U2 frontman Bono has become a rock'n'roll stalwart of peace, justice, and activism, so it's no surprise that he and Nelson Mandela became friends and compatriots in the fight for equality. 

When Mandela died, the first one to come forward with a moving tribute was Bono, who spoke exclusively to Time Magazine. An excerpt of his interview is below:

"Mandela would be remembered as a remarkable man just for what happened-and didn't happen-in South Africa's transition. But more than anyone, it was he who rebooted the idea of Africa from a continent in chaos to a much more romantic view, one in keeping with the majesty of the landscape and the nobility of even its poorer inhabitants. He was also a hardheaded realist, as his economic policy demonstrated. To him, principles and pragmatism were not foes; they went hand in hand. He was an idealist without -naiveté, a compromiser without being compromised.

"Surely the refrain "Africa rising" should be attributed to Madiba-the clan name everyone knows him by. He never doubted that his continent would triumph in the 21st century: "We are not just the peoples with the oldest history," he told me. "We have the brightest future." He knew Africa was rich with oil, gas, minerals, land and, above all, people. But he also knew that "because of our colonial past, Africans still don't quite believe these precious things belong to them." Laughing, he added, "They can find enough people north of the equator who agree with them."

"He had humor and humility in his bearing, and he was smarter and funnier than the parade of world leaders who flocked to see him." 

You can read the rest of Bono's interview with Time Magazine here.