McCartney appeals for peace
MONTREAL (AP) - July 18, 2008 Several artists and politicians have questioned McCartney's
participation in the weekend birthday celebrations of
French-speaking Quebec City because of his British roots.
But McCartney said he was unmoved by their claim his presence
evokes painful memories of Britain's conquest of New France, which
included Quebec, in 1760.
"I think it's time to smoke the pipes of peace and to just, you
know, put away your hatchet because I think it's a show of
friendship," McCartney said on Radio-Canada.
McCartney tried to deflate the political rhetoric around
Sunday's show on the Plains of Abraham, site of the pivotal 1759
battle between British General James Wolfe and France's Marquis
Louis-Joseph de Montcalm.
"The kind of thing I read about in the schoolbooks when I was a
kid was ... who was General Wolfe?" he said jokingly. "I still
haven't figured it out."
Since the celebrations of the city's four centuries of uniquely
French culture kicked off in July, Francophones criticized elements
of the festivities they feel are too English.
The ex-Beatle said he has been working on expanding the few
lines of French he used in the 1965 hit "Michelle."
"Come on Quebece-ins (Quebecers), love me baby," said
McCartney.
The open-air concert is his only scheduled appearance in North
America this year. Organizers are expecting a crowd of around
200,000.