"Mandinka" is a song by Irish singer-songwriter

Sinéad O'Connor Shuhada' Sadaqat (born Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor; , ; 8 December 1966 – 26 July 2023) was an Irish singer, songwriter, record producer and activist. Her debut studio album, ''The Lion and the Cobra'', was released in 1987 and achieve ...

, released as the second single from her debut album, ''

The Lion and the Cobra ''The Lion and the Cobra'' is the debut studio album by Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor, released on 5 October 1987 by Ensign Records, Ensign and Chrysalis Records. O'Connor recorded the album while in the later stages of pregnancy with her first ...

'' (1987). The song peaked at number 17 on the UK singles chart and number six in Ireland. O'Connor performed it on ''

Late Night with David Letterman ''Late Night with David Letterman'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show is the first installment of the '' Late Night''. Hosted by David Letterman, it aired from February1, 1982 to June 25, 1993, and was replaced by ...

'', which was her first TV appearance in the US.

Background

In an April 1988 interview with '' The Tech'', O'Connor said: "

Mandinkas The Mandinka or Malinke are a West African ethnic group primarily found in southern Mali, The Gambia, southern Senegal and eastern Guinea. Numbering about 11 million, they are the largest subgroup of the Mandé peoples and one of the largest eth ...

are an African tribe. They're mentioned in a book called ''

Roots A root is the part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors the plant body, and absorbs and stores water and nutrients. Root or roots may also refer to: Art, entertainment, and media * ''The Root'' (magazine), an online magazine focusin ...

'' by

Alex Haley Alexander Murray Palmer Haley (August 11, 1921 – February 10, 1992) was an American writer and the author of the 1976 book '' Roots: The Saga of an American Family.'' ABC adapted the book as a television miniseries of the same name and ...

, which is what the song is about. In order to understand it you must read the book."

Chart performance

The single "Mandinka" topped the dance chart, but the single was also a mainstream pop hit in the UK, peaking at number 17 on the UK singles chart, number six in O'Connor's native Ireland, number 24 in the Netherlands, number 26 in Belgium, number 18 in New Zealand, number 39 in Australia, and number 33 in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. After O'Connor's death in July 2023, "Mandinka" appeared on the UK Singles Downloads Chart Top 100 at number 32.

Critical reception

At the time of its release, Jerry Smith from ''

Music Week ''Music Week'' is a trade publication for the UK record industry distributed via a website and a monthly print magazine. It is published by Future. History Founded in 1959 as ''Record Retailer'', it relaunched on 18 March 1972 as ''Music We ...

'' wrote, "The striking talents of the rather formidable Sinead O'Connor are well showcased in this dynamic number from her ''

'' LP, and its infectuous ic if unorthodox, nature deserved wide exposure." Steven Wells from ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...

'' stated that it's a "stark reminder that O'Connor is blessed with an amazing and unique voice". Max Bell from '' Number One'' wrote that her voice "is as striking as her looks while her scruff of the neck grabbing confidence makes you forget completely that you've no idea what a mandinka is." Another editor, Kate Davies, said, "Phewee. What a single. A veritable pot pourri of sounds and ideas. Sinead serenades, screams and strains all in the course of a few minutes." Roger Morton from ''

Record Mirror ''Record Mirror'' was a British weekly music newspaper published between 1954 and 1991, aimed at pop fans and record collectors. Launched two years after ''New Musical Express'', it never attained the circulation of its rival. The first UK Album ...

'' felt the song "starts off with disturbingly '

Summertime Blues "Summertime Blues" is a song co-written and recorded by the American rock artist Eddie Cochran. It was written by Cochran and his manager Jerry Capehart. Originally a single B-side, it was released in August 1958 and peaked at number 8 on th ...

' style guitars and then weighs in with a worringly girlie vocal. It's not until the chorus, when Sinead gets out her impressive vocal claws, that you can hear what all the fuss is about." Sal Cinquemani from '' Slant'' noted its "indie-rock splendor". Sue Dando from ''

Smash Hits ''Smash Hits'' was a British music magazine aimed at young adults, originally published by EMAP. It ran from 1978 to 2006, and, after initially appearing monthly, was issued fortnightly during most of that time. The name survived as a brand ...

'' opined that "this rasping, raw rock/punkesque thing is destined to be possibly the most absolutely brilliant single to never be a hit." In a retrospective review for the

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

website, editor

Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and former senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of multiple artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance ...

described the song as "hard-rocking".

Music video

The accompanying music video for "Mandinka" was in heavy rotation after debuting 24 January 1988 in ''

120 Minutes ''120 Minutes'' is a television program in the United States dedicated to the Alternative rock, alternative music genre, that originally aired on MTV from 1986 to 2000, and then aired on MTV's associate channel MTV2 from 2001 to 2003. After it ...

'' on

MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...

Live performances

In 1988, O'Connor sang "Mandinka" on ''

'', which was her first US network television appearance. She also sang the song live at the 1989 Grammy Awards.

Cover versions

In July 2023, shortly after O'Connor's death,

Alanis Morissette Alanis Nadine Morissette ( ; born June 1, 1974) is a Canadian and American singer, songwriter, musician, and actress. Known for her emotive mezzo-soprano voice and confessional songwriting, she became a cultural phenomenon during the mid 199 ...

and

Foo Fighters The Foo Fighters are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Seattle in 1994. Initially founded as a one-man project by former Nirvana (band), Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, the band comprises vocalist/guitarist Grohl, bassist Nate Mendel, gu ...

paid the tribute to her and covered the song at

Fuji Rock Festival is an annual music festival, rock festival held in Naeba Ski Resort, in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. The three-day event, organized by Smash (Music promoters), Smash Japan, features more than 200 Japanese and international musicians, making it th ...

in Japan. In November 2023,

The Last Dinner Party The Last Dinner Party are a British indie rock band from London, formed in 2021. The band consists of Abigail Morris (vocals), Lizzie Mayland (vocals, guitar), Emily Roberts (lead guitar, mandolin, flute), Georgia Davies (bass) and Aurora ...

covered the song when they appeared on

Apple Music Apple Music is an audio and video streaming service developed by Apple Inc. Users can select music to stream to their device on-demand, or listen to existing playlists. The service also includes the sister internet radio stations Apple Musi ...

's London Sessions.

Charts

References

{{Authority control 1987 songs 1987 singles Chrysalis Records singles Sinéad O'Connor songs Songs written by Sinéad O'Connor 1980s in Irish music