Photo: By Peter Neill (Flickr: u2-1 CC BY License) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
As U2 opened their European tour in Italy Friday night September 4th 2015, lead singer Bono pleaded to European leaders to show mercy on behalf of Syrian refugees entering Europe’s borders. As Bono graced the stage singing “Where the Streets have no Name,” he spoke to the crowed,”What do you want, A Europe with its heart and its borders closed to mercy? Or a Europe with its heart open? What do you want?” A place called home.”
Bono also sang about three year old Syrian refugee boy Aylan Kurdi who had washed up on the shores of Turkey by replacing the lyrics in “Pride (In the Name of Love),” to a lyric that employed a heartfelt gesture towards the tragedy.
Bono has long been a human rights advocate. The U2 front man played a key role in 1986 in organizing Amnesty International’s “Conspiracy of Hope Tour.” Also in the mid-1980s Bono developed an educational program in the country of Ethiopia designed to help spread an understanding of health issues in the country. Musically, Bono has also donated to political causes via album contributions. Bono’s composition “Silver and Gold.” was placed on Steve Van Zandt’s “Artist Against Apartheid,” album. The U2 lead singer has also been nominated three times for the Nobel Peace Prize.
The band U2 was first formed in 1976 in the city of Dublin. The group released their first album in 1980 entitled Boy. The band has released fourteen albums in their career. The group is one of the longest lasting touring bands in classic rock history. The group has never had a breakup. The band features Bono on lead vocals, The Edge on lead guitar, Adam Clayton on bass guitar and Larry Mullen Jr. on drums.
Written by Brian Kachejain
