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June 27, 2008
Posted: 1700 GMT
LONDON, England — As double acts go, it’s a fairly unusual pairing: The freedom-fighting elder statesman and the scandal-hit songstress. But there’s no escaping the fact that Nelson Mandela shares top billing at his own 90th birthday party with Amy Winehouse. 
Amy Winehouse was one of the star acts of Mandela's birthday show.
 For each admirer who rushed into London’s Hyde Park on Friday to join Mandela for a star-studded tribute to his life, there was another simply there to see if the raven-haired singer would make it. “We’re not really here for Nelson Mandela at all, truth be told,” said Venetia Moore, who was among the first to lay down their tablecloth and soak up the pre-gig picnic atmosphere. “Amy Winehouse is the one we’re going to enjoy most.” While an appearance by Mandela — rarely in the spotlight since bowing out of public life five years ago — is undoubtedly a crowd pleaser, Winehouse, who has spent the past few days recovering from lung complications linked to a dissolute lifestyle, is just as big a draw. “We’re here to celebrate with South Africa’s greatest man and we’re proud to be with him here today,” says Mojaji Mogale, who hails from Soweto but now lives in the UK. “But I’m looking forward to Amy — you’ve got to respect her for standing up despite the condition she’s in.” There is, of course, very little to compare the two. Mandela’s 27 years in prison for resisting South Africa’s apartheid regime dwarf Winehouse’s own brushes with the law — tabloid-fodder incidents relating to a lifestyle that makes Mandela’s moderate regimen look positively monastic. There were minor parallels as both took to the stage. Just as Mandela initially appeared unsteady and perhaps incapable of addressing his audience, so did Winehouse. Yet both rose to the occasion and delivered a performance that packed punch. Winehouse, despite her considerable talent, may not however enjoy such a reception if she defies her expectations to celebrate her 90th birthday. And though she led the concert’s final performance, by the end of the evening it was clear who the real star of the show was. Said audience member Alicia Oduya: “Before I came I was distracted by the playlist, I didn’t really focus on what the concert was about. But it was very moving — I’m so honored to have been in the presence of such a great man.” Posted by: Barry Neild, CNN digital news producer |
 
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