Simon Opens S. Africa Tour to Cheers, Protests

American singer Paul Simon opened his South African concert tour Saturday to roars of approval from the audience and a small demonstration by militant blacks outside the stadium.

The estimated 30,000 to 40,000 fans--virtually all of them white--stood and cheered as Simon opened his “Born at the Right Time” tour with his hit song, “The Obvious Child.”

The crowd was much smaller than the 60,000 that promoters had predicted and no more than 5% of the audience was black.

Some blacks at the concert said they had been threatened by other blacks, which may have contributed to their small numbers.

Simon dedicated his performance to the recently slain Headman Tshabalala, a black South African who sang on Simon’s 1986 “Graceland” album.

Simon is the first international star to perform in South Africa since the lifting of the cultural boycott against the country last year. He has the backing of the government and leading black groups, but a number of small, militant black organizations have protested, saying the cultural boycott should remain until there is a black government.

Simon also sang with South African Miriam Makeba, who returned to the country last year after decades of exile, and the South African vocal group Ladysmith Black Mambazo, founded by Tshabalala and his brother.

After the show, Simon said he was “extremely pleased with the turnout and the response by the audience,” a spokesman said.

Several dozen black demonstrators chanted slogans such as “Go home, Paul Simon,” and handed out pamphlets entitled, “Paul Simon, Born at the Wrong Time.”

The demonstration was peaceful, but police maintained a huge presence that included armored vehicles, bomb-sniffing dogs and a helicopter. Those entering the stadium were searched for weapons and other items that could be used to disrupt the show.

The Azanian People’s Organization, which organized the protest, threatened violence earlier in the week, and an affiliated group claimed responsibility for a grenade attack on the offices of the tour promoter.