Clayton, who deeply revere Mandela and all his efforts to construct peace, even at the risk of losing his own life. The long-standing, world-renowned rock band gave thanks to Mandela in their original song “Ordinary Love”, inspired by the heroic figure’s strong principals.
Nelson Mandela was an admired philanthropist and politician who focused most of his efforts on dismantling the heritage of a segregated political system in South Africa. The anti-apartheid revolutionary served as the President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He dedicated his life to the termination of apartheid in his country by challenging poverty and inequality, negating longstanding racism, developing racial reconciliation, and bearing the willingness to give up his life for the cause.
Hoping to gain success in culminating apartheid with non-violent resistance, Mandela took action in accordance with the values of Ghandi. In 1961, however, hope for an effective non-violent defiance ran dry and he decided to co-find an armed wing for the African National Council. In 1962, Nelson Mandela was captured by South African patrols and charged with four counts of sabotage and conspiracy to forcefully overthrow the government.
After his arrest, Mandela vowed to continue his fight for freedom and was prepared to lose his life for these ideals. Although prosecutors originally craved the death penalty, in 1964 he was sentenced to life in prison.
Despite being confined to dismal prison walls, Nelson Mandela did not give up his fight for legalization of the African National Congress (ANC) and dissolution of apartheid. In 1990, Frederik Willem de Klerk took office as the seventh and final State President of the apartheid-era South Africa and liberated Mandela during a time of escalating civil strife. A free Mandela joined negotiations with President de Klerk to abolish apartheid and in 1994 together they established multiracial elections. Even after retiring from a life of politics, Mandela never ended his fight for equality.
Given U2′s philanthropic history, it only makes sense that the band would commemorate Mandela’s life with music.
U2 and Nelson Mandela were both personal friends and devotees of each other’s political efforts and contributions. Upon the production of “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom”, a film accrediting the life of Nelson Mandela and based on his biographical novel, U2 was invited to write a song for the film’s soundtrack. Without hesitation, the band accepted the request and wrote the beautiful single “Ordinary Love”, a reflection on Mandela’s inspirational devotion to freedom.
Mandela was a valiant, courageous, and selfless man that devoted his entire life to liberating and equalizing the political system and racism of South Africa. He exemplified true understanding of ordinary love and risked his own life to educate and spread knowledge of this compassion.
Simply put, Nelson Mandela is and always will be The Man.
