Nelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales

By: Nelson Mandela - editor

Narrated by: Samuel L. Jackson, Whoopi Goldberg, Matt Damon, Alan Rickman

Length: 3 hrs and 43 mins

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.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

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)

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.

Fantastic

The Nelson Mandela Favorite Folklore are incredible, and indescribably charming. I cannot recommend these stories enough for children or adults who wish to learn more about African Folklore. I recommend getting all the stories, which will run you less than taking your family to the movies. The narrators are brilliant and bring these tales to life.

Brilliant

I loved this book so much that I bought the paper edition as well to learn more about the selections and sources of the stories. Each story is read by a unique voice well chosen for the particular tale. And African music is included whenever song is part of the story, transporting the listener to a culture that is beautiful and unique.

Stories interesting but inconsistent

Some stories were better than others, but I enjoyed the variety and the fact that they were different, in various ways, from American children's stories. If you are really looking for folk tales, be warned that some of these are definitely modern stories. The performances range from good to excellent.

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.

a delightful experience

Fun stories with groovy characters. the tribal music and performances in the native tongue make this a very special experience.

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....

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.

Favorite African Folktales

Would you consider the audio edition of Nelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales to be better than the print version?

I have not read the print version.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Many favorites

Which scene was your favorite?

Can't really say.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I found many of the stories amusing and found myself chuckling at the outcome.

Any additional comments?

I love these stories as they take me back to my childhood. I love the fact that I can plug my IPhone in while I am driving and listen to the stories on my way to/from work each day. Helps to mellow me out on the drive.

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!