Update My 25, 2011
FOR BONO: Vision Over Visibility
I first learned about Bono & Edge's involvement with a musical version of “Spider-Man” several years ago. At first, I wasn't sure about this idea until I heard them speak so passionately about this project. It was then that other “side projects” that Bono & Edge had been involved with in the past came to mind (like “Peter and the Wolf” or MusicRising) that I began to warm up to this idea. As a U2 follower of over thirty years, I know that often U2 does its BEST work as a group when members of the band have had the chance to creatively express themselves OUTSIDE the group – so why wouldn't this be a good idea? Besides, I thought that it would be interesting to see just what the two of them would come up with for a “Spider-Man” musical!
So when tickets went on sale last September, I immediately bought a ticket for “closing day” - 17 April. Perhaps because I only needed one ticket, I was able to score the ticket of a lifetime for this production – Balcony Row A, Seat 113. I was virtually in the middle of the first row of the balcony section and could see everything in the production, from the stage to the flying, unencumbered by any obstacle. It was PERFECT!
I found a great price on a plane ticket & a decent place to stay for a few days near Central Park West and began my preparation for my date with Spiderman. I arrived in NYC on a very rainy Saturday afternoon. The following day (the day of my Spider-Man matinee), I rose early - full of excitement – and started my MAGNIFICENT day by walking to Strawberry Fields in Central Park to visit the “IMAGINE” mosaic in honor of John Lennon.
Taking the subway to Times Square, I spent several hours walking around the area & enjoying the pace of NYC. Soon enough, it was time to get in line and keep that date with Spiderman!
Once inside and in my seat, I eagerly awaited the start of the production. Seated next to me was a young boy & his grandmother who had seen a lot of Broadway shows (including “The Lion King” also by Julie Taymor) but he REALLY loved this production. Maybe it was the flying, maybe it was the music & the choreography but something about “Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark” had captured this little boy's heart....and I wanted to find out if it would capture mine.
As the curtain raised & the lights dimmed, I began beaming like a child. THIS WAS IT – I was finally going to see Bono & Edge's special project that they had been so excited about for so long!
The first thing that grabbed my attention was the upbeat nature of the music (pure rock n roll) and the EXCELLENT choreography which accompanied it. You could see the long hours of practice that went into the making of this show – it certainly deserved more credit than it had gotten from the NYC theater critics.
By the third musical number “Bullying by Numbers”, I was hooked. I could barely stay in my seat – I wanted so much to get up & dance! I had to remember that this was not a U2 concert but a Broadway show (although Edge was purportedly sitting in the “U2 section” directly in my view, albeit in a bit of a disguise).
The set designs were bright in color and very modern. The set changes often came quickly (sometimes too quickly). In all, the first half of the show progressed quite well, especially a BEAUTIFUL rendition of “Rise Above” which almost brought tears to my eyes, and I really couldn't understand what the negative reviews of “Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark” were all about.
The second act proceeded a bit more slowly than the first act & seemed to get a bit lost in its story-telling. Still. It was “saved” by such GREAT performances during the songs “Walk Away”, “If the World Should End” and my favorite “The Boy Falls From the Sky”.
The flying scenes in “Spider-Man” were AMAZING and worth every penny of the admission price to see. The flying fight scene between Spiderman and the Green Goblin was a combination of Cirque du Soleil & Marvel Comics – simply BREATH-TAKING. I was beginning to understand what kept the young boy sitting next to me coming back to see this production.
The show ended with a rousing standing ovation for the cast and crew of “Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark” and an invitation from onstage for all of us to come back and see “Spider-Man 2.0”. From the audience's enthusiastic response, I'm sure that all of us will do just that at some point in the future.
About a hundred people gathered outside the Foxwoods Theater after the show was over to watch the performers come out. It was interesting to watch the NYC media all compete with each other to interview the cast members as they came out of the building. Weren't these some of the same reporters & news media outlets who had dissed this production so much? Why would they be interested in talking to them now?
I was quite impressed with the calm & very professional manner in which the “star” of this production, Reeve Carney (aka Spiderman), interacted with the press & with the screaming young female fans waiting for him to sign their Spiderman programs. ( Even I had a “moment” with Reeve but that will stay private.)
In all, I would agree with the critics that some revision of the production was necessary. The story line needed improvement, the segueway between musical numbers made more smooth, the musical input of Bono & Edge made more emphatic. These revisions amd more have since been made to this production, now comically named “Spider-Man 2.0” by Bono, and from the reviews of it so far, it is a much improved show, worthy of any Broadway opening. (It will finally open on Broadway next month.) I WISH IT WELL....
This concludes my brief review of “Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark”. In my next post, I'll begin to explore some of the reasons WHY I think that this production, including Bono himself, have received such a negative response from the critics and U2 fans themselves.
Until then, WELCOME BACK TO THE USA, U2! We've waited two years to see you so - MAKE IT GOOD. (I know that you will)
ONLY LOVE, debbie:)
by Deborah Kreuser ♫ worldview_14@yahoo.com
Sunday, 26 June 2011
Wednesday, 11 May 2011
Update May 8, 2011
FOR BONO: Vision Over Visibility
This is my first entry in a series of essays regarding my impressions of Spiderman TOTD (which I was fortunate enough to see in NYC on 17 April - Regina, Edge was there! I saw him!) and & of why I think the reaction to it has been so negative from those outside of the U2 community & from those INSIDE the U2 community. It's going to be a hard-hitting commentary and I'm prepared to get some flak for it. But those who speak truth are never appreciated immediately. It's only with time that the correctness of their observations are realized.
To highlight the fact that Bono has been doing side projects outside of U2 for many years (going back to the 1980's), I've picked a favorite of mine to share in this post . In 2002-2003, Bono was a major part of a remake of "Peter and the Wolf" done to benefit the Irish Hospice Foundation, the organization which took care of Bono's da, Bob, in his waning weeks of life in the Summer of 2001.
Bono's part was to try his hand at illustrating the text of the book which he pursued with relish. To help him with this project was his two daughters, Jordan & Eve, who worked with their father to make the intricate floral decoration on the pages of the book. The three of them worked as a team on this project & probably helped each other to heal emotionally from the loss of Bob Hewson.
Here is a video showing some of the work behind the scenes of "Peter and the Wolf". It's one of the most delightful videos of Bono that I've ever seen. It shows him as he is offstage - with his children & his friends. This project took almost two years to complete & may very well have been part of the reason why the U2 album HTDAAB took so long to be released.
Why the flak for Bono now over Spiderman TOTD & NOT the flak several years ago over this side project? I'll start exploring that issue in my next post.
ONLY LOVE, debbie:)
PS: WELCOME BACK 360 TOUR! We are eager to see you again in North America. Have a GREAT opening in Mexico this week!
For more info on on this project, please visit:
www.peterwolf.org
Deborah Kreuser ♫ worldview_14@yahoo.com
FOR BONO: Vision Over Visibility
This is my first entry in a series of essays regarding my impressions of Spiderman TOTD (which I was fortunate enough to see in NYC on 17 April - Regina, Edge was there! I saw him!) and & of why I think the reaction to it has been so negative from those outside of the U2 community & from those INSIDE the U2 community. It's going to be a hard-hitting commentary and I'm prepared to get some flak for it. But those who speak truth are never appreciated immediately. It's only with time that the correctness of their observations are realized.
To highlight the fact that Bono has been doing side projects outside of U2 for many years (going back to the 1980's), I've picked a favorite of mine to share in this post . In 2002-2003, Bono was a major part of a remake of "Peter and the Wolf" done to benefit the Irish Hospice Foundation, the organization which took care of Bono's da, Bob, in his waning weeks of life in the Summer of 2001.
Bono's part was to try his hand at illustrating the text of the book which he pursued with relish. To help him with this project was his two daughters, Jordan & Eve, who worked with their father to make the intricate floral decoration on the pages of the book. The three of them worked as a team on this project & probably helped each other to heal emotionally from the loss of Bob Hewson.
Here is a video showing some of the work behind the scenes of "Peter and the Wolf". It's one of the most delightful videos of Bono that I've ever seen. It shows him as he is offstage - with his children & his friends. This project took almost two years to complete & may very well have been part of the reason why the U2 album HTDAAB took so long to be released.
Why the flak for Bono now over Spiderman TOTD & NOT the flak several years ago over this side project? I'll start exploring that issue in my next post.
ONLY LOVE, debbie:)
PS: WELCOME BACK 360 TOUR! We are eager to see you again in North America. Have a GREAT opening in Mexico this week!
For more info on on this project, please visit:
www.peterwolf.org
Deborah Kreuser ♫ worldview_14@yahoo.com
Monday, 11 April 2011
When Dreams Meet Reality: Bob Geldof in Austin
Bob Geldof was in Austin last month to attend the SXSW Music Conference as its Keynote Speaker and to perform two concerts while here in promotion of his newest CD "How to Compose Popular Songs That Will Sell". Yes, this is the Bob Geldof of Live Aid fame - the same Bob Geldof who was one of the organizers of the now classic Christmas charity song "Do They Know It's Christmastime At All?". The same Bob Geldof of the Boomtown Rats fame & that same Bob Geldof who has been making himself a pest of world leaders in defense of the world's poor (Thank God) - THAT Bob Geldof.
As I always loved Bob Geldof, especially his honesty & his integrity, and had never seen him in concert - I was THRILLED that Bob was playing a FREE concert the day after St. Patrick's Day in Austin. I knew that I HAD to be there. This may very well be a once in a lifetime opportunity for me to see (and hopefully meet) one of the men whom I most admire in life and whom has always been a sort of mentor to me in my social activism for Africa.
I won't provide all the details of that day but here is the best recollection of some of my experiences of that day at Jovitas in Austin. It is to give you some of my thoughts of that day & to paint an accurate picture of what transpired there.
Dancing in the Moonlight
Bob & his band were the headline act at an event entitled "Dancing in the Moonlight" at Jovitas in Austin which featured at least a dozen other Irish bands, including The Mighty Steph & BP Fallon (a personal favorite of mine). This was SXSW's 25th anniversary year & it is also the 25th anniversary year of the passing of legendary Thin Lizzy frontman, Phil Lynnott - thus the event was entitled "Dancing in the Moonlight" after one of Thin Lizzy's seminal songs.
http://www.last.fm/music/Thin+Lizzy/_/Dancing+in+the+Moonlight
It was a warm, humid yet beautiful night when Bob & band took the stage about 7:30 pm for this outdoor concert. Several hundred people were in attendance, ranging in various ages. I was there with several other Bob Geldof fans & was able to get a spot right in front of the stage slightly to the left of Bob's mic. With me was the eight year old daughter of one of my friends who was completely enthralled by attending her first big concert.
Bob came out wearing a really stunning ensemble - a black shirt with white polka dots over which he wore a green iridescent suit. For Bob Geldof, this was a very good look. Bob would sing songs from throughout his 35 year old musical career with a band composed of several longtime musical associates & former Boomtown Rats. The significance of this was not lost to me - as I remembered how U2 have stuck together as a band & as friends through their career which has paralleled the same virtual length of time as Bob & his band. (There is something good to be said about the Irish sense of loyalty.)
The concert lasted a full ninety minutes. Crowd favorites were several songs which evoked a TRUE Irish feel to them (replete with Bob dancing!) and several songs from his newest CD "How to Compose Popular Songs That Will Sell" (even Bob joked about the title of the CD and of how he came to use it for his latest CD). He was very open to the audience onstage - speaking effortlessly about the pains in his past, especially regarding his ex-wife Paula Yates, and of how he has mellowed a bit through the years.
For me, I would find this refreshing coming from any artist but coming from Bob Geldof - a man who always seemed to need to be in complete control of every situation in his life - the ability now to be vunerable with his audience was an experience that I'll never forget. This wasn't faked intimacy that I sometimes see coming from others onstage - this was REAL INTIMACY & I was REJOICING inside, just a few centimeters away from him, that Bob has perhaps found what he was looking for in life.
The absolute highlights of the concert for me was Bob's rousing performance of "I Don't Like Mondays" & his somewhat tearful, sincere goodbye to us of "Here's to You" which closed out the performance.
I must give Bob a "thumbs up" on one other thing. As we all know, Bob is easy to use expletives in his conversations. That's a longtime trademark of his & perhaps an ingrained habit. So he started using the F word fairly regularly in his talks with us from onstage until he noticed the eight year old girl with me virtually right in front of him. After that, I noticed that he consciously watched his language & the expletives were normally replaced with less offensive terms. Such is the REAL Bob Geldof - a loving father and protector of children (truth be known).
Thanks Bob Geldof for an outstanding concert & for simply being you. ~
PS: Before the concert, I did get the chance to go inside the artist area where Bob & BP Fallon and band members were staying. I had the chance the previous day to meet BP Fallon and have a lovely talk with him so this time my hope was to meet Bob. I had no planned speech prepared for him - I just wanted to let the moment unfold as it would. As he was approaching, Bob saw me & my friend and stopped to say hello. My friend had met Bob before & really wanted this to be my moment. (yes - there still are some great music fans out here)
I was standing on a rock waiting for Bob to approach us so when he stopped to speak with me, I was his height & able to look him him right in the eyes, barely six inches away from him. What I saw in his eyes was a refreshing spirit of joy, of life and of a little flirtatiousness (Irish men are good at this - smile). His smile beamed on his face & he seemed to be truly "in the moment" with me.
He told how much he liked my green paper bead jewelry from Uganda (made by Bono's friend Agnes Nyamayarwo and the women of the MPWN) and smiled when he saw my ONE band on my wrist.
I could have gone on about Africa with him but I simply told him how much he has meant to me through the years & has emboldened me in my own social activism for Africa. I thanked him for all the years of musical memories that he has given us & told him that I was THRILLED that he is back doing something he truly loves - performing his music.
It will always be several minutes of my life that I will NEVER forget. ~
Deborah Kreuser ♫ worldview_14@yahoo.com
Bob Geldof was in Austin last month to attend the SXSW Music Conference as its Keynote Speaker and to perform two concerts while here in promotion of his newest CD "How to Compose Popular Songs That Will Sell". Yes, this is the Bob Geldof of Live Aid fame - the same Bob Geldof who was one of the organizers of the now classic Christmas charity song "Do They Know It's Christmastime At All?". The same Bob Geldof of the Boomtown Rats fame & that same Bob Geldof who has been making himself a pest of world leaders in defense of the world's poor (Thank God) - THAT Bob Geldof.
As I always loved Bob Geldof, especially his honesty & his integrity, and had never seen him in concert - I was THRILLED that Bob was playing a FREE concert the day after St. Patrick's Day in Austin. I knew that I HAD to be there. This may very well be a once in a lifetime opportunity for me to see (and hopefully meet) one of the men whom I most admire in life and whom has always been a sort of mentor to me in my social activism for Africa.
I won't provide all the details of that day but here is the best recollection of some of my experiences of that day at Jovitas in Austin. It is to give you some of my thoughts of that day & to paint an accurate picture of what transpired there.
Dancing in the Moonlight
Bob & his band were the headline act at an event entitled "Dancing in the Moonlight" at Jovitas in Austin which featured at least a dozen other Irish bands, including The Mighty Steph & BP Fallon (a personal favorite of mine). This was SXSW's 25th anniversary year & it is also the 25th anniversary year of the passing of legendary Thin Lizzy frontman, Phil Lynnott - thus the event was entitled "Dancing in the Moonlight" after one of Thin Lizzy's seminal songs.
http://www.last.fm/music/Thin+Lizzy/_/Dancing+in+the+Moonlight
It was a warm, humid yet beautiful night when Bob & band took the stage about 7:30 pm for this outdoor concert. Several hundred people were in attendance, ranging in various ages. I was there with several other Bob Geldof fans & was able to get a spot right in front of the stage slightly to the left of Bob's mic. With me was the eight year old daughter of one of my friends who was completely enthralled by attending her first big concert.
Bob came out wearing a really stunning ensemble - a black shirt with white polka dots over which he wore a green iridescent suit. For Bob Geldof, this was a very good look. Bob would sing songs from throughout his 35 year old musical career with a band composed of several longtime musical associates & former Boomtown Rats. The significance of this was not lost to me - as I remembered how U2 have stuck together as a band & as friends through their career which has paralleled the same virtual length of time as Bob & his band. (There is something good to be said about the Irish sense of loyalty.)
The concert lasted a full ninety minutes. Crowd favorites were several songs which evoked a TRUE Irish feel to them (replete with Bob dancing!) and several songs from his newest CD "How to Compose Popular Songs That Will Sell" (even Bob joked about the title of the CD and of how he came to use it for his latest CD). He was very open to the audience onstage - speaking effortlessly about the pains in his past, especially regarding his ex-wife Paula Yates, and of how he has mellowed a bit through the years.
For me, I would find this refreshing coming from any artist but coming from Bob Geldof - a man who always seemed to need to be in complete control of every situation in his life - the ability now to be vunerable with his audience was an experience that I'll never forget. This wasn't faked intimacy that I sometimes see coming from others onstage - this was REAL INTIMACY & I was REJOICING inside, just a few centimeters away from him, that Bob has perhaps found what he was looking for in life.
The absolute highlights of the concert for me was Bob's rousing performance of "I Don't Like Mondays" & his somewhat tearful, sincere goodbye to us of "Here's to You" which closed out the performance.
I must give Bob a "thumbs up" on one other thing. As we all know, Bob is easy to use expletives in his conversations. That's a longtime trademark of his & perhaps an ingrained habit. So he started using the F word fairly regularly in his talks with us from onstage until he noticed the eight year old girl with me virtually right in front of him. After that, I noticed that he consciously watched his language & the expletives were normally replaced with less offensive terms. Such is the REAL Bob Geldof - a loving father and protector of children (truth be known).
Thanks Bob Geldof for an outstanding concert & for simply being you. ~
PS: Before the concert, I did get the chance to go inside the artist area where Bob & BP Fallon and band members were staying. I had the chance the previous day to meet BP Fallon and have a lovely talk with him so this time my hope was to meet Bob. I had no planned speech prepared for him - I just wanted to let the moment unfold as it would. As he was approaching, Bob saw me & my friend and stopped to say hello. My friend had met Bob before & really wanted this to be my moment. (yes - there still are some great music fans out here)
I was standing on a rock waiting for Bob to approach us so when he stopped to speak with me, I was his height & able to look him him right in the eyes, barely six inches away from him. What I saw in his eyes was a refreshing spirit of joy, of life and of a little flirtatiousness (Irish men are good at this - smile). His smile beamed on his face & he seemed to be truly "in the moment" with me.
He told how much he liked my green paper bead jewelry from Uganda (made by Bono's friend Agnes Nyamayarwo and the women of the MPWN) and smiled when he saw my ONE band on my wrist.
I could have gone on about Africa with him but I simply told him how much he has meant to me through the years & has emboldened me in my own social activism for Africa. I thanked him for all the years of musical memories that he has given us & told him that I was THRILLED that he is back doing something he truly loves - performing his music.
It will always be several minutes of my life that I will NEVER forget. ~
Deborah Kreuser ♫ worldview_14@yahoo.com
Thursday, 24 March 2011
UPDATE - February 19, 2011
FOR BONO: Vision Over Visibility
In my last post, I posed the idea that we had GREAT things to look forward to from U2 in February - and was I correct! The U2 concerts in South Africa this past week were some of the most TRULY AMAZING concerts that I have ever heard or seen U2 do on the 360 tour, especially the 18 Feb. concert in Cape Town.
Maybe it was the fact that this concert was streamed live online for the whole world to hear that helped to make the Cape Town concert FEEL so special. I agree with those fans who think that EVERY U2 concert should be streamed live on the U2.com website for subscribers. It's a GREAT idea to win back some subscribers who have become disenchanted with the way that Live Nation runs the fansite and it shows U2 fans just how much the band & its management want to provide an extraordinary experience for them at the band's official website.
There were many special moments during the South African concerts. The appearances of Hugh Masekela, Yvonne Chaka Chaka, the Springbok Nude Girls and Amadou & Mariam gave the international U2 community a good introduction to the variety of African music today - an introduction that I hope U2 fans will continue to develope with these and other African musicians.
And then there was perhaps the strangest yet the most endearing introduction of the band by Bono before ISHFWILF in Cape Town when he introduced them as meerkats, lemurs & llamas and, in return, was quite appropriately introduced by Edge as a wildebeast!
But for me, perhaps the highlight of the Cape Town concert was when Bono publicly recognized an old ally of his in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa who was in attendance at the concert that night - Zackie Achmat.
For those who do not know who Zackie is, I'll post a link below where you can begin to find out more info on this TRUE HERO of the historic fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa. Zackie actually won the public praise of Nelson Mandela for being willing to risk his own life to make sure that fellow South Africans had access to affordable antiretroviral drugs (ARV's)!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zackie_Achmat
This recognition from the stage by Bono of an ICON of the struggle against HIV/AIDS in Africa reminds me of when Bono recognized my longtime friend & African AIDS activist, Agnes Nyamayarwo of Uganda, from the stage TWICE during the 360 tour in the USA in October 2009.
Many U2 fans will remember Agnes as the African woman who spoke alongside Bono from 2002-2007, travelling around the world with him to spread awareness of the AIDS crisis in Africa amd mobilizing thousands of people to petition their governments to spend more money on stopping AIDS around the world.
Agnes was with Bono at the start of DATA (Debt, AIDS, Trade, Africa), at the founding of the ONE Campaign & even appeared in the (RED) edition of Vanity Fair magazine several years ago.
When Bono recognized Agnes from the stage during the performance of "One" at the Raleigh and Dallas concerts, I was there in attendance with her both nights as was my friend, Sue. Agnes was in the USA at the request of the U2 Conference where she was a main presenter.
If you have ever wanted to see/hear Agnes speak or to ask her a question - you're in luck!
This Saturday, 26 February, Agnes and the HIV+ women with whom she works, the Mulago Positive Women's Network (MPWN) will be hosting a LIVE, INTERACTIVE online forum where they will talk about their lives and demonstrate how they make some of the various African craft items that they sell to make a modest living and support their families.
If you would like to be a part of this online forum on Saturday, 26 February, then all you'll need to do is to click on the link below and enter the forum as a guest. Just make sure that you have a headset & webcam to maximize your participation in this forum.
The forum is scheduled between 2pm - 4pm GMT (9:00am - 11:00 am EST). We hope to see you there.
http://www.asitainformatica.com/events/agemofanidea/login-mpwn.htm
And THANK YOU, BONO, for never forgetting who the REAL HEROES of the struggle against HIV/AIDS in Africa truly are!
ONLY LOVE, debbie:) worldview_14@yahoo.com
FOR BONO: Vision Over Visibility
In my last post, I posed the idea that we had GREAT things to look forward to from U2 in February - and was I correct! The U2 concerts in South Africa this past week were some of the most TRULY AMAZING concerts that I have ever heard or seen U2 do on the 360 tour, especially the 18 Feb. concert in Cape Town.
Maybe it was the fact that this concert was streamed live online for the whole world to hear that helped to make the Cape Town concert FEEL so special. I agree with those fans who think that EVERY U2 concert should be streamed live on the U2.com website for subscribers. It's a GREAT idea to win back some subscribers who have become disenchanted with the way that Live Nation runs the fansite and it shows U2 fans just how much the band & its management want to provide an extraordinary experience for them at the band's official website.
There were many special moments during the South African concerts. The appearances of Hugh Masekela, Yvonne Chaka Chaka, the Springbok Nude Girls and Amadou & Mariam gave the international U2 community a good introduction to the variety of African music today - an introduction that I hope U2 fans will continue to develope with these and other African musicians.
And then there was perhaps the strangest yet the most endearing introduction of the band by Bono before ISHFWILF in Cape Town when he introduced them as meerkats, lemurs & llamas and, in return, was quite appropriately introduced by Edge as a wildebeast!
But for me, perhaps the highlight of the Cape Town concert was when Bono publicly recognized an old ally of his in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa who was in attendance at the concert that night - Zackie Achmat.
For those who do not know who Zackie is, I'll post a link below where you can begin to find out more info on this TRUE HERO of the historic fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa. Zackie actually won the public praise of Nelson Mandela for being willing to risk his own life to make sure that fellow South Africans had access to affordable antiretroviral drugs (ARV's)!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zackie_Achmat
This recognition from the stage by Bono of an ICON of the struggle against HIV/AIDS in Africa reminds me of when Bono recognized my longtime friend & African AIDS activist, Agnes Nyamayarwo of Uganda, from the stage TWICE during the 360 tour in the USA in October 2009.
Many U2 fans will remember Agnes as the African woman who spoke alongside Bono from 2002-2007, travelling around the world with him to spread awareness of the AIDS crisis in Africa amd mobilizing thousands of people to petition their governments to spend more money on stopping AIDS around the world.
Agnes was with Bono at the start of DATA (Debt, AIDS, Trade, Africa), at the founding of the ONE Campaign & even appeared in the (RED) edition of Vanity Fair magazine several years ago.
When Bono recognized Agnes from the stage during the performance of "One" at the Raleigh and Dallas concerts, I was there in attendance with her both nights as was my friend, Sue. Agnes was in the USA at the request of the U2 Conference where she was a main presenter.
If you have ever wanted to see/hear Agnes speak or to ask her a question - you're in luck!
This Saturday, 26 February, Agnes and the HIV+ women with whom she works, the Mulago Positive Women's Network (MPWN) will be hosting a LIVE, INTERACTIVE online forum where they will talk about their lives and demonstrate how they make some of the various African craft items that they sell to make a modest living and support their families.
If you would like to be a part of this online forum on Saturday, 26 February, then all you'll need to do is to click on the link below and enter the forum as a guest. Just make sure that you have a headset & webcam to maximize your participation in this forum.
The forum is scheduled between 2pm - 4pm GMT (9:00am - 11:00 am EST). We hope to see you there.
http://www.asitainformatica.com/events/agemofanidea/login-mpwn.htm
And THANK YOU, BONO, for never forgetting who the REAL HEROES of the struggle against HIV/AIDS in Africa truly are!
ONLY LOVE, debbie:) worldview_14@yahoo.com
Monday, 31 January 2011
FOR BONO: Vision Over Visibility
January is usually a very slow month for U2 news. Most years you will find the band keeping a low profile at the start of the year....but not this year! From Bono and Edge attending preview performances of their Broadway musical “Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark” to revelations that Adam Clayton is now the father of a one year old son to Larry Mullen's appearance in an upcoming Canadian movie, this has been a January FULL of U2 news! So here are some of my thoughts on this month, January 2011, in U2 news.
The revelation about Adam Clayton's fatherhood for the last year really did not take me by surprise. Not that I knew that Adam had a son but I DO know that U2, like any other group of famous people, only allow the public to know what they WANT the public to know about their personal lives!
As a Rock band at the top of international popularity for over twenty-five years, U2 have seen many things and done many things that their fans will never know about. Some of these things U2 have alluded to in interviews through the years and some of this is just plain common sense.
For any U2 fan to think that all there has been of Adam's, Larry's, Edge's and Bono's personal lives is what the public knows about them is simply illusional. The band members have their public lives with their fans and their private lives with their families /friends.
We are not privy to the details of their private lives and neither should we think that we should be. The admission about Adam's private life as a father should be a “wake up call” for those fans in the U2 community who think that they know all there is to know about the band – you don't, and you never will. I accept this fact about U2 and highly encourage others to do the same.
Bono's appearance at Sargent Shriver's funeral on 22 January was especially poignant for me. I have met Bono and Bobby Shriver several times over the last ten years through my support and activism for ONE & (RED). As the founding members of these organizations, Bono and Bobby Shriver have worked well together, often behind the scenes, to keep ONE & (RED) the progressive and EFFECTIVE organizations that they are.
Bono has often mentioned about the TREMENDOUS influence that Bobby's father, Sargent Shriver, has had in the formation of Bono's philosophy in building a movement of support for Africa. Thus, it made perfect sense for Bono to attend the funeral and to be a part of the memorial service. Bono's musical rendition of “The Prayer of St. Francis” was one of the most heartfelt performances of his that I have seen in awhile.
THANK YOU, BONO, for sharing with all of us a very difficult personal moment for you. We will miss “Sarge” very much.
Lastly, I was very heartened to see the quick & fervent response by both Bono and Bobby Shriver to media criticism of The Global Fund, which ONE advocates for funding of by world governments and which benefits from the money raised by (RED).
Shriver was VERY EFFECTIVE in his editorial comments and during his appearance on the U.S. television program “The O'Reilly Factor” in answering the unfair media criticism of the Global Fund. Bobby did a GREAT job in advocating for the world's poor at a time when he was still in mourning for the loss of his father. The Global Fund has a great advocate in Bobby Shriver and we should all keep up our support of (RED) to benefit it!
At the same time as Shriver was advocating for the Global Fund in the U.S. media, Bono was making several EXCEPTIONAL appearances at the World Economic Forum in Davos and continuing his advocacy for the Millenium Development Goals (MDG's). Bono was especially eloquent in delivering his ideas this year at Davos and seemed more determined than ever to get across his message - which I think he truly succeeded at.
WOW - what a month in U2 news! Next up is February with the 360 Tour starting soon in South Africa – get ready for a GREAT U2 year. ~ ONLY LOVE, debbie ♥♥
foxnews.com Charity Issues Adressed
Deborah Kreuser ♫ worldview_14@yahoo.com
January is usually a very slow month for U2 news. Most years you will find the band keeping a low profile at the start of the year....but not this year! From Bono and Edge attending preview performances of their Broadway musical “Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark” to revelations that Adam Clayton is now the father of a one year old son to Larry Mullen's appearance in an upcoming Canadian movie, this has been a January FULL of U2 news! So here are some of my thoughts on this month, January 2011, in U2 news.
The revelation about Adam Clayton's fatherhood for the last year really did not take me by surprise. Not that I knew that Adam had a son but I DO know that U2, like any other group of famous people, only allow the public to know what they WANT the public to know about their personal lives!
As a Rock band at the top of international popularity for over twenty-five years, U2 have seen many things and done many things that their fans will never know about. Some of these things U2 have alluded to in interviews through the years and some of this is just plain common sense.
For any U2 fan to think that all there has been of Adam's, Larry's, Edge's and Bono's personal lives is what the public knows about them is simply illusional. The band members have their public lives with their fans and their private lives with their families /friends.
We are not privy to the details of their private lives and neither should we think that we should be. The admission about Adam's private life as a father should be a “wake up call” for those fans in the U2 community who think that they know all there is to know about the band – you don't, and you never will. I accept this fact about U2 and highly encourage others to do the same.
Bono's appearance at Sargent Shriver's funeral on 22 January was especially poignant for me. I have met Bono and Bobby Shriver several times over the last ten years through my support and activism for ONE & (RED). As the founding members of these organizations, Bono and Bobby Shriver have worked well together, often behind the scenes, to keep ONE & (RED) the progressive and EFFECTIVE organizations that they are.
Bono has often mentioned about the TREMENDOUS influence that Bobby's father, Sargent Shriver, has had in the formation of Bono's philosophy in building a movement of support for Africa. Thus, it made perfect sense for Bono to attend the funeral and to be a part of the memorial service. Bono's musical rendition of “The Prayer of St. Francis” was one of the most heartfelt performances of his that I have seen in awhile.
THANK YOU, BONO, for sharing with all of us a very difficult personal moment for you. We will miss “Sarge” very much.
Lastly, I was very heartened to see the quick & fervent response by both Bono and Bobby Shriver to media criticism of The Global Fund, which ONE advocates for funding of by world governments and which benefits from the money raised by (RED).
Shriver was VERY EFFECTIVE in his editorial comments and during his appearance on the U.S. television program “The O'Reilly Factor” in answering the unfair media criticism of the Global Fund. Bobby did a GREAT job in advocating for the world's poor at a time when he was still in mourning for the loss of his father. The Global Fund has a great advocate in Bobby Shriver and we should all keep up our support of (RED) to benefit it!
At the same time as Shriver was advocating for the Global Fund in the U.S. media, Bono was making several EXCEPTIONAL appearances at the World Economic Forum in Davos and continuing his advocacy for the Millenium Development Goals (MDG's). Bono was especially eloquent in delivering his ideas this year at Davos and seemed more determined than ever to get across his message - which I think he truly succeeded at.
WOW - what a month in U2 news! Next up is February with the 360 Tour starting soon in South Africa – get ready for a GREAT U2 year. ~ ONLY LOVE, debbie ♥♥
foxnews.com Charity Issues Adressed
worldeconomicforum02 on livestream.com. Broadcast Live Free
Deborah Kreuser ♫ worldview_14@yahoo.com
Thursday, 30 December 2010
FOR BONO: Vision Over Visibility
This has been an interesting year for many of us – a worldwide recession which shows no real sign of leaving, environmental catastrophes (the BP oil spill) and natural disasters (earthquakes in Haiti and Chile, flooding in Pakistan) and increasing levels of human rights violations around the world (China, Russia, Ivory Coast, etc). U2 have also seen an interesting year with the postponement of the North American leg of the 360 tour due to Bono's back surgery in May, the harassment of social activist organizations (Amnesty International and ONE) during the 360 tour concert in Moscow and the continuing problems associated with the Broadway musical “Spiderman, Turn Off the Dark” with music composed by Bono and the Edge.
The one shining event which uplifted all of our hearts was the release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi from seven years of house arrest in Burma. After years of singing “Walk On' to spur her release from house arrest, U2 were singing the “Rejoice” refrain from their song “Scarlet” to celebrate this human rights victory.
I, for one, will be glad to see 2010 go. It was a personally difficult year for me with the loss of a job and the loss of my mother. Since March, there seems to have been a dreary grey cloud hanging over my head. No matter what I have done to advance, forces have seemed to conspire to stalemate me. This has
sometimes led me to experience some sad moments but I always rebound stronger than before!
The new year is already looking better for me with the promise of a possible new job starting soon and the trip I was just able to book to go to NYC in April to see “Spiderman, Turn Off the Dark” - the new Broadway musical with songs composed by Bono and Edge.
Whether we see it or not, there is always something to be grateful for. And this year, like the thirty years that preceded it, I am grateful for the presence of U2 and their music in my life. They have travelled down this road of life as my constant musical companions, filling my days and lighting my nights with their always hopeful music.
And at the start of a New Year, my thoughts naturally go to one song “New Year's Day”. Thus, as I do every year since, I'm including an article that I wrote for a U2 fansite seven years ago about this TRULY INCREDIBLE SONG. I hope that you'll enjoy reading it and will make every effort in the new year to “begin again”. Have a GREAT 2011!
NEW YEAR'S DAY
With its soaring vocals and nearly perfect rhythm
lines, "New Year's Day" emerged in the early 1980's as
a U2 favorite. Composed of simple words, it stirred a
timeless hope and belief in the souls of all those who
heard it - the aspiration for freedom and unity for
people around the world. This theme would continue to
follow U2's songwriting in the years to come (Pride, One,
Please, Walk On, etc.). And with its
message of Peace and Goodwill for all humanity, it is
the perfect U2 song to reflect on as we start the year
2004!
“All is quiet on New Year's Day
A world in white gets underway
I want to be with you
Be with you night and day
Nothing changes on New Year's Day
On New Year's Day
I will be with you again
I will be with you again”
According to Niall Stokes in "U2: Into the Heart",
"New Year's Day" probably began as a love song from
Bono to Ali, but quickly became something more. In
1980, the Solidarity movement in Poland under the
leadership of future Nobel Peace Prize winner and
President Lech Walesa openly challenged the oppressive
rule of the then Polish government. In December 1981,
the Solidarity movement was outlawed and Walesa (and
its other leaders) were arrested and put in jail. As
Bono tells it: "Subconsciously I must have been
thinking about Lech Walesa being interned and his wife
not being allowed to see him. Then, when we'd recorded
the song, they announced that martial law would be
lifted in Poland on New Year's Day. Incredible."
The song continues to document the growing
movement of people clamoring for freedom and justice
throughout Eastern Europe in the early 1980's.
“Under a blood red sky
A crowd has gathered in black and white
Arms entwined, the chosen few
The newspapers say it's true
It's true...
And we can break through
Though torn in two
We can be one”
OK - great song. But what is the significance of
this song for us in 2004?
It resides in the power of FOUR words: I WILL
BEGIN AGAIN. The willingness to start over, to "begin
again", may be the singular most important idea that
we can gleam from U2's music and is a very appropriate
concept to consider at the start of a new year.
U2's music(and Bono's lyrics) have always given us
a sense of empowerment - the knowing deep within us
that we have the ability to change ourselves (and our
world). We CAN recreate ourselves, become better human
beings, bring Hope and Love to our world. And if U2's
music hasn't motivated us to "begin again", the
personal trials, tribulations and ultimate triumphs of
Bono's life should.
Bono's life and career has been an evolving
tale(some would say a parable or teaching story) of
one man's decision to CHOOSE good over "bad", hope
over despair, action over apathy, grace over karma.
And, in the process, he has given us a BRILLIANT life
which we can affirm and emulate.
So, as we start the year 2004, let us remember
this magnificent song by U2 and on "New Year's Day"
let our resolution simply be: I WILL BEGIN AGAIN!
by Deborah Kreuser - ♫ - worldview_14@yahoo.com
This has been an interesting year for many of us – a worldwide recession which shows no real sign of leaving, environmental catastrophes (the BP oil spill) and natural disasters (earthquakes in Haiti and Chile, flooding in Pakistan) and increasing levels of human rights violations around the world (China, Russia, Ivory Coast, etc). U2 have also seen an interesting year with the postponement of the North American leg of the 360 tour due to Bono's back surgery in May, the harassment of social activist organizations (Amnesty International and ONE) during the 360 tour concert in Moscow and the continuing problems associated with the Broadway musical “Spiderman, Turn Off the Dark” with music composed by Bono and the Edge.
The one shining event which uplifted all of our hearts was the release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi from seven years of house arrest in Burma. After years of singing “Walk On' to spur her release from house arrest, U2 were singing the “Rejoice” refrain from their song “Scarlet” to celebrate this human rights victory.
I, for one, will be glad to see 2010 go. It was a personally difficult year for me with the loss of a job and the loss of my mother. Since March, there seems to have been a dreary grey cloud hanging over my head. No matter what I have done to advance, forces have seemed to conspire to stalemate me. This has
sometimes led me to experience some sad moments but I always rebound stronger than before!
The new year is already looking better for me with the promise of a possible new job starting soon and the trip I was just able to book to go to NYC in April to see “Spiderman, Turn Off the Dark” - the new Broadway musical with songs composed by Bono and Edge.
Whether we see it or not, there is always something to be grateful for. And this year, like the thirty years that preceded it, I am grateful for the presence of U2 and their music in my life. They have travelled down this road of life as my constant musical companions, filling my days and lighting my nights with their always hopeful music.
And at the start of a New Year, my thoughts naturally go to one song “New Year's Day”. Thus, as I do every year since, I'm including an article that I wrote for a U2 fansite seven years ago about this TRULY INCREDIBLE SONG. I hope that you'll enjoy reading it and will make every effort in the new year to “begin again”. Have a GREAT 2011!
NEW YEAR'S DAY
With its soaring vocals and nearly perfect rhythm
lines, "New Year's Day" emerged in the early 1980's as
a U2 favorite. Composed of simple words, it stirred a
timeless hope and belief in the souls of all those who
heard it - the aspiration for freedom and unity for
people around the world. This theme would continue to
follow U2's songwriting in the years to come (Pride, One,
Please, Walk On, etc.). And with its
message of Peace and Goodwill for all humanity, it is
the perfect U2 song to reflect on as we start the year
2004!
“All is quiet on New Year's Day
A world in white gets underway
I want to be with you
Be with you night and day
Nothing changes on New Year's Day
On New Year's Day
I will be with you again
I will be with you again”
According to Niall Stokes in "U2: Into the Heart",
"New Year's Day" probably began as a love song from
Bono to Ali, but quickly became something more. In
1980, the Solidarity movement in Poland under the
leadership of future Nobel Peace Prize winner and
President Lech Walesa openly challenged the oppressive
rule of the then Polish government. In December 1981,
the Solidarity movement was outlawed and Walesa (and
its other leaders) were arrested and put in jail. As
Bono tells it: "Subconsciously I must have been
thinking about Lech Walesa being interned and his wife
not being allowed to see him. Then, when we'd recorded
the song, they announced that martial law would be
lifted in Poland on New Year's Day. Incredible."
The song continues to document the growing
movement of people clamoring for freedom and justice
throughout Eastern Europe in the early 1980's.
“Under a blood red sky
A crowd has gathered in black and white
Arms entwined, the chosen few
The newspapers say it's true
It's true...
And we can break through
Though torn in two
We can be one”
OK - great song. But what is the significance of
this song for us in 2004?
It resides in the power of FOUR words: I WILL
BEGIN AGAIN. The willingness to start over, to "begin
again", may be the singular most important idea that
we can gleam from U2's music and is a very appropriate
concept to consider at the start of a new year.
U2's music(and Bono's lyrics) have always given us
a sense of empowerment - the knowing deep within us
that we have the ability to change ourselves (and our
world). We CAN recreate ourselves, become better human
beings, bring Hope and Love to our world. And if U2's
music hasn't motivated us to "begin again", the
personal trials, tribulations and ultimate triumphs of
Bono's life should.
Bono's life and career has been an evolving
tale(some would say a parable or teaching story) of
one man's decision to CHOOSE good over "bad", hope
over despair, action over apathy, grace over karma.
And, in the process, he has given us a BRILLIANT life
which we can affirm and emulate.
So, as we start the year 2004, let us remember
this magnificent song by U2 and on "New Year's Day"
let our resolution simply be: I WILL BEGIN AGAIN!
by Deborah Kreuser - ♫ - worldview_14@yahoo.com
Sunday, 28 November 2010
FOR BONO: Vision Over Visibility
Many U2 fans and followers have long admired U2 for their social activism for issues as diverse as the environment (Greenpeace) to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi (Amnesty International). One of the areas that U2 will be best remembered for in terms of their social activism is Bono's strident advocacy for Africa with his involvement in the establishment of several organizations devoted to a brighter future for the Continent - EDUN, (RED) and, of course, ONE.
This Weds, 1 Dec 2010, World AIDS Day, marks the eight anniversary of "The Heart of America" tour which featured Bono, Ashley Judd, Chris Tucker and several other famous people travelling to nine cities around the "heartland" of the USA speaking about the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa and of how average Americans could help them through advocacy for Africa's Future by joining with Bono's new organization, DATA (Debt, AIDS, Trade, Africa).
This tour would also introduce to the world a new spokesperson for Africa, Bono's choice for a "face" of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa - Agnes Nyamayarwo of Uganda.
Bono had met Agnes in May 2002 during his infamous trip to Africa with then U.S. Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill. They had visited the office of TASO Uganda ( www.tasouganda.org ) and Bono was so overwhelmed by Agnes' personal life story and the way that she carried herself with dignity, courage and grace, that he recruited her to come to the USA to join him and the others to speak her truth....which she did.
Agnes came to Lincoln Nebraska on World AIDS Day, 1 Dec 2002, and joined the others present there at the forum. She quickly won over the audience's hearts as she shared her story with them that evening in Lincoln.
I know - because I was there. I got the chance to meet most of the participants in that first DATA event, including Agnes and Bono to thank them for bringing to public awareness the situation for people in Africa suffering the adverse effects of HIV/AIDS.
Agnes would go on and stick close to Bono's side over the next five years of African advocacy through DATA, and then through ONE, which came into existence in May 2004.
I met Agnes again in March 2007 at a regional ONE training workshop in Houston and my life has never been the same. We instantly bonded on many levels - as mothers, as women, as social activists. I think we both knew that day that we would be friends for life and that either one of us would do whatever they could for the other.
That was March 2007 - this is November 2010 and nothing has changed. We are as close today as ever....if not more so.
Agnes recruited me to help her to publicize to the world about the women's group that she founded in January 2004 - the Mulago Positive Women's Network (MPWN) of Uganda - a group of women receiving their AIDS meds from TASO Uganda but who had banded together in a women's economic co-operative to try to better support themselves and their children through the sale of their authentically African handmade crafts.
As someone who has long loved crafts from around the world, especially Africa, this was a no-brainer for me. I immediately started posting at U2 fansites about Agnes and the MPWN, started a MySpace page for them, developed a modest website for them and finally found a home for the MPWN at Agnes' Facebook page.
Over the last three years, we have sold approximately $10,000 in MPWN crafts for the women and raised thousands of people's consciousnesses regarding Agnes and the MPWN....but more needs to be done.
And on this World AIDS Day, 1 Dec 2010 - eight years from the start of "The Heart of America" tour - Agnes and the MPWN will launch a new venture that YOU ARE INVITED TO JOIN IN.
Every month, Agnes Nyamayarwo and the women of the Mulago Positive Women's Network will be hosting LIVE interactive online forums at the link below. You will be able to join them in their forum and hear them speak DIRECTLY TO YOU about their daily lives, their needs and their hopes for the future.
You will be able to ask them questions and each month they will feature a different craft item that they make and demonstrate to you exactly how that craft item is made!
It is a BRILLIANT, low-cost way to connect people around the world who support the empowerment of some of the world's poorest women by allowing them control of technology which can vastly improve their lives.
The broadcast will be live between 10:00am - 12:00pm EST on 1 Dec 2010 at this link:
http://www.asitainformatica.com/events/agemofanidea/login.htm
PLEASE JOIN US ON WORLD AIDS DAY as we once again hear from the woman who inspired a movement - Agnes Nyamayarwo of Uganda and members of the MPWN. It is an event that you don't want to miss.
Bono and Agnes at the Lied Center, 1 December 2002, Lincoln Nebraska, at the start of "The Heart of America" tour
Bono and Agnes, May 2004, at the rally which started
the ONE Campaign, Philadelphia PA
Bono's handwritten endorsement given to me by Bono with a big smile on his face in Sept 2009, Chicago Illinois, for our activities for Agnes Nyamayarwo and the MPWN
by Deborah Kreuser ♫ worldview_14@yahoo.com
Many U2 fans and followers have long admired U2 for their social activism for issues as diverse as the environment (Greenpeace) to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi (Amnesty International). One of the areas that U2 will be best remembered for in terms of their social activism is Bono's strident advocacy for Africa with his involvement in the establishment of several organizations devoted to a brighter future for the Continent - EDUN, (RED) and, of course, ONE.
This Weds, 1 Dec 2010, World AIDS Day, marks the eight anniversary of "The Heart of America" tour which featured Bono, Ashley Judd, Chris Tucker and several other famous people travelling to nine cities around the "heartland" of the USA speaking about the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa and of how average Americans could help them through advocacy for Africa's Future by joining with Bono's new organization, DATA (Debt, AIDS, Trade, Africa).
This tour would also introduce to the world a new spokesperson for Africa, Bono's choice for a "face" of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa - Agnes Nyamayarwo of Uganda.
Bono had met Agnes in May 2002 during his infamous trip to Africa with then U.S. Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill. They had visited the office of TASO Uganda ( www.tasouganda.org ) and Bono was so overwhelmed by Agnes' personal life story and the way that she carried herself with dignity, courage and grace, that he recruited her to come to the USA to join him and the others to speak her truth....which she did.
Agnes came to Lincoln Nebraska on World AIDS Day, 1 Dec 2002, and joined the others present there at the forum. She quickly won over the audience's hearts as she shared her story with them that evening in Lincoln.
I know - because I was there. I got the chance to meet most of the participants in that first DATA event, including Agnes and Bono to thank them for bringing to public awareness the situation for people in Africa suffering the adverse effects of HIV/AIDS.
Agnes would go on and stick close to Bono's side over the next five years of African advocacy through DATA, and then through ONE, which came into existence in May 2004.
I met Agnes again in March 2007 at a regional ONE training workshop in Houston and my life has never been the same. We instantly bonded on many levels - as mothers, as women, as social activists. I think we both knew that day that we would be friends for life and that either one of us would do whatever they could for the other.
That was March 2007 - this is November 2010 and nothing has changed. We are as close today as ever....if not more so.
Agnes recruited me to help her to publicize to the world about the women's group that she founded in January 2004 - the Mulago Positive Women's Network (MPWN) of Uganda - a group of women receiving their AIDS meds from TASO Uganda but who had banded together in a women's economic co-operative to try to better support themselves and their children through the sale of their authentically African handmade crafts.
As someone who has long loved crafts from around the world, especially Africa, this was a no-brainer for me. I immediately started posting at U2 fansites about Agnes and the MPWN, started a MySpace page for them, developed a modest website for them and finally found a home for the MPWN at Agnes' Facebook page.
Over the last three years, we have sold approximately $10,000 in MPWN crafts for the women and raised thousands of people's consciousnesses regarding Agnes and the MPWN....but more needs to be done.
And on this World AIDS Day, 1 Dec 2010 - eight years from the start of "The Heart of America" tour - Agnes and the MPWN will launch a new venture that YOU ARE INVITED TO JOIN IN.
Every month, Agnes Nyamayarwo and the women of the Mulago Positive Women's Network will be hosting LIVE interactive online forums at the link below. You will be able to join them in their forum and hear them speak DIRECTLY TO YOU about their daily lives, their needs and their hopes for the future.
You will be able to ask them questions and each month they will feature a different craft item that they make and demonstrate to you exactly how that craft item is made!
It is a BRILLIANT, low-cost way to connect people around the world who support the empowerment of some of the world's poorest women by allowing them control of technology which can vastly improve their lives.
The broadcast will be live between 10:00am - 12:00pm EST on 1 Dec 2010 at this link:
http://www.asitainformatica.com/events/agemofanidea/login.htm
PLEASE JOIN US ON WORLD AIDS DAY as we once again hear from the woman who inspired a movement - Agnes Nyamayarwo of Uganda and members of the MPWN. It is an event that you don't want to miss.
Bono and Agnes at the Lied Center, 1 December 2002, Lincoln Nebraska, at the start of "The Heart of America" tour
Bono and Agnes, May 2004, at the rally which started
the ONE Campaign, Philadelphia PA
Bono's handwritten endorsement given to me by Bono with a big smile on his face in Sept 2009, Chicago Illinois, for our activities for Agnes Nyamayarwo and the MPWN
by Deborah Kreuser ♫ worldview_14@yahoo.com
Sunday, 3 October 2010
FOR BONO: Vision Over Visibility
Posted: October 3, 2010
As I write this, the European leg of the 360 tour is less than a week away in Rome. It has been a wild and wonderful two months of music and magic from U2. The band should come away from this time on tour VERY PROUD of themselves - after some initial concern from a lot of the media and their fans, U2 rebounded from concerns over Bono's back problems and the band's solidity to impress all of us with their COMPLETE MASTERY of their music and the stage. Kudos once more to this band of musicians who have been at the TOP of the music industry for almost thirty years and have yet to show major signs of growing tired of doing the one thing that they will be most remembered for: sharing their incredible music with all the world.
Now it's two months of rest and relaxation for U2 before they return to Australia for several concerts in December to finish out the year. And you never know - there might even be an album release in the near future too. Whatever they do and wherever they go, I hope that U2 will always know that they take a piece of our hearts with them.
---------------------------------------------------------------
This said, I did notice with some consternation this piece in the Irish Times with a purported quote by Steve Lilywhite, which he has since stated was taken out of context:
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/1002/1224280191478.html
I simply don't know what to make of Lilywhite's purported statements except to say that I vehemently DISAGREE with them. NLOTH has become one of those U2 albums, like UF or JT, that I can put on and listen to until completion and never get tired of. It is one of U2's "concept" albums and I think that it works just fine that way. It expresses what U2 was going through emotionally, both as a group and individually, a few years ago and there is nothing wrong with that.
That is the way U2 creates its BEST music - fashioning music around an idea and allowing what's inside of them to appear on a CD. It's what Bono means when he says that U2's music attempts to "reveal, rather than conceal". It's Bono's "open heart surgery" at its finest - and it's what made U2 the pre-eminent rock influence in the music industry for decades.
Forgive me, Steve - but I don't see where NLOTH was a failure at all. It was one of the TOP money grossing albums of 2009 ( #7 biggest selling album around the world that year) and spurred the TOP grossing music tour of that same year! To me, that seems like something to CONGRATULATE U2 for - not disparage them about.
If there was a drawback at all about NLOTH, it was in the lukewarm reception that it received from some in the media and from some"purist" U2 fans. You know the ones - the people that want to see U2 boxed into a corner and playing their "greatest hits" when they are 70 years old; those who think that U2 can not grow or should not expand their musical horizons - THOSE ones.
Let me remind them, and Mr. Lilywhite too if necessary, that what makes U2 the band that they are today is exactly their willingness to expand their musical horizons, to "f*ck up the mainstream" as Bono says in order to find something new, something true, to themselves and their fans. This aspect of U2 is what makes their music so special and so beloved by millions of fans around the world.
It also sells millions of albums too, Steve.
Lilywhite is sadly correct about NLOTH in one respect - its North African flavor and Islamic overtones probably did not sit well with some narrow-minded fans within the international U2 community. Bigotry is a hard concept to root out of people's psyches.
But the day that U2 begins to worry about what will "sell" with the public over what sort of music will redeem their souls is the day that U2 will begin to lose its relevance to our lives. For what makes U2 great is their ability to OPEN our hearts and minds - and NOT to close them.
Those who could not accept the exquisite beauty of NLOTH because of its connections to Morocco are NOT the sort of people who reflect the BEST of what the U2 community can be and thus their lack of support of NLOTH is NOT missed by the rest of us.
It is simply antithetical to all that U2 have stood for for over thirty years as a band and as individuals to grovel in the dirt of bigotry and small-mindedness. We are better off without them!
In my opinion, NLOTH will go down as one of U2's BEST albums. At least it will to those who search for music that has an eternal spirit that soars in it. ~ MAGNIFICENT, U2!!
NLOTH was not the first time that U2 visited Morocco
by Deborah Kreuser ♫ worldview_14@yahoo.com
Posted: October 3, 2010
As I write this, the European leg of the 360 tour is less than a week away in Rome. It has been a wild and wonderful two months of music and magic from U2. The band should come away from this time on tour VERY PROUD of themselves - after some initial concern from a lot of the media and their fans, U2 rebounded from concerns over Bono's back problems and the band's solidity to impress all of us with their COMPLETE MASTERY of their music and the stage. Kudos once more to this band of musicians who have been at the TOP of the music industry for almost thirty years and have yet to show major signs of growing tired of doing the one thing that they will be most remembered for: sharing their incredible music with all the world.
Now it's two months of rest and relaxation for U2 before they return to Australia for several concerts in December to finish out the year. And you never know - there might even be an album release in the near future too. Whatever they do and wherever they go, I hope that U2 will always know that they take a piece of our hearts with them.
---------------------------------------------------------------
This said, I did notice with some consternation this piece in the Irish Times with a purported quote by Steve Lilywhite, which he has since stated was taken out of context:
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/1002/1224280191478.html
I simply don't know what to make of Lilywhite's purported statements except to say that I vehemently DISAGREE with them. NLOTH has become one of those U2 albums, like UF or JT, that I can put on and listen to until completion and never get tired of. It is one of U2's "concept" albums and I think that it works just fine that way. It expresses what U2 was going through emotionally, both as a group and individually, a few years ago and there is nothing wrong with that.
That is the way U2 creates its BEST music - fashioning music around an idea and allowing what's inside of them to appear on a CD. It's what Bono means when he says that U2's music attempts to "reveal, rather than conceal". It's Bono's "open heart surgery" at its finest - and it's what made U2 the pre-eminent rock influence in the music industry for decades.
Forgive me, Steve - but I don't see where NLOTH was a failure at all. It was one of the TOP money grossing albums of 2009 ( #7 biggest selling album around the world that year) and spurred the TOP grossing music tour of that same year! To me, that seems like something to CONGRATULATE U2 for - not disparage them about.
If there was a drawback at all about NLOTH, it was in the lukewarm reception that it received from some in the media and from some"purist" U2 fans. You know the ones - the people that want to see U2 boxed into a corner and playing their "greatest hits" when they are 70 years old; those who think that U2 can not grow or should not expand their musical horizons - THOSE ones.
Let me remind them, and Mr. Lilywhite too if necessary, that what makes U2 the band that they are today is exactly their willingness to expand their musical horizons, to "f*ck up the mainstream" as Bono says in order to find something new, something true, to themselves and their fans. This aspect of U2 is what makes their music so special and so beloved by millions of fans around the world.
It also sells millions of albums too, Steve.
Lilywhite is sadly correct about NLOTH in one respect - its North African flavor and Islamic overtones probably did not sit well with some narrow-minded fans within the international U2 community. Bigotry is a hard concept to root out of people's psyches.
But the day that U2 begins to worry about what will "sell" with the public over what sort of music will redeem their souls is the day that U2 will begin to lose its relevance to our lives. For what makes U2 great is their ability to OPEN our hearts and minds - and NOT to close them.
Those who could not accept the exquisite beauty of NLOTH because of its connections to Morocco are NOT the sort of people who reflect the BEST of what the U2 community can be and thus their lack of support of NLOTH is NOT missed by the rest of us.
It is simply antithetical to all that U2 have stood for for over thirty years as a band and as individuals to grovel in the dirt of bigotry and small-mindedness. We are better off without them!
In my opinion, NLOTH will go down as one of U2's BEST albums. At least it will to those who search for music that has an eternal spirit that soars in it. ~ MAGNIFICENT, U2!!
NLOTH was not the first time that U2 visited Morocco
by Deborah Kreuser ♫ worldview_14@yahoo.com
Friday, 24 September 2010
Update - August 24, 2010
FOR BONO - "Vison Over Visibility"
This past week I had a real "Bono" moment....or at least that's what it felt like.
I lost my mother to a twenty year old battle with diabetes in the early hours of 17 August - the birthday of Bono's oldest son Eli. She was 82 years old and had spent the last thirteen years of her life in a nursing home due to the fact that she had suffered two diabetic strokes which left her completely paralyzed from the neck down except for the use of her right hand.
My mother passed away at 4:00 am (the same hour I was born at) as she battled to stay alive in a hospital bed. She had degenerative diabetes for years & the disease compromised her kidney function so bad that she couldn't filter out the toxins & excess liquid out of her body sufficiently which led to continual UTI's (Urinary Tract Infections) and congested heart failures - which finally took her life.
My only solace in all this is that I had gone back home to spend a week with her last month. My mother lived in a nursing home over 1,000 miles away from me so I only got the chance to see her once a year.
I gave my mother the BEST week that we've had together in many years. Something inside of me KNEW that her time on earth was almost up & I wanted to give her the chance, from her wheelchair, to experience as many of the pleasures of her life as she could before the end.
We went out to eat several times so that she could have the chance to sample her favorite foods again - potato salad, fried shrimp, fresh fruit & CHEESECAKE. I took her for a few walks outside so that she could feel the warmth of the sun and the wind in her face, smell the flowers and freshly cut grass and listen to the sounds of everyday life on this planet - children playing, dogs barking, birds singing.
During this entire process, I kept the memory of Bono spending the last few weeks of his father's life together with him inside me. I knew that no matter what I was feeling inside, no matter how much I felt like crying or screaming, I had to be strong for my mother and to show her how much she meant to me. She was buried on 21 August - the 28th wedding anniversary of Bono & Ali and the ninth anniversary of the passing of Bob Hewson.
While I mourn my mother's passing (my father died years ago), there is a part of me which is happy that she is no longer in pain and is resting now. She made mistakes in life but she was a WONDERFUL woman - and a part of her will live on in me.
So, I leave you with several videos which should be familiar to every U2 fan and ask you to EMBRACE EACH MOMENT OF YOUR LIFE. Don't let it pass you by.
Thanks mom - you did the best that you could. You won't be forgotten. And THANK YOU, BONO, for helping me get from the darkness to the half-light - the light is almost here. ~
Video - Sometimes You Can't Make it On Your Own
by Deborah Kreuser ♫ worldview_14@yahoo.com
FOR BONO - "Vison Over Visibility"
This past week I had a real "Bono" moment....or at least that's what it felt like.
I lost my mother to a twenty year old battle with diabetes in the early hours of 17 August - the birthday of Bono's oldest son Eli. She was 82 years old and had spent the last thirteen years of her life in a nursing home due to the fact that she had suffered two diabetic strokes which left her completely paralyzed from the neck down except for the use of her right hand.
My mother passed away at 4:00 am (the same hour I was born at) as she battled to stay alive in a hospital bed. She had degenerative diabetes for years & the disease compromised her kidney function so bad that she couldn't filter out the toxins & excess liquid out of her body sufficiently which led to continual UTI's (Urinary Tract Infections) and congested heart failures - which finally took her life.
My only solace in all this is that I had gone back home to spend a week with her last month. My mother lived in a nursing home over 1,000 miles away from me so I only got the chance to see her once a year.
I gave my mother the BEST week that we've had together in many years. Something inside of me KNEW that her time on earth was almost up & I wanted to give her the chance, from her wheelchair, to experience as many of the pleasures of her life as she could before the end.
We went out to eat several times so that she could have the chance to sample her favorite foods again - potato salad, fried shrimp, fresh fruit & CHEESECAKE. I took her for a few walks outside so that she could feel the warmth of the sun and the wind in her face, smell the flowers and freshly cut grass and listen to the sounds of everyday life on this planet - children playing, dogs barking, birds singing.
During this entire process, I kept the memory of Bono spending the last few weeks of his father's life together with him inside me. I knew that no matter what I was feeling inside, no matter how much I felt like crying or screaming, I had to be strong for my mother and to show her how much she meant to me. She was buried on 21 August - the 28th wedding anniversary of Bono & Ali and the ninth anniversary of the passing of Bob Hewson.
While I mourn my mother's passing (my father died years ago), there is a part of me which is happy that she is no longer in pain and is resting now. She made mistakes in life but she was a WONDERFUL woman - and a part of her will live on in me.
So, I leave you with several videos which should be familiar to every U2 fan and ask you to EMBRACE EACH MOMENT OF YOUR LIFE. Don't let it pass you by.
Thanks mom - you did the best that you could. You won't be forgotten. And THANK YOU, BONO, for helping me get from the darkness to the half-light - the light is almost here. ~
Video - Sometimes You Can't Make it On Your Own
by Deborah Kreuser ♫ worldview_14@yahoo.com
Sunday, 8 August 2010
Update - August 3, 2010
FOR BONO: "Vision Over Visibility"
A Sort of Homecoming (for the 360 Tour)
This Friday, 6 August, sees the resumption of the 360 tour after almost a year's hiatus, due to Bono's back injury earlier this year. There is a lot of speculation about the changes that we will see onstage with U2 – new songs, new versions of familiar songs....and most importantly, how Bono's back will hold up under the pressure of constant touring.
As one of those who were greatly disappointed at the cancellation of the North American part of this year's 360 tour, I have mixed emotions about the return of the tour. The time away from the daily bombardment of U2 news has been very beneficial to me. It gave me time to reconnect with other forms of music that I love (like Reggae) and lead me to a love of my favorite album of this year - “Distant Relatives” by Nas and Damien Marley.
It also provided me with time to re-evaluate my personal life and the direction it should take after I lost a job in March. I went back to school for a bit of retraining and found a job within two weeks of my “graduation”. I now have the BEST job that I have had in several years!
In essence, the delay of the 360 tour gave me room in my life to “breathe” - to grow and develop who I am as a person and to take better control over my future. Hopefully, BONO WOULD BE PROUD of me....or at least I hope so.
HOLD ME, THRILL ME
So what does this all mean? I'm not sure. But I do think that we all have to begin to take a look at our priorities in life. Yes – U2 is the GREATEST Rock band of all time and I'm sure that they have another ten years or so left in them to perform and make magical music.
But one day it will all end – and we have to start preparing ourselves for that ending now so that when it comes, it is not overwhelming for us to deal with. I think that this attitude also helps the band members to accept the inevitable and to make the transitions in their life smoothly when the time comes.
So – WELCOME BACK, U2!! We missed you and we're glad that you're back. We'll enjoy the new songs and the new versions of familiar songs of yours that you'll perform.
But most importantly, we're simply glad to have you back with us. Let us all enjoy our time together but let us be aware that life is change and that one day we'll have to live our lives without you up onstage.
Instead of fighting the inevitable, let's all welcome the changes in front of us – and celebrate the fact that we witnessed “the last of the rock stars”. There will never be anyone quite like you, U2.
THANK YOU.
by Deborah Kreuser
worldview_14@yahoo.com
FOR BONO: "Vision Over Visibility"
A Sort of Homecoming (for the 360 Tour)
This Friday, 6 August, sees the resumption of the 360 tour after almost a year's hiatus, due to Bono's back injury earlier this year. There is a lot of speculation about the changes that we will see onstage with U2 – new songs, new versions of familiar songs....and most importantly, how Bono's back will hold up under the pressure of constant touring.
As one of those who were greatly disappointed at the cancellation of the North American part of this year's 360 tour, I have mixed emotions about the return of the tour. The time away from the daily bombardment of U2 news has been very beneficial to me. It gave me time to reconnect with other forms of music that I love (like Reggae) and lead me to a love of my favorite album of this year - “Distant Relatives” by Nas and Damien Marley.
It also provided me with time to re-evaluate my personal life and the direction it should take after I lost a job in March. I went back to school for a bit of retraining and found a job within two weeks of my “graduation”. I now have the BEST job that I have had in several years!
In essence, the delay of the 360 tour gave me room in my life to “breathe” - to grow and develop who I am as a person and to take better control over my future. Hopefully, BONO WOULD BE PROUD of me....or at least I hope so.
HOLD ME, THRILL ME
So what does this all mean? I'm not sure. But I do think that we all have to begin to take a look at our priorities in life. Yes – U2 is the GREATEST Rock band of all time and I'm sure that they have another ten years or so left in them to perform and make magical music.
But one day it will all end – and we have to start preparing ourselves for that ending now so that when it comes, it is not overwhelming for us to deal with. I think that this attitude also helps the band members to accept the inevitable and to make the transitions in their life smoothly when the time comes.
So – WELCOME BACK, U2!! We missed you and we're glad that you're back. We'll enjoy the new songs and the new versions of familiar songs of yours that you'll perform.
But most importantly, we're simply glad to have you back with us. Let us all enjoy our time together but let us be aware that life is change and that one day we'll have to live our lives without you up onstage.
Instead of fighting the inevitable, let's all welcome the changes in front of us – and celebrate the fact that we witnessed “the last of the rock stars”. There will never be anyone quite like you, U2.
THANK YOU.
by Deborah Kreuser
worldview_14@yahoo.com
Friday, 16 July 2010
July 16 (Update July 13)
FOR BONO: Vision Over Visibility
THE CONCERT THAT CHANGED THE WORLD
This Tuesday, 13 July 2010, is the 25th anniversary of an event which changed my life for good & forever - the 1985 Live Aid concert. If you don't really remember that historic day & the concerts which were a part of Live Aid, here is a Wikipedia refresher for you:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_Aid
There were two musical performances at the Live Aid concert in Wembly Stadium (London) which I still carry in my heart to this day. Both are captu(red) in the videos below. The first one was the amazing performance of Queen, especially the mesmerizing presence of their lead singer, the late Freddie Mercury. From "Bohemian Rhapsody" to "Radio GaGa" to "We are the Champions" - Freddie Mercury took firm control of the audience that day and showed us the POWER inherent inside of us when we come together AS ONE to make a positive change in the world - whether we are inside a stadium or in the voting booth.
The second performance of that day which will always stay with me is the absolutely BRILLIANT performance of a young U2, headed by a 25 yr old Bono. The band just finishing up their "Unforgettable Fire" world tour was excited about being a part of this important day. They originally were scheduled to perform three songs: "Sunday, Bloody Sunday", "Bad" and "Pride: In the Name of Love". But, as is often the case with U2, things changed once they were up onstage.
After a rousing performance of "Sunday, Bloody Sunday", the band started to perform "Bad". Midway through the song, something changed. Perhaps in an attempt to get a more enthusiastic response from the tens of thousands of people in the stadium, Bono began to come down off the main stage and closer to the audience. This attempt by Bono to "reach out" to those assembled in Wembly Stadium was met by an overwhelmingly positive reaction from the audience and they began to surge forward to "reach out" to him in response.
Bono noticed one petite girl in the crowd getting crushed by the onslaught of concert goers and motioned from the stage for the security personnel to rescue you from the crowd and to bring her to him. In the ensuing pandemonium that followed, the security personnel were having difficulty reaching the girl so, in what would become a giant LEAP OF FAITH in rock music history, Bono jumped down off the gigantic stage and onto the dirt of Wembly Stadium where he passionately embraced the young woman and danced with her for a minute before the cameras and TV sets of the world before giving her a kiss and returning to the stage to finish the song.
Bono has often mentioned in interviews throughout the following years that he & the band left the stage that day after their Live Aid appearance at Wembly Stadium feeling as if their appearance there had been a failure as they never got the chance to finish their original set and perform "Pride: In the Name of Love". The band was surprised when they learned the next day that their performance at Live Aid was being hailed as one of the highlights of the entire day-long, continent-spanning concert.
What will always be memorable about U2's performance at Live Aid, and especially of Bono's performance of "Bad", is his entire lack of pretense in front of the world as he attempted to reach out to one girl in a crowd of thousands to embrace her and to affirm her humanity - and, in so doing, embracing and affirming the humanity of the entire world through the power of the TV screen.
Bono may have held only one person in his arms for a brief minute but his willingness to give all of his heart to that moment in selfless compassion and kindness to her epitomized the spirit of the Live Aid concert.
It is a moment that I will never forget. It has changed me in ways that is hard to describe but it has made me a better person. ~ This is the power of U2 to change the world through changing our Hearts. ~ THANK YOU, BONO, for everything.
by Deborah Kreuser
♫ worldview_14@yahoo.com
FOR BONO: Vision Over Visibility
THE CONCERT THAT CHANGED THE WORLD
This Tuesday, 13 July 2010, is the 25th anniversary of an event which changed my life for good & forever - the 1985 Live Aid concert. If you don't really remember that historic day & the concerts which were a part of Live Aid, here is a Wikipedia refresher for you:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_Aid
There were two musical performances at the Live Aid concert in Wembly Stadium (London) which I still carry in my heart to this day. Both are captu(red) in the videos below. The first one was the amazing performance of Queen, especially the mesmerizing presence of their lead singer, the late Freddie Mercury. From "Bohemian Rhapsody" to "Radio GaGa" to "We are the Champions" - Freddie Mercury took firm control of the audience that day and showed us the POWER inherent inside of us when we come together AS ONE to make a positive change in the world - whether we are inside a stadium or in the voting booth.
The second performance of that day which will always stay with me is the absolutely BRILLIANT performance of a young U2, headed by a 25 yr old Bono. The band just finishing up their "Unforgettable Fire" world tour was excited about being a part of this important day. They originally were scheduled to perform three songs: "Sunday, Bloody Sunday", "Bad" and "Pride: In the Name of Love". But, as is often the case with U2, things changed once they were up onstage.
After a rousing performance of "Sunday, Bloody Sunday", the band started to perform "Bad". Midway through the song, something changed. Perhaps in an attempt to get a more enthusiastic response from the tens of thousands of people in the stadium, Bono began to come down off the main stage and closer to the audience. This attempt by Bono to "reach out" to those assembled in Wembly Stadium was met by an overwhelmingly positive reaction from the audience and they began to surge forward to "reach out" to him in response.
Bono noticed one petite girl in the crowd getting crushed by the onslaught of concert goers and motioned from the stage for the security personnel to rescue you from the crowd and to bring her to him. In the ensuing pandemonium that followed, the security personnel were having difficulty reaching the girl so, in what would become a giant LEAP OF FAITH in rock music history, Bono jumped down off the gigantic stage and onto the dirt of Wembly Stadium where he passionately embraced the young woman and danced with her for a minute before the cameras and TV sets of the world before giving her a kiss and returning to the stage to finish the song.
Bono has often mentioned in interviews throughout the following years that he & the band left the stage that day after their Live Aid appearance at Wembly Stadium feeling as if their appearance there had been a failure as they never got the chance to finish their original set and perform "Pride: In the Name of Love". The band was surprised when they learned the next day that their performance at Live Aid was being hailed as one of the highlights of the entire day-long, continent-spanning concert.
What will always be memorable about U2's performance at Live Aid, and especially of Bono's performance of "Bad", is his entire lack of pretense in front of the world as he attempted to reach out to one girl in a crowd of thousands to embrace her and to affirm her humanity - and, in so doing, embracing and affirming the humanity of the entire world through the power of the TV screen.
Bono may have held only one person in his arms for a brief minute but his willingness to give all of his heart to that moment in selfless compassion and kindness to her epitomized the spirit of the Live Aid concert.
It is a moment that I will never forget. It has changed me in ways that is hard to describe but it has made me a better person. ~ This is the power of U2 to change the world through changing our Hearts. ~ THANK YOU, BONO, for everything.
by Deborah Kreuser
♫ worldview_14@yahoo.com
Sunday, 27 June 2010
June 27, 2010
FOR BONO: Vision Over Visibility
Over the last month of Bono's recuperation and rehabilitation from his back surgery on 21 May, I have had a reprieve of daily U2 news. Personally, I have found this U2 "downtime" to be quite liberating, giving me the time and space to fill my days and light up my nights with other music.
Where I went on my musical journey is back to my roots - reggae music. This is the music which has been MOST INFLUENTIAL in my life. It was brought to me by Bob Marley, whom I was fortunate enough to see THREE times in concert in the 1970's before his passing. Bob brought me an awareness of Africa as a spiritual and cultural entity, whose presence continues in those living in the African diaspora around the world.
Brother Bob also brought me a sense of personal liberation in such songs as "Get Up, Stand Up", "Exodus", "I Know" and "Could You be Loved?". His exhortations to a world lost in a "sleepless slumber" resonated in my Heart and Soul and woke me up to the issues and troubles of poor people around the world.
Because no matter where you were in the world then, as now, people in the remotest places in the world know Bob Marley's music, sing Bob Marley's music and revere Bob Marley's music.
REDEMPTION SONGS
Since Bob's passing in 1981, I have followed his musical legacy as it has lived on through his children. All of them, to varying degrees, are involved with the music industry. Yet, three of Bob's sons - David (Ziggy), Stephen and Damien - have been the main forces keeping the Marley name and legacy alive musically.
Having seen the Marley brothers (David and Stephen) perform as "Ziggy Marley & the Melody Makers" in the 1980's and 1990's and then having seen the Marley brothers, including Damien, perform as the opening act for several U2 concerts in 2005, I knew what magic their appearance onstage brings.
Thus, when I heard that Damien Marley would be performing with hip-hop master, Nas, in my city on their "Distant Relatives" tour, I was excited. I had just heard this new release of theirs and their conscious lyrics of African pride and social justice reminded me so much of Bob's music, that I knew I had to go.
The opportunity was given to me and another person to volunteer at the concert that night for (RED) - www.joinred.com - as Damien & Nas had agreed to make their Austin concert a (RED)NIGHTS concert. This meant that a certain percentage of their profits from this show would be donated through (RED) to the Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa (www.theglobalfund.org).
(RED)NIGHTS
The concert was extraordinary. The music was loud and booming. Yet, the Marley presence was everywhere onstage as the young lion, the "Junior Gong" (Damien), sang lyrics which chastised & challenged the status quo yet left you with a feeling that things could be better. Damien's singing was completely complimented by Nas' adept rapping and dancing onstage. Together, the two of them gave a memorable performance and really bonded with their audience, which was GREAT to see.
We signed up a lot of people for (RED) and explained to them the connection of (RED) to Africa, especially with the current FIFA World Cup games in South Africa, and everybody was excited about the fact that they would be a part of saving people's lives in Africa from HIV/AIDS simply by attending this concert!
At the end of the evening, as people were exiting out of the venue, I got the chance to be backstage with Damien & Nas as they were taking photos with (RED)NIGHTS ticket holders.
I didn't know if I was going to be given an opportunity to say hello to the artists and to briefly share with Damien the TREMENDOUS impact that his father has had on my life (which was responsible for bringing me to his concert) or not.
After all the other photos were taken, one of Damien's entourage ( a man whom I had spoken with earlier in the evening about Bob Marley & his influence on my life) looked at me and called me to take a picture with the artists!
I briefly checked with everybody to make sure that this was alright and then stepped up next to Damien and Nas for a quick conversation and photo. It was a surreal moment for me - a moment blessed by the Almighty - and I will always be grateful for the chance to reconnect with the "Word, Sound, Power" of the music of my youth - given to me by the next generation of the Marley family.
by Deborah Kreuser - worldview_14@yahoo.com
FOR BONO: Vision Over Visibility
Over the last month of Bono's recuperation and rehabilitation from his back surgery on 21 May, I have had a reprieve of daily U2 news. Personally, I have found this U2 "downtime" to be quite liberating, giving me the time and space to fill my days and light up my nights with other music.
Where I went on my musical journey is back to my roots - reggae music. This is the music which has been MOST INFLUENTIAL in my life. It was brought to me by Bob Marley, whom I was fortunate enough to see THREE times in concert in the 1970's before his passing. Bob brought me an awareness of Africa as a spiritual and cultural entity, whose presence continues in those living in the African diaspora around the world.
Brother Bob also brought me a sense of personal liberation in such songs as "Get Up, Stand Up", "Exodus", "I Know" and "Could You be Loved?". His exhortations to a world lost in a "sleepless slumber" resonated in my Heart and Soul and woke me up to the issues and troubles of poor people around the world.
Because no matter where you were in the world then, as now, people in the remotest places in the world know Bob Marley's music, sing Bob Marley's music and revere Bob Marley's music.
REDEMPTION SONGS
Since Bob's passing in 1981, I have followed his musical legacy as it has lived on through his children. All of them, to varying degrees, are involved with the music industry. Yet, three of Bob's sons - David (Ziggy), Stephen and Damien - have been the main forces keeping the Marley name and legacy alive musically.
Having seen the Marley brothers (David and Stephen) perform as "Ziggy Marley & the Melody Makers" in the 1980's and 1990's and then having seen the Marley brothers, including Damien, perform as the opening act for several U2 concerts in 2005, I knew what magic their appearance onstage brings.
Thus, when I heard that Damien Marley would be performing with hip-hop master, Nas, in my city on their "Distant Relatives" tour, I was excited. I had just heard this new release of theirs and their conscious lyrics of African pride and social justice reminded me so much of Bob's music, that I knew I had to go.
The opportunity was given to me and another person to volunteer at the concert that night for (RED) - www.joinred.com - as Damien & Nas had agreed to make their Austin concert a (RED)NIGHTS concert. This meant that a certain percentage of their profits from this show would be donated through (RED) to the Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa (www.theglobalfund.org).
(RED)NIGHTS
The concert was extraordinary. The music was loud and booming. Yet, the Marley presence was everywhere onstage as the young lion, the "Junior Gong" (Damien), sang lyrics which chastised & challenged the status quo yet left you with a feeling that things could be better. Damien's singing was completely complimented by Nas' adept rapping and dancing onstage. Together, the two of them gave a memorable performance and really bonded with their audience, which was GREAT to see.
We signed up a lot of people for (RED) and explained to them the connection of (RED) to Africa, especially with the current FIFA World Cup games in South Africa, and everybody was excited about the fact that they would be a part of saving people's lives in Africa from HIV/AIDS simply by attending this concert!
At the end of the evening, as people were exiting out of the venue, I got the chance to be backstage with Damien & Nas as they were taking photos with (RED)NIGHTS ticket holders.
I didn't know if I was going to be given an opportunity to say hello to the artists and to briefly share with Damien the TREMENDOUS impact that his father has had on my life (which was responsible for bringing me to his concert) or not.
After all the other photos were taken, one of Damien's entourage ( a man whom I had spoken with earlier in the evening about Bob Marley & his influence on my life) looked at me and called me to take a picture with the artists!
I briefly checked with everybody to make sure that this was alright and then stepped up next to Damien and Nas for a quick conversation and photo. It was a surreal moment for me - a moment blessed by the Almighty - and I will always be grateful for the chance to reconnect with the "Word, Sound, Power" of the music of my youth - given to me by the next generation of the Marley family.
by Deborah Kreuser - worldview_14@yahoo.com
Sunday, 11 April 2010
February 8, 2010
FOR BONO: Vision Over Visibility - Update February 8, 2010
In my last column, I talked a bit about why it's so great to be a U2 fan or follower. I detailed a bit about the memorable music and awesome stage tours that U2 have given us over the last thirty years.
I went on to describe the great sense of community that exists within the U2 fanbase and of how that sense of community leads many U2 fans/followers into social activism that often is endorsed by the band.
As an example of this, I would like to share my memories of a VERY SPECIAL event that took place two years ago this weekend - the (AUCTION) RED fundraiser for the Global Fund (www.theglobalfund.org) spearheaded by Bono and Damien Hirst.
(AUCTION)RED
When I first heard of a proposed art auction to take place at Sotheby's in NYC to benefit the Global Fund through (RED), the consumer oriented idea of Bono's to use the marketplace as a vehicle to raise much-needed funds for the fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa, I thought that it was a brilliant idea and something that could only come from the creative imagination of Bono.
At the time, I was employed in an Art Museum and thus knew a lot about the artists that were a part of (AUCTION) RED from Jasper Johns to Jeff Koons to Murakawa and Damien Hirst. So the idea of combining what I did for a living with my social activism for Africa was just too good to pass up - I had to go to NYC to be a part of this historic event. So I prepared for this trip which I would take with a close friend and went to NYC arriving there on 12 February - two days before the Valentine's Day auction for (RED).
The next day we went to see the (Auction) RED art exhibit at the Gagosian Gallery. We would later find out that we missed Bono and Damien Hirst at the Gagosian for a TV interview by just two hours. At least we knew that they were close by.
The next day was Valentine's Day - the day of the art auction at Sotheby's. It was a bitterly cold day with temperatures falling to near zero degrees but everyone's hearts at Sotheby's were warm with the spirit of excitement for what good would come out of (AUCTION) RED.
There were about a hundred of us as we stood outside the Gagosian watching the celebrities and artists walk into Sotheby's. Guggi and Gavin Friday were there as well as Michael Stipe and Helena Christensen. But it was the arrival of Bono and Ali Hewson which sent a ripple of electricity through the crowd and ignited our enthusiasm.
As the auction was ending, I was desperate to know how much money was raised by (AUCTION) RED. A Sotheby's employee came outside long enough to let us know that $42 MILLION had been raised that night to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa! I was ecstatic and could not hold back my gratitude for all the artists who had donated their art work to benefit the Global Fund.
I expressed this gratitude directly to Damien Hirst as he came out of Sotheby's, virtually unknown by the majority of people gathered there to catch a glimpse of Bono. He was so moved by my sincere expression of gratitude for all that he had done to make (AUCTION) RED the success that it was that he took my Sotheby's bag and drew one of his infamous skulls on it! Then he signed my bag "With Love, Damien Hirst" and quickly escaped the cold night in the warm comfort of his vehicle.
Other notable people that I met that night included Prof. Jeff Sachs who actually was quite personable and friendly and, of course, Bono, who was in a particularly good mood after the tremendous success of (AUCTION) RED.
We would leave NYC the following day after a chance meeting with Bono as he was leaving his place at the San Remo. We knew something good would happen that day as we were walking in Central Park and three little birds flew right in front of us.
CONCLUSION
These are just a few of the reasons why being a U2 fan/follower is so great. In my next entry in two weeks, I'll share a bit about another way that I support Bono's activities for Africa. Until then, take good care of each other and please continue to remember Haiti with your prayers...and your pocketbooks.
by Deborah Kreuser - worldview_14@yahoo.com
In my last column, I talked a bit about why it's so great to be a U2 fan or follower. I detailed a bit about the memorable music and awesome stage tours that U2 have given us over the last thirty years.
I went on to describe the great sense of community that exists within the U2 fanbase and of how that sense of community leads many U2 fans/followers into social activism that often is endorsed by the band.
As an example of this, I would like to share my memories of a VERY SPECIAL event that took place two years ago this weekend - the (AUCTION) RED fundraiser for the Global Fund (www.theglobalfund.org) spearheaded by Bono and Damien Hirst.
(AUCTION)RED
When I first heard of a proposed art auction to take place at Sotheby's in NYC to benefit the Global Fund through (RED), the consumer oriented idea of Bono's to use the marketplace as a vehicle to raise much-needed funds for the fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa, I thought that it was a brilliant idea and something that could only come from the creative imagination of Bono.
At the time, I was employed in an Art Museum and thus knew a lot about the artists that were a part of (AUCTION) RED from Jasper Johns to Jeff Koons to Murakawa and Damien Hirst. So the idea of combining what I did for a living with my social activism for Africa was just too good to pass up - I had to go to NYC to be a part of this historic event. So I prepared for this trip which I would take with a close friend and went to NYC arriving there on 12 February - two days before the Valentine's Day auction for (RED).
The next day we went to see the (Auction) RED art exhibit at the Gagosian Gallery. We would later find out that we missed Bono and Damien Hirst at the Gagosian for a TV interview by just two hours. At least we knew that they were close by.
The next day was Valentine's Day - the day of the art auction at Sotheby's. It was a bitterly cold day with temperatures falling to near zero degrees but everyone's hearts at Sotheby's were warm with the spirit of excitement for what good would come out of (AUCTION) RED.
There were about a hundred of us as we stood outside the Gagosian watching the celebrities and artists walk into Sotheby's. Guggi and Gavin Friday were there as well as Michael Stipe and Helena Christensen. But it was the arrival of Bono and Ali Hewson which sent a ripple of electricity through the crowd and ignited our enthusiasm.
As the auction was ending, I was desperate to know how much money was raised by (AUCTION) RED. A Sotheby's employee came outside long enough to let us know that $42 MILLION had been raised that night to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa! I was ecstatic and could not hold back my gratitude for all the artists who had donated their art work to benefit the Global Fund.
I expressed this gratitude directly to Damien Hirst as he came out of Sotheby's, virtually unknown by the majority of people gathered there to catch a glimpse of Bono. He was so moved by my sincere expression of gratitude for all that he had done to make (AUCTION) RED the success that it was that he took my Sotheby's bag and drew one of his infamous skulls on it! Then he signed my bag "With Love, Damien Hirst" and quickly escaped the cold night in the warm comfort of his vehicle.
Other notable people that I met that night included Prof. Jeff Sachs who actually was quite personable and friendly and, of course, Bono, who was in a particularly good mood after the tremendous success of (AUCTION) RED.
We would leave NYC the following day after a chance meeting with Bono as he was leaving his place at the San Remo. We knew something good would happen that day as we were walking in Central Park and three little birds flew right in front of us.
CONCLUSION
These are just a few of the reasons why being a U2 fan/follower is so great. In my next entry in two weeks, I'll share a bit about another way that I support Bono's activities for Africa. Until then, take good care of each other and please continue to remember Haiti with your prayers...and your pocketbooks.
by Deborah Kreuser - worldview_14@yahoo.com
January 31, 2010
FOR BONO: Vision Over Visibility- Update January 31, 2010
As I write this, the Grammy Awards show is on and U2 have so far won nothing. If they do not win for "Best Rock Album" of the year, it will be a shame. NLOTH is one of the most original & creative albums to come out in years and maybe U2's best "themed" album since "The Joshua Tree".
If U2 do not win this award - they should. They stand far above the dribble that I am seeing tonight at the Grammies parading itself as "music". U2 have NOTHING to apologize for or feel embarassed about in NLOTH.
True genius and real talent are often not appreciated at first but the test of time reveals which music is meaningful and eternal. Such it is with U2. KUDOS to them!
-------------------------------------------------------
There are a lot of reasons why it's so GREAT to be a U2 "fan" but it's often hard to put these reasons into words. That's because much of what we love about U2 emanates from the FEELINGS that their music evokes in us - and feelings can be hard to put into words (just ask Bono).
First, there's their music. It's big, bold and beautiful, yet amazingly intimate and personal. Every song that U2 have ever written or performed have come out of a frame of experience for them, whether direct or indirect. Since "Boy", U2 have chosen to take on the "big ideas" of the human experience - love, loss, alienation, redemption, etc - and along the way found an international audience thirsting for music that was more than what they heard on the radio.
Along with their glorious music, U2 have also given us tremendous productions that will probably go down in rock music history as being some of the most elaborate and engaging uses of stage presence ever. From the "Boy" backdrop to the Zoo TV trabants, from the POP Lemon to the current "Claw", U2 in concert is as visual an experience as it is an audio one.
Next to their tremendous compendium of music over the last thirty years, U2 have given us who follow them a sense of community - of belonging to something greater than ourselves. U2 have always sought to break down the barriers between themselves and their audience as they also hoped that their music would break down the barriers that existed within their fanbase.
And in many respects, they have been successful in that endeavor. U2 have brought together their fans and followers from around the world into a truly international community of people who not only support the band but also support the band's social "causes". This has woven the U2 fanbase into a very unique phenomenon unlike any other that I can think of.
As an example of this, I will end this column with a video that I think completely demonstrates the uniqueness of the U2 experience. It is U2's performance of "New Year's Day" at their Chorzow concert in Poland last August. If this video doesn't send chills up your spine and put a smile on your face, then you probably are not the sort of U2 person that I'm speaking of in this column.
Green Day have just won the "Best Rock Album" of the Year which means no respect for NLOTH or U2 at this year's Grammies. Their loss, not U2's.
See y'all in two weeks to complete my ideas on why it's so GREAT to be a U2 fan.
Please continue to remember Haiti with your prayers....and your pocketbooks.
ONLY LOVE, debbie :) worldview_14@yahoo.com
As I write this, the Grammy Awards show is on and U2 have so far won nothing. If they do not win for "Best Rock Album" of the year, it will be a shame. NLOTH is one of the most original & creative albums to come out in years and maybe U2's best "themed" album since "The Joshua Tree".
If U2 do not win this award - they should. They stand far above the dribble that I am seeing tonight at the Grammies parading itself as "music". U2 have NOTHING to apologize for or feel embarassed about in NLOTH.
True genius and real talent are often not appreciated at first but the test of time reveals which music is meaningful and eternal. Such it is with U2. KUDOS to them!
-------------------------------------------------------
There are a lot of reasons why it's so GREAT to be a U2 "fan" but it's often hard to put these reasons into words. That's because much of what we love about U2 emanates from the FEELINGS that their music evokes in us - and feelings can be hard to put into words (just ask Bono).
First, there's their music. It's big, bold and beautiful, yet amazingly intimate and personal. Every song that U2 have ever written or performed have come out of a frame of experience for them, whether direct or indirect. Since "Boy", U2 have chosen to take on the "big ideas" of the human experience - love, loss, alienation, redemption, etc - and along the way found an international audience thirsting for music that was more than what they heard on the radio.
Along with their glorious music, U2 have also given us tremendous productions that will probably go down in rock music history as being some of the most elaborate and engaging uses of stage presence ever. From the "Boy" backdrop to the Zoo TV trabants, from the POP Lemon to the current "Claw", U2 in concert is as visual an experience as it is an audio one.
Next to their tremendous compendium of music over the last thirty years, U2 have given us who follow them a sense of community - of belonging to something greater than ourselves. U2 have always sought to break down the barriers between themselves and their audience as they also hoped that their music would break down the barriers that existed within their fanbase.
And in many respects, they have been successful in that endeavor. U2 have brought together their fans and followers from around the world into a truly international community of people who not only support the band but also support the band's social "causes". This has woven the U2 fanbase into a very unique phenomenon unlike any other that I can think of.
As an example of this, I will end this column with a video that I think completely demonstrates the uniqueness of the U2 experience. It is U2's performance of "New Year's Day" at their Chorzow concert in Poland last August. If this video doesn't send chills up your spine and put a smile on your face, then you probably are not the sort of U2 person that I'm speaking of in this column.
Green Day have just won the "Best Rock Album" of the Year which means no respect for NLOTH or U2 at this year's Grammies. Their loss, not U2's.
See y'all in two weeks to complete my ideas on why it's so GREAT to be a U2 fan.
Please continue to remember Haiti with your prayers....and your pocketbooks.
ONLY LOVE, debbie :) worldview_14@yahoo.com
Sunday, 17 January 2010
January 17, 2010
"FOR BONO: VISION OVER VISIBILITY"
On Monday, 18 January, the U.S. will celebrate its national holiday for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. U2 have a well-known association with the legacy of Dr. King which goes beyond their songs "PRIDE: In the Name of Love" and "MLK" or Bono's exhortations onstage during the Vertigo Tour alluding that Dr. King's Dream was also an "African Dream".
Last year during the MLK Holiday weekend, U2 performed on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to celebrate the impending U.S. Presidency of Barack Obama.
One of my alltime favorite U2 stories comes out of U2's outspoken support for the establishment of a national holiday in the USA to honor Dr. King during their Joshua Tree tour.
Bono was especially vocerifous in his support of this idea and soon began to receive anonymous death threats because of it. One night, before a concert in Los Angeles, a threat was received by the band that if they performed the song "PRIDE" then Bono's life was in danger.
True to their beliefs, U2 decided to perform the song that night. While singing the song onstage, a strange spirit overtook Bono and he knelt down at the front of the stage, eyes closed. At that moment, Bono was not sure what would happen to him. When he opened his eyes, he saw Adam standing over him, protecting Bono from any potential threat to his life. This is how Bono recalled the incident:
"Now we get all kinds of racist jibes because we wrote a song for Martin Luther King, or pinko jibes because we did the Amnesty International Tour. Wherever you look we're a target for the loony fringe. So the second night, we're on stage and I'm singing "Pride" thinking 'If someone is going to do it it will be during this number.' So I crouched down on the stage, shut my eyes and for a moment the thought of death crossed my mind. When I looked up I just saw Adam standing over me, between me and the crowd. It was a good, good moment."
Bono's personal relationship with Dr. King's legacy goes back all the way to his childhood. Dr King was one of Bono's earliest heroes and a main influence on his life. Dr King's philosophy of nonviolent resistance to injustice, gleamed from Mohandas Gandhi's ideas, captured Bono's imagination. Growing up in the time of the social turbulence known as "The Troubles" in Ireland, the ideas of nonviolence and compassion toward those who despised you as described by Dr. King greatly molded the person that Bono would become.
BONO AT THE KING CENTER
In January 2004, Bono was invited to The King Center in Atlanta to receive their "Salute to Greatness" Award for his lifelong commitment to Dr. King's Legacy and for his humanitarian activities, especially his advocacy for Africa. I was there that day in Atlanta and spent it following Bono's activities as a contributing reporter at the time for a U2 fansite.
Bono met in the morning with local community HIV/AIDS activists from the Atlanta area and then visited Dr. King's gravesite in the afternoon along with Rep. John Lewis, one of Dr. King's close personal friends and student activist during the Civil Rights Movement. Together, they would lay a big bouquet of white roses at the foot of Dr. King's grave.
Before the actual dinner and award presentation at night, Bono participated in a news conference with Coretta Scott King and otherswho would be present at the Awards ceremony that night. I was privileged to have attended that news conference and I will never forget it.
The closeness between Coretta Scott King and Bono was obvious. They were comfortable in each other's presence. They laughed and enjoyed each other. Coretta called Bono her "son" and Bono exclaimed how good it felt to have a mother again.
It was a TRULY memorable moment that few people got the chance to witness - and I was one of them.
The rest of the day and Bono's amazing speech at the Awards ceremony that evening are chronicled in the link below. It TRULY did feel like "A Sort of Homecoming" for Bono at The King Center that night:
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=73273191&blogId=217569252
In my next blog entry in two weeks, I'll share some of my ideas of why it's so great to be a U2 "fan". Until then, take good care of each other and please remember the People of Haiti with your prayers....and your pocketbook.
ONLY LOVE, debbie :) worldview_14@yahoo.com
On Monday, 18 January, the U.S. will celebrate its national holiday for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. U2 have a well-known association with the legacy of Dr. King which goes beyond their songs "PRIDE: In the Name of Love" and "MLK" or Bono's exhortations onstage during the Vertigo Tour alluding that Dr. King's Dream was also an "African Dream".
Last year during the MLK Holiday weekend, U2 performed on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to celebrate the impending U.S. Presidency of Barack Obama.
One of my alltime favorite U2 stories comes out of U2's outspoken support for the establishment of a national holiday in the USA to honor Dr. King during their Joshua Tree tour.
Bono was especially vocerifous in his support of this idea and soon began to receive anonymous death threats because of it. One night, before a concert in Los Angeles, a threat was received by the band that if they performed the song "PRIDE" then Bono's life was in danger.
True to their beliefs, U2 decided to perform the song that night. While singing the song onstage, a strange spirit overtook Bono and he knelt down at the front of the stage, eyes closed. At that moment, Bono was not sure what would happen to him. When he opened his eyes, he saw Adam standing over him, protecting Bono from any potential threat to his life. This is how Bono recalled the incident:
"Now we get all kinds of racist jibes because we wrote a song for Martin Luther King, or pinko jibes because we did the Amnesty International Tour. Wherever you look we're a target for the loony fringe. So the second night, we're on stage and I'm singing "Pride" thinking 'If someone is going to do it it will be during this number.' So I crouched down on the stage, shut my eyes and for a moment the thought of death crossed my mind. When I looked up I just saw Adam standing over me, between me and the crowd. It was a good, good moment."
Bono's personal relationship with Dr. King's legacy goes back all the way to his childhood. Dr King was one of Bono's earliest heroes and a main influence on his life. Dr King's philosophy of nonviolent resistance to injustice, gleamed from Mohandas Gandhi's ideas, captured Bono's imagination. Growing up in the time of the social turbulence known as "The Troubles" in Ireland, the ideas of nonviolence and compassion toward those who despised you as described by Dr. King greatly molded the person that Bono would become.
BONO AT THE KING CENTERIn January 2004, Bono was invited to The King Center in Atlanta to receive their "Salute to Greatness" Award for his lifelong commitment to Dr. King's Legacy and for his humanitarian activities, especially his advocacy for Africa. I was there that day in Atlanta and spent it following Bono's activities as a contributing reporter at the time for a U2 fansite.
Bono met in the morning with local community HIV/AIDS activists from the Atlanta area and then visited Dr. King's gravesite in the afternoon along with Rep. John Lewis, one of Dr. King's close personal friends and student activist during the Civil Rights Movement. Together, they would lay a big bouquet of white roses at the foot of Dr. King's grave.
Before the actual dinner and award presentation at night, Bono participated in a news conference with Coretta Scott King and otherswho would be present at the Awards ceremony that night. I was privileged to have attended that news conference and I will never forget it.The closeness between Coretta Scott King and Bono was obvious. They were comfortable in each other's presence. They laughed and enjoyed each other. Coretta called Bono her "son" and Bono exclaimed how good it felt to have a mother again.
It was a TRULY memorable moment that few people got the chance to witness - and I was one of them.
The rest of the day and Bono's amazing speech at the Awards ceremony that evening are chronicled in the link below. It TRULY did feel like "A Sort of Homecoming" for Bono at The King Center that night:
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=73273191&blogId=217569252
In my next blog entry in two weeks, I'll share some of my ideas of why it's so great to be a U2 "fan". Until then, take good care of each other and please remember the People of Haiti with your prayers....and your pocketbook.
ONLY LOVE, debbie :) worldview_14@yahoo.com
January 2, 2010
"FOR BONO: VISION OVER VISIBILITY"Hello, hello! This is the first entry of many that I will write for this column in "Edge's Blog" devoted to all things U2 - their music, their spirituality and their social activism. It is entitled "FOR BONO: VISION OVER VISIBILITY" as I will endeavor to get to the heart of the subjects that I'll write about. I'll attempt to draw out into the light those aspects of U2 and of ourselves that are often invisible to our daily lives. Quite a lofty goal to aim for, I know, but if you don't aim high in life, how will you ever achieve your goals?
Let's start with an introduction: I have been a U2 follower for nearly thirty years. Being Bono's age, I have grown up parallel to U2, developing my own sense of spirituality and social activism very similarly to theirs. It has been a joyous journey so far with this band and I look forward to many more years of listening to and learning from their music.
Still, I am my own person and revolt against the idea of "fan worship". Having been able to meet several members of the band and having had the chance to spend some time in meetings talking with Bono, I have been able to get a much fuller appreciation of U2 as four individuals and less as one conglomerate whole....and I like it better that way.
I am also a social activist in my own right, starting out with African "causes" as far back as June 1976 - three months before Larry ever put up that infamous note on the Mt. Temple bulletin board for bandmates. So while I follow U2, I retain my own identity which is what I think they really like and respect in their fanbase.
While I love each member of U2 for their essential contributions to the band, Bono always has and always will be my favorite. From the first time that I saw him perform on the Tom Synder show in the USA in 1981, I knew that he was someone special. The optimism in his eyes, the hope in his words and the humility in the way that he lived his life offstage hooked me at an early age and has never let me go....And I hope it never will.
So this is me in several paragraphs. Not a complete introduction but enough for us to get started. I hope that you will feel free to leave your comments after each entry as I truly value what you have to say. Try to keep it positive, though. There's never a reason to be ugly with each other.
I'll be back in two weeks with a remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and of the wonderful day that Bono spent with Coretta Scott King at the King Center in Atlanta GA six years ago ....and I was there to report on it all. Until then, please enjoy this classic U2 video which gives us four essential words to live a peaceful and prosperous life by "I Will Begin Again". I will follow.
Living Positively, debbie :) - worldview_14@yahoo.com
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