p. 76
Alternate Title: 
Mandela
First Line: 
Bring back Nelson Mandela, bring him back home to Soweto

Reference

Genre: 
Culture: 

About the Song

Masakela first recorded this song in 1986 while in exile from his native South African. It is about African National Congress leader Nelson Mandela who was serving a life prison sentence at the time for resisting apartheid in South Africa. The song became an anthem of the international movement to free Mandela from prison.

The song was first released on Masakela's "Tomorrow" album in 1987. The 2nd video is performed by Masakela's band at Paul Simon's 1987 Graceland concert in Zimbabwe, where Masakela lived at the time. This was three years prior to Mandela's release from prison.

The 3rd video is of Masakela performing the song at International Jazz Day for the Obamas at the White House in 2016. He is introduced by Sting. Masakela is accompanied by  Dee Dee Bridgewater, Marcus Miller, Bobby Watson, Till Brönner, Kris Bowers, Kendrick Scott, Lee Ritenour and last but not least, Eli Degibri. This was 2 years before Masakela's death. 

After several previous shorter imprisonments, Mandela was arrested in 1962 (with the assistance of the US Central Intelligence Agency) and tried for treason and sabotage. He was finally convicted after a lengthy trial in 1964. The prosecution asked for the death penalty but the judge sentenced him to life imprisonment. The first several years of his imprisonment at the notorious Robbins Island prison were brutal and seriously damaged his eyesight for forcing him to break up rocks in the full sun without sunglasses. Conditions were later eased.

He was finally released unconditionally by the South African President F.W. DeKlerk in 1990 and ushering in a long period of negotiation leading up to his election as South Africa's first president under full suffrage for all South Africans in 1994.