Back in the Early 1990’s I owned a short-lived piece of equipment called a Laser Disc Player. The quality of sound and picture was amazing but alas the large discs soon replaced by the CD and went the way of vinyl. But during its brief existence I watched my favorite concert on disc, Paul Simon’s “Graceland Concert” more than a hundred times. Paul Simon violated a UN cultural boycott to let music take center stage. The group including Hugh Masekela, Miriam Makeba and Ladysmith Black Mambazo gave us a few hours of musical escape. Even protest songs like “Bring Back Nelson Mandela” combined hope and melody to lift the soul, not crush it.
It was a moment in time when hate and fear gave way to miraculous music and pure joy as the multi-raced crowd sang and danced and cheered together.
So if you ever tire of listening to politicians fear-mongering, calling each other names, lying about everything, banning books, infringing on your religious freedom and lining their pockets with your taxes while pretending to give a rat’s ass about you, hop on You Tube or pick up DVD and experience a moment of joy, something we could feel all the time if we were just not so afraid.