NME reports that British actor and musician Idris Elba will be releasing an album called Mi Mandela, inspired by his performance as South African president Nelson Mandela in the 2013 film Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom. The album will feature contributions from Mumford & Sons and James Blake, as well as Maverick Sabre, Mr. Hudson, Cody Chestnutt, George the Poet, Nothembi Mkhwebane, and Mahotella Queens.
In a teaser trailer for the album, Elba explains how he came to immerse himself in the music of South Africa while shooting Mandela. "South African music was part of my research," he says, "I wanted to understand what music he liked, and so in that journey I discovered the roots of South African music."
Mi Mandela was recorded between London, Johannesburg, and Mali, and is reportedly the first in a series of albums in which Elba will re-interpret his acting roles. One of the album's songs, "Home," was written by Mumford & Sons, while the song "Nothembi Jam" features vocals from James Blake.
"South Africa has over sixty different tribes and each one has a musical expression, and each one has a very unique, different sound style," Elba continues in the teaser trailer, "At the time I had my studio at the apartment I was staying in while I was making Mandela - a little keyboard, a laptop - and as an experiment to myself, I vowed to keep making music."
Idris Elba's Mi Mandela is set for release on Nov. 24. You can check out the album's teaser trailer right here:
© 2024 MusicTimes.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
