ABOUT 28 years after being blacklisted by the United Nations for performing in apartheid SA, Boney M vocalist Liz Mitchell again rocked huge crowds this weekend, at Sun City and Carnival City.
The 59-year-old lead singer of the popular Euro disco band admitted that her first performance at the venue was a "betrayal". She had been given honorary status as a "white" for the concert in 1983 - but was left red-faced when her trip drew widespread international criticism.
In an exclusive interview on Wednesday, Mitchell said she had been "tricked" into believing she was coming to "another" part of SA. Sun City was built in what used to be a homeland, Bophuthatswana. ''My first visit was a disaster. I was told the region is another part of SA. I was tricked into coming here because I have a habit of not checking where I am performing," she said.
The move resulted in Mitchell being blacklisted by the UN.
She said the blacklisting was later lifted after she negotiated and explained to UN officials how the trip had come about. "I did not enjoy my stay at all. I wept a lot because it interfered with my beliefs. I was very disturbed but this time it will be different," she said.
The legendary band has produced hits like Mary's Boy Child, Little Drummer Boy and Rivers of Babylon, and later released a Nelson Mandela-inspired song. Among her backing vocalists is her younger sister, Jacinth Mhende, who is married to a Zimbabwean. Mitchell was also accompanied by her manager and husband of 32 years Thomas Pemberton.
Mitchell was born in Jamaica and grew up in the UK. She joined Boney M while working on a musical production in Germany in 1976. Boney M will also perform at the Grand West Arena in Cape Town on Tuesday.
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