SOUTH AFRICA: Pop diva Celine Dion performs for the first time on African soil

Record ID: 169779

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA: Pop diva Celine Dion performs for the first time on African soil
  • Date: 19th February 2008
  • Summary: JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA (FEBRUARY 14, 2008) (REUTERS) CELINE DION ENTERING STAGE CELINE DION POSTER VARIOUS OF CELINE DION PERFORMING
  • Embargoed: 5th March 2008 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: South Africa
  • Country: South Africa
  • Topics: Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVA2CTOV94MQF6DOUDB3ZZ0FMMIP
  • Story Text: Pop singer Celine Dion says she was "thrilled" to kick off a new world tour by starting in South Africa. She says she is keeping a promise she made to South African anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela.

    "I am more than thrilled to be here," she said.
    Dion is the all time highest-selling female artist in South Africa and her 12-month tour is named after her latest album 'Taking Chances' the Sapa report said.
    The Grammy award-winning Canadian said that Las Vegas was something that had slowed down her career, giving her stability and time to focus on her family.
    In Johannesburg, Dion performed songs from her first English-language studio album, 'Taking Chances', and her classic hits from previous albums and movies soundtracks. The audience cheered when she told them about meeting South Africa's former president Nelson Mandela.

    "The amazing privilege of meeting Mr Nelson Mandela. I have to say that, it is something that we will definitely never forget, it is an amazing privilege to meet the hero, you know, I was talking to René, you know, when the child might not understand very well, even though we did talk to him, we shooting pictures, we told him how many wonderful things that this man did, and I told him ... this man has a soul of a child, and he has the heart of a mother and he has the strength of a man."
    After kicking her 35-country 'Taking Chances' tour in the Coca Cola Dome in Johannesburg, Dion will be staying in South Africa for three weeks, with performances also scheduled in Pretoria, Durban, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town before she heads to Europe.
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