I heart Berlin

Berlin. For me it was like a journey through the books of my secondary school history curriculum. It was all there: The Weimar Republic, the Reichstag fire, the rise of fascism, World War II, the Holocaust, the complete destruction and decimation of Berlin, the division of Berlin by the allies, the Cold War, the now seemingly-odd somewhat senseless Berlin Wall, the separation of families, the GDR/DDR, the collapse of the Berlin Wall, the fall of the USSR, the re-unification of Germany in 1990 and the reinstatement of Berlin as the capital of Germany. The sometimes sad and intense history of Berlin is still very evident everywhere. Alongside this history are all the signs of a modern, vibrant, cosmopolitan, rich and gritty international city. I truly heart Berlin.  

View from the top of the German parliament Reichstag/Bundestag building

Memorial outside the Bundestag to those who attempted to cross the Berlin Wall at that point and were killed

Memorial to the approximately 6 million Jews killed in Europe under National Socialism

 

The glorious Brandenburg gate: Symbol of Berlin and symbol of a re-united Germany

Thoughts on the wall in an underground station

Berlin Hauptbahnhof: the central railway station and one of the biggest in Europe

Rosa Luxemburg-Platz: Station named after the marxist theorist and socialist revolutionary Rosa Luxemburg. She was executed in 1919 

Absolutely delicious Italian food at a small cafe near Nollendorf Platz station that was open on Christmas day

The massive KaDeWe Shopping Center: vibrant and modern

Checkpoint Charlie: Name for best-known crossing point between the wall dividing East and West Berlin. The sign still stands to this day

Piece of the wall and iconic photo of the soldier and the little boy at the Checkpoint Charlie Museum

Probably the strangest thing I learned: a divided Berlin meant that trains from west Berlin could not stop in the East. Soldiers waited on the subway platform with guns to ensure they did not stop

Standing on either side of  where the wall stood. The remnants of the wall are all over Berlin

The photo of US President Kennedy in his historical visit to a divided Berlin during the Cold War. The mayor of Berlin Willy Brandt who worked tirelessly towards peace and a united Berlin / Germany is the 2nd person to his right

Possibly the picture that sums it up the most. Pieces of the wall where it stood in Potsdamer Platz in the centre of Berlin. In the background, a towering iPhone ad. At the end of the Cold War, the winner it appears was capitalism

We Miss you Manelo - Chicco Twala (1989)

Back in the dark days of apartheid in South Africa, censors were ready to ban books, songs and people. In the 1980s, one of the most popular South African musicians was Sello "Chicco" Twala who is still a stalwart in the South African music industry today. In 1989, he released a pop tune called "We miss you Manelo" that was accompanied by a seemingly innocuous video that tells the story of a teenage girl Manelo. Poor Manelo gets herself knocked-up and eventually runs away from her very angry parents. Later in the song, Manelo's parents reflect on their move and are distraught over her continual absence. Hence the song's refrain is "We miss you Manelo, where are you??"

If you listen to the song carefully, you will understand the genius of Chicco and other artists of the time. Here are some of the lyrics:

"It's been a long time,  Manelo where are you? We are missing you, Manelo Where are you? Come back, come back home!" 

Was the song about a teenage girl Manelo who ran away from home? Most probably not.

The song was actually "We miss you Mandela, where are you?" but to evade the censors, Chicco released this track complete with the Manelo facade. Talk about sticking it to The Man. Perhaps the censors may have suspected something was amiss but with a video like that, what could they say?

Fortunately for Chicco and the rest of South Africa, Nelson Mandela was to be released the very next year in 1990 and the already unraveling apartheid system was to completely collapse in a few years and be relegated to the dustbin of history.

#Nowplaying Asimbonanga - Savuka

Following the passing of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, I am re-posting this piece from June 2013 because for me the words and sentiments capture how I feel then and how I feel now.

The image of Nelson Mandela many of us grew up with
source: pbs.org

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)

Oh the sea is cold and the sky is grey

Look across the island into the bay

We are all islands till comes the day

We cross the burning water

A seagull wings across the sea

Broken silence is what I dream

Who has the words to close the distance

Between you and me

Steve Biko, Victoria Mxenge

Neil Aggett

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)

Hey wena--(Hey you!)

Hey wena nawe--(Hey you and you as well)

Siyofika nini la' siyakhona--(When will we arrive at our destination) 

-Johnny Clegg and Savuka  (1987)
Source: stlyrics.com
Video available here with footage of South Africa in the 1980s

It is playing over and over in my head. The song from the 1980s 'Asimbonanga' by Johnny Clegg and Savuka. The words capture the sentiments of many of us growing up in Southern Africa. In those days, the greatest South African that ever was had not been seen since being imprisoned in the 1960s. It is hard to imagine now that we had to rely on artists' impressions of Nelson Mandela or black and white pictures from the 1960s.

On 11th February 1990, this changed. South Africa and the world also changed forever for the better.

11 February 1990

Nelson Mandela had choices. After decades in prison and personal sacrifice, most people would have chosen the easier route. The route of vindictiveness, payback and revenge but Nelson Mandela chose a harder and almost impossible path; he chose to unite an extremely volatile South Africa and maintain peace. 

I will not listen to the analysis and all the talk that attempts to quantify the impact of Nelson Mandela on South Africa and the world. After all, I know the meaning and impact of Nelson Mandela on me personally. No one can take that away.

Death of The African Icon

Nelson Mandela 

18 July 1918 — 5 December 2013

A selfless icon, an inspiration for generations
May He Rest in Eternal Peace