The song they sang the day Nelson Mandela was released

I remember singing a song in Swahili at the Royal Festival Hall about Mandela. The lady who taught us was there when Nelson Mandela was released. She said that when the people heard of his release, the whole town ran through the streets all singing songs of celebrations. They gathered round his house and then they all started to sing the same tune, this very song she then taught us. The lyrics translated as ‘Nelson Mandela, oh! what a great man/gift you are’ Still get goose bumps just thinking about singing such a song, though I just tried singing it and I can’t, I am surprisingly emotional.

Great article by Daisaku Ikeda on his dialogue with Nelson Mandela and his incredible heart, fight and compassion here. A clip of that article below here just kills my heart and then it gets reborn: calling his grandchild Hope after all that.