Bring Him Back Home (Nelson Mandela) (1987)

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Bring Him Back Home (Nelson Mandela), also known as Bring Him Back Home, is an anthemic anti-apartheid protest song written by South African musician Hugh Masekela. It was released as the first track of his 1987 album Tomorrow. It was recorded in 1986 when Masekela was in exile from the apartheid regime of South Africa. The melody of the song is buoyant, containing a number of powerful chords and trumpet riffs. The lyrics of the song demand the release of Black South African leader Nelson Mandela, who had been imprisoned by the white South African government on Robben Island since 1962. The song became enormously popular, and turned into an unofficial anthem of the anti-apartheid movement.[1] It became one of Masekela's most performed live songs. It was later used as a part of the official soundtrack to the documentary film Amandla!: A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony. The song was included in the 1994 live album Hope and in the 2001 collection Grazing in the Grass: The Best of Hugh Masekela, released by Columbia Records.[2]

Key Lyrics

Bring Back Nelson Mandela

Bring him Back all to SOWETO

I want to see him walking down the street

In South Africa - tomorrow


Bring Back Nelson Mandela

Bring him Back all to SOWETO

I want to see him walking hand in hand

With Winnie Mandela

Background Story

Black South African leader Nelson Mandela was imprisoned on Robben Island in 1962. He was a great fan of Hugh Masekela's music, and on Masekela's birthday in 1985, smuggled out a letter to him expressing his good wishes. Masekela was inspired to write "Bring Him Back Home" in response. In interviews, Masekela has expressed admiration for Mandela, saying "Mandela was the symbol. He was the voice of all [the] people."[3]

Music and Lyric

Reference

  1. http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2013/12/05/nelson_mandela_songs_free_mandela_tributes_from_the_specials_johnny_clegg.html. David Haglund. 5 December 2013. Slate.com. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  2. http://www.allmusic.com/song/bring-him-back-home-nelson-mandela-mt0010490700. Matthew Greenwald. AllMusic. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  3. https://www.npr.org/2014/06/23/324857991/hugh-masekela-reminisces-on-musical-motivations-mandela. Michel Martin. 23 June 2014. National Public Radio. Retrieved January 21, 2021.