A list to discuss Popular songs about Nelson Mandela

‘My black president’ by Brenda Fassie
In 1989, Fassie released a song to an imprisoned Nelson Mandela called “Black President”. The song was banned from the airwaves during apartheid, but in 1994 she was able to perform it for Mandela himself at his inauguration ceremony.

‘Asimbonanga’ by Johnny Clegg
Johnny Clegg, or “the White Zulu” as he is affectionately known, had been a thorn in the side of the apartheid system. Not only did he front a multiracial band but he also sang overtly political songs. In 1987, Clegg released one of his lasting anthems to Nelson Mandela.

Bring back Nelson Mandela by Hugh Masekela
In 1987, Masekela released a tribute to Nelson Mandela even though the mere mention of the name ‘Mandela’ meant the song would be banned in his home country.

‘Madiba Bay’ by Koos Kombuis
Afrikaans singer and writer Koos Kombuis dedicated his album called Madiba Bay. The album was released in 1997. Kombuis took issue with the political transformation that seems to have been lost since Mandela left the presidency. In 1997 he dedicated his album called “Madiba Bay”

‘Nelson Mandela’ by The Specials. The song was written by group member, Jerry Danmers.

‘Mandela’ by Sipho ‘Hotstix’ Mabuse
When the ANC commissioned Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse to write an election song in 1994, he opted to re-create history. He persuaded the then ANC president Nelson Mandela to join him in the studio and read a part of the speech Mandela made from the the dock during the Rivonia Trial in 1964.

‘Holihlahla Mandela’ by the cast of South African Broadway production, headed Mbongeni Ngema
This song was written by theatre ambassador Mbongeni Ngema in the late eighties and was performed abroad by his cast of Sarafina. The song relives the hardships that Nelson Mandela went through in the fight of freedom under oppression.

‘Father of a nation’ composed by Cedric Samson
This is a movie soundtrack for a movie about Mandela by Samson Menell.

‘A Song for Mandela’
“A Song for Mandela” was composed for symphony orchestra, by the Frank Pietersen Music Centre in Paarl Valley, Western Cape. The Music Centre was founded in 1970 by the late Frank Pietersen, who was an inspector of Music. In the darkest days of apartheid, Frank Pietersen had the vision of creating a youth orchestra drawn from the whole community. After the Centre received gold awards at the Roodepoort International Eisteddfod in 1991, and again in 1993, the Centre was incorporated into the Western Cape Education Department in 1994.

Homage a Nelson M. for cello and percussion, Op 27
Composer Wilhelm Kaizer Lindemann wrote this music in 1995 after reading, Long Walk to Freedom, as a tribute to Mandela. He was then invited by Mandela to his residence in Cape Town. Lindemann managed to play parts of this composition to Mandela, and a audience of five people at the presidential home.

Free Nelson Mandela
This song was written by Jerry Dammers. It was released on the single Nelson Mandela / Break Down The Door in 1984 as a protest against the imprisonment of Mandela.

46664
Veteran rock stars Bono, Dave Stewart, and Joe Strummer wrote a song to honor Mandela.They performed it in 2003 at the 46664 concert in February.

Give me hope Johanna
Eddy Grant wrote this music during South Africa’s apartheid regime

House of Exile
This composition by the late Lucky Dube was about Mandela. Dube said that at the time of the song’s composition, he couldn’t say that was about Mandela; had to find a way to say what he wanted to say, without actually alluding to him.

I Cry For Freedom

This is a composition by Yvonne Chaka Chaka. Mandela wrote her letters while he was in prison, complementing her on her music. I Cry For Freedom was written in the apartheid days.