African Heart

South Africa is certainly doing its best to instill in us a sense of hope and unity! Take this ad for instance, aired regularly on TV. Who doesn't get all positive after watching that!

And Saturday night's 46664 concert (broadcast semi-live*), with Johnny Clegg's true-blue African performance was another. Sure, we had Will Smith and a good few other internationals to draw the crowds, but when Johnny got going with his Zulu dance, his African-dust-in-your-shoes melodies and his heart-deep lyrics, it spoke to something in the crowd that the biggest international star couldn't.

It's at precisely that point in the concert that my soul asked "what are we trying to move to Australia for, when your heart is here?" - a hard question to answer. If I do live in a foreign land, I know that I will most likely choke up when an African rhythm, a bushveld documentary, a van der Merwe joke crosses my path.

But I aim to go armed with a marimba, a kalimba and a couple of African drums - secure in the knowledge that there are parts of me grown from veld and flesh that no adopted culture will ever remove.

Hey - besides, half of South Africa already lives there! :) We'll be alright...

*by semi-live I mean it's basically broadcast live, but just when you get to the interesting bits they throw in a 7-ad long ad break, returning you to the action just in time to see the crowd go wild after whatever you missed.... Aaah, Africa! :)