Nothembi Jam

Album: Mi Mandela (2014)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This sparse, plaintive tune is a track from Mi Mandela, an album inspired by Idris Elbas's experience playing the South African anti-Apartheid leader Nelson Mandela in Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.‎ The song is titled after South African artist Nothembi Mkhwebane, who contributed towards the tune.
  • The track features James Blake on the guitar. Elba hooked up with the electronic music singer-songwriter after running into him at a Brixton, London café. The actor told Spin magazine: "I was directing a video for an artist D'Banj, he's a Nigerian rapper. I was in Brixton shooting that, having lunch at this place, and this kid came up and sat next to me and he goes, 'Idris, I'm James.' And I'm, 'Hello, man. I didn't recognize you, you're James Blake.' We know mutual friends."

    "We sat there talking, and I told him what I was doing and he goes, 'Oh man, I'd love to hear it.' So I sent him a couple of jams when I was mixing songs," Elba continued. "He came down to studio to mess around with one of these tracks and the one he ended up on he came into the studio and plugged in the Rhodes and started playing. He didn't want to sing, he just wanted to get on it."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Randy Newman

Randy NewmanSongwriting Legends

Newman makes it look easy these days, but in this 1974 interview, he reveals the paranoia and pressures that made him yearn for his old 9-5 job.

Grunge Bands Quiz

Grunge Bands QuizMusic Quiz

If the name Citizen Dick means anything to you, there's a chance you'll get some of these right.

Michelle Branch

Michelle BranchSongwriter Interviews

Michelle Branch talks about "Everywhere," "The Game Of Love," and her run-in with a Christian broadcasting network.

Chad Channing (Nirvana, Before Cars)

Chad Channing (Nirvana, Before Cars)Songwriter Interviews

Chad tells tales from his time as drummer for Nirvana, and talks about his group Before Cars.

Booker T. Jones

Booker T. JonesSongwriter Interviews

The Stax legend on how he cooked up "Green Onions," the first time he and Otis Redding saw hippies, and if he'll ever play a digital organ.

Al Jourgensen of Ministry

Al Jourgensen of MinistrySongwriter Interviews

In the name of song explanation, Al talks about scoring heroin for William Burroughs, and that's not even the most shocking story in this one.