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Nelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales  By  cover art

Nelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales

By: Nelson Mandela - editor
Narrated by: Samuel L. Jackson, Whoopi Goldberg, Matt Damon, Alan Rickman
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Editorial reviews

in a unique effort to raise money for the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund and Artists for New South Africa, 23 narrators recorded as many African Folktales hand-picked by Mandela for this collection. The narrators ranging from Samuel L. Jackson to Whoopi Goldberg to Charlize Theron are notable actors. Half the fun of listening to these tales is trying to guess who's reading. While some voices are more distinctive than others kudos to Alan Rickman (perhaps best known now for his portrayal of Severus Snape in the Harry Potter series) who uses his pebbly baritone and stop-go cadence to full, dark effect in "The Ring of the King" all are entertaining. Also listen for "Fesito Goes to the Market", where Don Cheadle enunciates as loudly, clearly, and confidently as the best live storytellers, while giving each character a different attitude with a remarkable range of tones. Helen Mirren, too, gives a standout performance reaching the point where strength and vulnerability collide in the epic and bittersweet "The Mother Who Turned to Dust".

The stories themselves are classic morality tales, including kings and children, lions and hyenas, gold and magic. Some of the lessons are straightforward, others more cryptic, but each legend is its own full and colorful world. The stories, which average about 10 minutes each, are perfect for children not that they're at all childish. The universal themes hit hard; the tales don't always end happily, but they're light and wondrous enough for children, while being deep enough for adults (or kids) who choose to look further. At under four hours, the collection is short, but there's enough here that you'll want to listen over and over again it's sure to become a favorite bedtime ritual. Kelly Marages

Publisher's summary

Nelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales is an audiobook benefiting children orphaned and impacted by HIV/AIDS in South Africa. Featured narrators include 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.

Net proceeds will benefit the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund and Artists for New South Africa, which works in the U.S. and South Africa to combat HIV/AIDS, provide comprehensive assistance to children orphaned by HIV/AIDS, advance human rights, educate and empower at-risk youth, and build bonds between both nations. Both organizations are working to address the impact of the AIDS pandemic on children in South Africa.

All the individuals and companies involved in the effort have donated their services to allow a maximum amount of proceeds to benefit the charities. In addition to waiving sales and distribution fees, Hachette Audio will donate 100% of proceeds to ANSA and NMCF, and NB Publishers has waived fees, so additional royalties can benefit NMCF. The audiobook was manufactured by Ivy Hill/Cinram, which is donating a significant portion of their services. The actors, creative director, engineers, graphic designers, attorneys, and recording studios fully donated their services, as did three-time Grammy winner Gavin Lurssen, who mastered the audiobook.

Public Domain (P)2009 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"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." ( Publishers Weekly)

What listeners say about Nelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Exotic, fun and fascinating

When you buy this book, be sure to download the accompanying reference guide and then seek out the 5 extra stories not included in the album. I have no idea why all the stories weren't bundled in together.

The folk tales make you think, and provide some interesting explanations for why certain things are the way they are.

The music by Johnny Clegg and Vusi Mahlasela adds a great multimedia touch, and the songs can be played separately from their stories as well. The reference guide has a translation of the words of the Zulu songs.

The extra tracks are:
Spider and the Crows
The Lion, the Hare, and the Hyena
The Cloud Princess
The Cat Who Came Indoors
Mmadipetsane

Thanks to Audible for making this collection available worldwide.

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67 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent stories, poor, poor formatting

The stories are brilliant, of course. Africa's colourful and moving storytelling traditions are well-represented here.

The readings are fantastic as well. Whoopi Goldberg, amongst others, brings these stories to life in a way that is hilarious, moving, and entertaining. A great selection of readers!

My one HUGE gripe is that each story begins at about 10 seconds before the end of each track. Thus when you go to the start of a chapter and press play, it starts about 15 seconds into the story, missing the title of the story, intro music and the first few lines introducing what is going on.

This makes it VERY HARD to navigate the audiobook, or to skip back and find tracks you liked to share with other people. Epic fail guys! Come on!

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24 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

South African childhood

For anyone who grew up in South Africa, this takes you right back! Would have like some African voices to have read it out though...Good stories for your children if you have emmigrated from SA....

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14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

A Good Listen

I enjoyed listening to these little stories. They were made more endearing by the fact that Nelson Mandela picked them out from among his favorites. The narrators were well chosen and did a truly great job. The music, accents, the whole direction of these stories came together to set an enjoyable ambiance. It has a delicious African flavor, and teaches some good lessons in the mean time.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A fantastic listen for adults and children

Would you listen to Nelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales again? Why?

Absolutely. Stories like these are timeless, and I enjoy them every time I hear them. They're great for when you need to kill 10-20 minutes, or when you want to half-listen to something you've already heard before. I like to put them on when I'm going to sleep. And, they're fun to listen to with kids because they are short and fun to talk about.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Uplifting and fun

This compilation is great to listen to in the car. There are different voices, male and famale, African and not, and tales ranging from quick and Aesop-like to longer, from Table Mountain to north African stories. Each carries a rhythm of Africa and occasionally a song embedded.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Bedtime stories..

Love these stories for bedtime. The stories are good, the books have celebrity narrators, classic stories, songs, and good sound effects. Strongly recommend.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Magical for children and adults alike

What made the experience of listening to Nelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales the most enjoyable?

The tales of famous African folklore was brought to life by the actors and actresses that took part in the narration. It was awesome to listen to these stories as if each and every Holloywood narrator were reading it to me and only me at bedtime.

What did you like best about this story?

The variety of folk tales that span the entire African continent and not just South Africa.

Which character – as performed by the narrators – was your favorite?

Alan Rickman's and Whoopi Goldberg's narration stood out for me.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Best compilation of short stories ever!!!!

I loved all of the stories! The actors and actresses and the songs with the stories all made for the most pleasant listening experience. King Lion’s Gifts is my favorite story.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great collection with excellent performances

As with any collection, some stories are interesting and others are a bit dull. Overall, though, the performances were brilliant. Especially, the music added a new dimension to the narrative. Highly recommended, not as an absolute authority on African folktales, but as a brief introduction to it.

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1 person found this helpful