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Mandika is a single released by Sinéad O'Connor from her 1987 debut album 'The Lion and the Cobra'. The single was a big college radio hit in the US following Sinéad's appearance on 'Late Night with David Letterman', in what was her first US network television appearance. This video is of her appearance at the 1989 Grammy Awards. Her only expalantion of the song came in an 1988 interview when she said “Mandinkas are an African tribe. They’re mentioned in a book called Roots by Alex Haley, which is what the song is about. In order to understand it you must read the book.” The Mandinka (or Mandingo) is a West African ethnic group with an estimated global population of 11 million. They are descendants of the Mali Empire and continue to educate orally, with learning traditionally done through stories, songs and proverbs. During the 16th, 17th & 18th centuries, many Mandinka were enslaved and shipped to the Americas, resulting in a significant portion of African America
