Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Arts

Stevie Wonder Music Banned in South Africa

Published: March 27, 1985

The Government-owned South African Broadcasting Corporation announced today that it would no longer play Stevie Wonder's music because of a remark the singer-songwriter made when he won an Oscar Monday night.

Mr. Wonder, who won his Oscar for best movie song for his hit ''I Just Called to Say I Love You,'' written for the film ''The Woman in Red,'' said that he accepted the award ''in the name of Nelson Mandela,'' a black prisoner in South Africa, which upholds a policy of white minority rule called apartheid.

Mr. Mandela, 66 years old, is a former Johannesburg lawyer who became a black rights leader and was sentenced to life in prison in 1964 on charges of planning to overthrow the government.

South African Broadcasting controls all radio and television programs.