Nelson Mandela’s Favorite African Folktales
By Nelson Mandela
Read by Desmond Tutu, Alan Rickman, Whoopi Goldberg, Matt Damon, Parminder Nagra, Forest Whitaker, Sean Hayes, Charlize Theron, Benjamin Bratt, Scarlett Johansson, Ricardo Chavira, Debra Messing, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Hugh Jackman, Gillian Anderson, CCH Pounder, Blair Underwood, LeVar Burton, Samuel L Jackson, Jurnee Smollett, Sophie Okonedo, Helen Mirren, Don Cheadle, Alfre Woodard
From amazon.com
Nobel Peace laureate Mandela understandably gets top billing here, but this collection of short fables compiles writings and translations by numerous authors and features illustrations by a diverse collection of artists. Together, the tales and their accompanying artwork create a patchwork of legends drawn from all over the African continent, from Morocco to Kenya to Swaziland. Snakes with seven heads and Zulu tricksters are found here, as well as various creation myths and a Kenyan lion (with the familiar name of Simba) who teaches a cunning hyena a lesson. The colorful birds, giant elephants and mischievous children populating the volume teach sometimes cryptic lessons about obedience, perseverance, cooperation and the simple strangeness of life. In one story, the children of an East African village must destroy a beautiful and enchanting bird that has brought bad luck to the surrounding countryside. In another, a courageous girl frees a prince from the spell that made him a python. In tales such as these, the dream-like, unpredictable symbology and sometimes cruel morality of myths resonate, and, in Mandela’s words, the “gritty essence of Africa” shines through in stories with universal themes.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc
Nelson Mandela’s Favorite African Folktales is an audiobook benefiting children orphaned and impacted by HIV/AIDS in South Africa, featuring Gillian Anderson, Benjamin Bratt, LeVar Burton, Ricardo Chavira, Don Cheadle, Matt Damon, Whoopi Goldberg, Sean Hayes, Hugh Jackman, Samuel L. Jackson, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Debra Messing, Helen Mirren, Parminder Nagra, Sophie Okonedo, CCH Pounder, Alan Rickman, Jurnee Smollett, Charlize Theron, Blair Underwood, Forest Whitaker and Alfre Woodard with a special message from Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Original Music by South African legends by Johnny Clegg and Vusi Mahlasela, Directed by Alfre Woodard. The audiobook was a truly international affair recorded in Los Angeles, New York, Miami, London, and Johannesburg. The stories were chosen by the Nobel Laureate himself, from every region of Africa.
Please visit MandelasFavoriteFolktales.com/ for more information and to listed to fabulous clips from the audiobook.
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