Posted by Goto2010|Monday 12 July 2010|Goto2010|
The world cup closing ceremony was an extravaganza of lights, dance, music and mind-blowing 3D technology.
Shakira and Freshlyground opened up proceedings with the smash hit Waka Waka.
Fireworks from the roof of the stadium were aimed at the centre of the pitch where they collided in a flash.
Dancers arranged themselves on the stadium floor in the shape of a Vuvuzela and images of a soccer circus flowed from the mouth of the largest Vuvuzela ever seen at soccer, popping out from the floor of the stadium and out of TV screens here at Soccer City.
Dancer flowed in myriad shapes and bent over backwards and created a Mexican wave towards the singers in stage.
Again the dancers flowed and changed shape. When the light went on, the flashlights they were holding spelled: “For Africa“.
A marching band dressed in white moved over the field playing trombones, drums and trumbones while Stone and Slikour belted out Kelly Roland and Africa United’s world cup anthem ‘Everywhere you go”.
As the minstrels poured out, white elephants rolled in, Giant paper mache elephants nearly half of life size, glowing in the electric blue lights of the stadium.
Legendary choral masters Ladysmith Black Mambazo sang their old favourite, Rain, Beautiful rain, while the herd of elephants walked stately onto a field that had been transformed into a watering hole by the miracle of 3D projections. While the elephants gazed downward and the Grammy winning Ladysmith serenaded appreciative fans, a montage of the past 63 matches was reflected up.
One Elephant brought that section of the ceremony to a close by slurping up all the water and making way for 20 mete projection of marimbas and drums, 3D images reflected onto the pitch.
Three performers jumped on the drum making it reverberated, while one danced across the marimbas creating music with his feet.
Crooner Abigail Kubeka with her Afro popping sang in Tswana: “baby hold me, hold me” while dancers remade Sofiatown with smooth moves on the dance floor.
Gumboot dancers then made their way onto the pitch and faced off with young women with shakers….which quickly transformed into the popular panstula township dance, white sneakers popping in the limelight.
With hundreds of bodies swaying on the field, Nianell, Theo and Zolani from Freshlyground serenaded the 90 000 seater stadium, ending in mini fireworks and a network of ice blue lights.
The last musical act was followed by two groups of people, each numbering at one hundred. And when the light went off, they each held up a glowing placard and created the flags of the remaining two teams, moving their bodies, the flags looked to flutter in the wind.
And the one person everyone was waiting for: Madiba. Beaming, he waved as his the gold cart bearing him and his wife made a circle on the pitch – to a long-standing ovation.
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