July 26, 2009 18:40

Peter Gabriel pays tribute to late human rights activist

Singer dedicates 'Biko' to Natalia Estemirova at WOMAD

Peter Gabriel dedicated a track to a murdered human rights activist last night (July 25) during his headline performance at this year's WOMAD festival.

The singer played his song 'Biko', about the South African anti-apartheid activisit Steve Biko who died in police custody in the '70s, in honour of Chechen Natalia Estemirova at the event in Charlton Park, Wiltshire.

Estemirova documented hundreds of cases of rights abuse in Chechnya, many allegedly committed by government-backed militia.

Her body was found hours after she was abducted from her home in the Chechen capital, Grozny, earlier this month.

Gabriel said Estemirova, who had been shot in the head, collaborated with his human rights organisation Witness on two films, reports BBC News.

Gabriel had earlier opened his set with a cover of Paul Simon's 'The Boy In The Bubble'.

Peter Gabriel played:

'The Boy In The Bubble'
'The Book Of Love'
'Darkness'
'Come Talk To Me'
'Steam'
'Downside Up'
'Games Without Frontiers'
'No Self-Control'
'Big Time'
'Washing Of The Water'
'The Tower That Ate People'
'San Jacinto'
'Red Rain'
'Solsbury Hill'
'Biko'