[ Snoring ] Cameraman: Idris.

Oh!

F### Oh!

F###ing hell, man.

[ Groans ] What time is it, man?

It's showtime.

Oh, s##t.

Oh, s##t.

[ Camera shutters clicking continuously ] [ Cheering ] The world gets to see me as Idris Elba, the actor.

They see me on red carpets, see me in interviews, talking about characters that I'm playing, but they never really get to see my [ Cheering ] It was music, music that locked us together kind of thing.

He loves the scream.

He loves to DJ.

He's always been like th He loves it.

## ## I'm f###ing Idris Elba!

[ Cheering and applause ] [ Whistling ] The music brought us closer.

Obviously, I was the better DJ.

[ Laughter ] What'd you say, mate?

[ Cheering ] I'm going to start another tune.

Here we go, here There is Idris, holding a record.

In fact, when Idris was a teenager, he'll be upstairs playin His dad is downstairs banging the musi The phone is ringing and all the girls are asking for Idris.

[ Laughs ] Cameraman: So you've always had m Always.

Always.

-Yeah, yeah.

-He was [ Laughter ] Hit me with mu Man: Hi t me with music!

Elba: My dad has alway Whether it's play it, turn it up, play a song you like.

When I was about 10 years ol I used to make turntables out of cereal boxes and like literally cut the holes out of the cereal box and then, you know, turn it into a little turntable thing, get a little stylish, and I'd have two of them and I had a pretend mic and I'd be doing that.

"All day long here, we are on the radio."

And then the acting bug came i ## It was a real proud moment because my dad is just like he loved Mandela, he loved what he sto Mandela: I've dedicated myself to this struggle.

Amandla!

Awethu!

My dad was sort of like a freedom fi He was a sort of union guy.

He was like my skeleton for Mandela.

I couldn't be there in the room when I showed my dad.

I just, you know, sat a bit in the cinema and then walked out.

Just to see his flesh-and-bl playing the man was like, I think, overwhelming for him.

-[ Singing in foreign language ] -He was in tears.

## Lowe: Ladies and gentlemen, the legendary Idris Elba!

[ Cheering and applause ] Thank you very much.

London loves me, man.

I The world loves you, bro Thank you bro.

That's Real fans will know this, but for those Idris is one of the most musica I've met in recent memory.

I love music wh at I do for a living.

I'm an actor.

I love it.

But this e playing Nelson M took it to a Being a man an d having that opportunity, you know, it just made me take my craft even deepe And I wanted to understand what kind of music he would've been listening to, what was happening It just blew me away.

And I want to do somet [ Laughs ] -Unbelievable, dude.

Whoo!

-[ Lau Dude, here's to your good life, man.

[ Laughs ] I just wanted to get back to to make an album.

I'd done my acting.

I'd done the fil Filmmaker, boom.

It was already and set to go and my dad got very ill and, within a very short space of time, died.

[ Exhales forcefully ] Threw me for six, man.

It's like whoa.

First, I just canceled the trip.

I just was like, "I'm not -- I do I don't -- You know, I can't go off to because my dad's just died, for Christ sake."

But...

I just knew that he'd want me to do it, you know?

He wouldn't say, "Yeah, you sit here cry and mope," you know.

"If that's what you want to do, go and do it."

So... ## ## Yeah, I mean -- I just revisioned how I was going to grieve.

## After his funeral, man, I just went to South Africa and locked myself in the studio.

## ## [ Singing in foreign language ] ## ## I was suddenly surrounded by all these people and it was a dream come true, Ph uzekhemisi, like a Zulu king, just started t George the Poet came.

It was a musician's camp.

It's an album of, uh, experimentation, you know, a little bit of everything.

If you have ideas and things that you haven't done before, but now you're thinking, "You know what?

Now, I've got a studio, let's please throw them into the mix, man, because it's interesting.

I want to So, feel free, man.

Thank you, man.

I approached this as if I was a director and any good director will tell It 's all his heads of departments that do all the various bi I cast Ben Hudson as the head music guy that's going to come in and help me shape this album.

[Indistinct] That's the live ro And Spoek Mathambo -- great futuristic artist, especially in his electronic music.

We approached him to see if he'd come in and introduce us to South A He loved the concept and said yes.

[ Clucking ] A day before Spoek t he gave me a call -- "They want you involved I was like, "What?!"

## These are people that haven't been sort of like bust into the limelight.

These are that are just very, really good.

## You see...

So, no recognition means no mon Yes.

Yeah.

## ## Spoek gave me a house band.

I said I wanted a house band.

We're going to go to t and I need a band that can just be th so, any ideas we've got, we can just fle ## Then the idea was to invite various producers to come in as well, to work with the b Progress can't be stopped, just slowed down, but in this whole town, there's enough to What I want for mine, you want for yours.

I hunt for mine, you hunt for yours.

But when you come with force, I'm forced survival's the cause of that.

So, I'm asking you to pause Th is is effectively my cause.

Don't cause and effect because to master the art Cameraman: So did you come with written stuff?

No, no, no, I came w Because written stuff kind of works for me, when I'm working on my stuff.

But I have to understand, ri that I'm part of a process mu ch further beyond me.

This album, not every song is about Mandela.

You've got me -- I'm from where I'm from, You know, but I'm the fusion of who I'm from.

And the fusion of who they are is what put that thing onscreen.

That's the feeling I'm trying to capture for this record.

You know what I mean?

It's that same vibe.

But you're giving all Listen, man, if you got ideas, anything, man.

-Yeah, I Just look, I wanted what youse have done, an d let me just feel it.

And then if I can think of anything, I'll say it to you.

Alright.

We'll # Yeah yeah yeah # # Yeah yeah yeah # [ Singing indistinctly ] ## Maverick Sabre, from the UK, came and you know, like, you know, he's a and didn't really need to come out to South Africa with an actor that he has no idea whether they do music or not, no i I was lucky.

It was really lucky.

I don't speak music, I just hear music.

# 'Cause I've been walking do # Too far # [ Singing indistinctly ] There was musicians from all around the world in there, you know, some couldn't even understand why I was saying, especially with me tough acce And vice versa, you know?

But there was a feeling, a mutual understanding of the energy at the time and I think that's what this I think that should sum it up.

[ Singing ] I remember there was one point I was sing with her, you know, South It was just a great experience, kind of overwhelming.

[ Laughter ] [ Cheering and applaus [ Vehicle horn honks ] [ Singing in foreign language ] Yeah, you're right, that chorus needs to be redone.

Let me come again.

Let me come again.

Can we dim the lights in here because I never sing And this guy's pointing at me and making me nervous.

[ Playing tender tune ] [ Singing in foreign language ] Elba: Thandiswa Mazwai, the force to be reckoned with.

She wasn't immediately warm and fuzzy and like, "Yeah, I'm going to jump on it."

She gave me a drilling, you know and questioned m I've been kind of hesitant of doing something about or for or around... Nelson Mandela.

It would be a litt But on the flip side of that, I think it's also very important to d So, it is very important, but I only want I came back this year because I wanted to express how I felt about making a movie via music, that transition, you know, that I had to go through An d not all about Idris, but just a more universal approach to the themes of these songs are about transition, about I came here, I changed myself to become this person.

I mean, you know.

-Yes, I'm sure it was -- It was, yeah, extensive and you know what I mean?

And all of us can sort o somehow, some way, you know?

That's the general feel an just making song after song or beats and ideas I've got a couple of ideas, but I'd love you It 's very traditional sounding, but I think you could ma [ Laughs ] Let's see.

-Let's see, yeah?

-[ I'm not asking anybody to do it for free.

-Yes, of course.

-But the standard rate.

The family rate.

[ Laughter ] Family ting, man.

I get you.

I understand.

## Idris is paying people a respectable fee, which is really nice to see because a lot of people come to Africa and say it's so cheap an d you can record an album for nothing, you know?

Well, he hasn't even really sought approval or backing from a label yet.

His main thing is to get it done an d have the people that he wants without any kind of int -Record it?

-No, I didn't record it.

-You didn't?!

-No.

-Ah!

-I'm [ Laughter ] Aaaaaaah!

[ Dog barks ] ## Williams: I've had my firearm since I was 18 years old.

That's the legal age.

It's an extension Cameraman: And, thankfully, you've never had to use it?

Not in this situation, but I had to use i where I actually killed somebody in self-defense, though, yeah.

-Really?

-Yeah.

We need more love in this world.

And then maybe we should teach more love in the schools.

This must be taught at a very young age.

You must be taught there's a Black man, there's a pink man, there's a queen and somewhere, Bu t we need more love.

A human being is m [ Singing in Zulu ] ## ## -Is this in Zulu or...?

-Yeah, this is in Zulu.

-Zulu, hm.

-Yeah.

Maho It's six decades they've be They are, to other musicians, like royalty.

-In our country, humble -- -Humble yourself.

Yeah, in any country, as a visitor, Your country -- For them t it's like a massive They don't just come out for anybody.

Welcome you.

Beautiful.

Okay, yeah.

It's They started off in the apartheid era, where their music was banned.

[Indistinct] [ Feedback hums, whines ## [ Siren wailing ] [ Siren wailing ] [ Singing in foreign language ] ## [ Siren wailing ] [ Explosion ] [ Gunshot ] [ Gunshot ] ## [ Speaking foreign language ] [ Barking ] [ Singing in for ## ## ## Elba: You look young, yeah.

You're a hot shot.

Yeah.

Fly to Hollywood to make a movie.

So can you play something Are we going to listen to something or what [ Vocalizing ] [ Singing in foreign language ] That's me singing there.

Oh!

[ Laughs ] It would sound nice to make it big, you know?

Man: Maybe the... have on the chorus.

Yeah, on the chorus, on the... We do the, "Yo, yo, yo, yo, Mandela."

Man: Go.

# Yo, yo, yo, yo, yo [ Singing in foreign language ] # Yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, Mandela # [ Singing in foreign language ] # Yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, Mandela # That's the one.

# Mandela # # Mandela # [ Singing in forei ## [ Shutter clicks ] That's a good one.

[ Chuckles ] Thank yo Elba: We had the Queens come through and bless us, but I also wanted on this album to have new blood.

## [ Man singing in native language ] ## ## [ Man singing in native language ] ## ## [ Man singing in native language ] ## ## Yeah.

[ Laughter ] [ Imitates drums ] Yeah, like... [ Thumping ] ## Man: Is there anything like this in the UK?

Absolutely not.

I mean, who in the brave who -- who'd be crazy [ Up-tempo music plays ] It's like 180 BPM.

We go to 140 BPM.

The Germans might go to 160 BPM.

This is 180 BPM.

# Shake, shake # You'd have a heart attack if you listened to this for six hou But it'd be a good one, it'd be a good way to go.

Like, "Oh my God, this is hot!

This i # Hey, hey, hey # Do you want, like, a coffee or anything?

That would kill me.

Coffee would kill you?

I used to go crazy with c but now I take vodka, now vodka.

Yeah.

Work 10.

He's very talented.

Very sweet guy.

But it -- [Chuckles] it's that thing of having to literally prize the bottle Also this is not vodka... Man: Oh.

...but he thinks he's drinking.

And that's... on top of lots of other booze, but I'm sure it's fine.

I'm sure, once he gets he will be flawless.

Do you need the brass section Yeah.

They're a litt They're working.

They better get on them Bl ow.

...blow.

## Elba: It sounds shit.

Yeah.

The start of the not That's what I don't like -- Th ey -- They sound like "whoo whoo whoo."

It's like what?

Everyone on the same note.

Yeah, man.

Just concentrate.

Make that shit sound like Jesus Christ is about to walk Tongue in unison.

-Yeah.

-Tongu When you say unison...

Brother, you can kee Yeah.

Or you can do the job.

The choice is yours.

The time...unison.

I don't deal with that.

You know what I'm learning it's like, be like, unless I step up, everyone just does their own thing.

I've just got f###ing -- I've jus I'm -- I I'm one of those people that, you know, think you're going to do what I asked you to do.

And then -- And then I'm obviously disappointed if you don't do what I asked you to do.

So then I-I'm one of those people that ne and go, "No, this is what I want."

# Ba-ba-ba-ba # It's unison is like.

I'm talking about, like, Th at's it.

Like that.

Let -- Let me corr When you're talk you're talking about everybo You play in unison.

Can we do the same thing?

We understand this.

We understand th Can we do the same thing?

Or you want to have anothe But you're confusing me.

You understand No , I understand.

Look, Re Everyone chill o You don't disrespect Just because I'm from where I'm from.

I might not be something, but I'm something to mysel No, no.

There's a lot of heat in It's not freedom.

'Cause he's pissed.

Ye s, this is -- No, no.

This is amazing.

Hey.

No, I'm not fighting.

Stop it.

I'm telling you.

No Stop it.

Do you hear me?

This is it.

Stop it now.

Alright?

One minute One minute.

Ke One minute.

Keep quiet.

One minute.

One minute.

Stop it.

Don't We stop it now.

Woman: Okay, time Hold up.

Hold up.

Guys.

Guys Hold up.

Hold up.

I'm Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

But you spoke like Hold up.

Hold You wanted t No, no.

This is not So rry.

Everybody chill the f##k out, man.

Sorry.

Everybody chill Do you play No, no, no.

-F ###ing chill, man.

-Chill -F Chris, Chris, Chris, relax.

Sorry.

Chris, walk away.

-Walk away.

-Just walk away.

-Chill.

-Just walk away.

Malcolm, f###ing hell, man.

Walk out.

This way.

Yo u have a gun or you can shoot people.

What are you doing that for?

Oh, Malcolm.

Malcolm, come on, man.

What you doing that for?

-F##k this, man.

-I don't care.

It's my fault.

It's my fault.

We deal -- We deal with this in -- in People think we are monkeys.

We're not f###ing monkeys.

And we're not f###ing I understand that -- Because I'm drun I just know that means I can't reason.

Do you mean, because I'm drunk, I can't reason?

I can't reason.

I can't listen.

No, but -- Listen, all we're trying to do is maintain the We have a job to do here.

It is.

But order, it means respect.

Yes.

For each other.

I can't come to you and -- But he's security, man.

That's what -- That's But he can't com I know that.

I know that.

Bu I know.

And that's why I'm sayi I'm sorry for that.

But we can't let it disrupt We have to work.

And then they treat you like -Yeah.

-He's drunk.

That's why he's like tha That's why I want to, you Malcolm, listen, I th is getting a bit to Relax.

It's done.

Al right?

F##k the f###ing s##t.

Those things were never said to you, man.

Who?

These things were said to me -- they were never said to you Many times, pal.

I work in the entertainment industry.

That's what I'm saying.

People talk to you like that.

We deal with that An d sometimes we have to stop "N o, you can't treat people like that."

Okay.

And you did that.

I did that.

Al So can we move o Alright.

Okay.

Kabaka: I don't mind if he hates and he loves Idris because he's I'll just tell him what's real.

And he just can come along and [ Music plays ] He'll -- He'll do what it takes to get stuff done.

You know, it's not -- it's not a "vanity project."

This is a proper album.

Got it.

Moving on.

Yes, sir.

Thank you, boss.

It's good.

Let's li He's very good, 'cause he just basica It's artists -- that's all.

It's just artists.

It's fine.

We got what we wanted, and Woman: You got it.

## ## ## We had a long day.

Everyone was feeling an d Mash.O was DJing in his tow and he said, "Come down," you know?

## It was exactly what we all needed.

You know, the vibe was stron and just so many people just ## And so it was just great to capture that vibe.

And it just reminded me of what, when I came here the first ti that was the first thi It was like, wow, this m they listen to DJs out here.

They -- They're like, "What you It's almost like who's playing the best drums.

That's what it felt like.

[ Scattered cheers ] ## ## ## ## Wanna be thankful of, you know, like, the opportunity I've and the acceptance and all of So anything that I'm taking is with, like, love and po emotions that are going to push this music forward and ultimately make my old m ## Norman: If you were to say something to you that you never said, what would that be?

[ Sighs ] ## I dunno.

I think I would say something like, "Manch-- Manchester United is a shit team."

[ Laughter ] Man: No, don't s I'm serious.

What?

I've never said that to my dad, man.

No, man.

And he was a massive, I' m going in there...

I'll -- I'll see if I can w Hold on, hold on.

[ Grunts ] Idris has, um, been invited to go to the White House, which is an And he's over the moon about it.

Unfortunately, we haven't got a priv that would've answered some problems because it would've meant "A " and "B" would've been shorter.

## ## Elba: Next thing on the schedule is going to the St ## One minute, I'm here being, you know, this musician, the next minute, I'm sort of like being an actor, and that -- and that's a different vibe altogether.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I didn't have my pho -Take a photo?

-Can Thank you, guys.

I really do have to run.

Do bner: He just met the president, hung out with George Clooney, went on Julia Roberts' privat You know, can't get any more stud-- star-studded.

Cameraman: Did you film some of the White House?

Yeah, I did on, on my iPhone.

That's the private scr So, Obama's stood at the front.

Elba: [ Imitating Barack Obama ] I'd like to th Harvey Weinstein [ Laughter ] This guy here.

Last time he came to the White House the ladies wouldn't leave him alone.

So, ladies, leave him alone.

[ Laughter ] [ Normal voice ] See?

The back on my head' I'm over here like, "Stop it, Barack."

Come on, man.

## Woman: Okay.

Everybody in secon [ Indistinct conversations ] ## [ Applause ] ## Elba: Always knew, at the back of my mi I've got to get cracki It was always looming.

Like, you're gonna for that film sooner or later, and here we are in the ## This is the L.A. leg, and it's been pr you know, there's been lots of screeners and lots of Q and A's.

Shitloads of questions about the perfor [ Indistinct conversations ] [ Speaking indistinctly ] Dobner: There's very to have any time for himself.

He moves from the car, physically wal sits down, gets powdered, has to read scripts... [ Laughs ] ...moves from that to do whatever piece is there for an interview or Hello.

I'm Idris Elba, and I'd like to for coming to watch "Mandela."

One more time.

Alright.

## He's out, back into the car, on the telephone again.

Oh, wow.

F##k's sake.

Moves on through the day, doing that.

So you're just basically existin to go to sleep, to wake up, to do it all again.

## Elba: I feel a little disconnected to my because I haven't had to -- I'm not Exhaustion was really setting in, you know.

## Woman: Ohh!

Idris Elba -- he's Luther, for cryi You know how many people stop me when they that I'm his chauffeur?

They say, "I love Lu Hey.

Hey.

You don't know me.

But I know you.

Hey.

Is that good?

I like this guy, He's a fan-- an d I'm very happy for his success.

[ Camera shutters clicking ] ## [ Crowd cheers ] ## He's at an interesting m He has a lot of opportunities in front of him ri Let's go with the flow.

He's being very careful a what he wants to take ## The key to ambition is to have Ambition without a strategy is like... a condom with no penis -- it's useless.

Is that profound?

Man: Could be, read -- read [ Laughs ] [ Engines roar ] ## [ Horn honks ] Next thing on the ## There's no traffic signals.

There's no -- It's like every man fo Back to basics.

[ Horn honks ] Elba: I love It's a challenge ## Hello, good morning.

How are you?

Yeah.

## We still had to record some more stuff.

And we had been invited out there to sort of work with t ## Birrell: And Africa based around musicians from different cultures -- explore each other's work and to enjoy play ## It's utterly mesmerizing and inspirational to be in a place where music is so important and the musicianship is so extr ## What is interesting to us musicians from England and America is that it's -- it's very one of the big tap roots of modern pop musi You can hear very clearly the blues in there, gospel and funk.

## If you did this evolutionary tree of the history of music, you'd have this huge, thick trunk called African music, and one of the little branches o would be Western pop music.

## Somebody asked me what I was going to Marley f And I said for a week of musical humiliation.

The amount of talent here is quite astounding.

Idrissa Akuna Elba.

[ Speaking indistinctly ] So I have, I have a small setup upstairs, mic.

Yes.

Come, and we'll jam.

No problem.

You get time.

You are here tomorrow... Fi ve days.

Yeah.

I'm here all my li Eno: I didn't know anything about him as a musician.

I know him only as an actor, and I'm always pleased when I discover that people have another, completely different side to their work.

Man: They probably ju Mm.

Oh, yeah.

I've had that.

I've had that feeling... from people.

And it -- What -- What -- What -- What comes from th is a sort of almost like a, uh, "Oh, yeah.

Oh, you do music, do you?"

Yeah.

Which means I have to ki a little bit hard-- more or what And then -- And it means that some peo don't really take you Yo u know, it's kinda like, "Hi, bye," you know?

Yeah.

That's fine.

Because, you know, I -- To -- That's -- I expect that.

Even if I was, uh, a trained singer, f###ing trained musician, I'd still get jip, you know, from people that didn't know or understand or believe.

So I'm not worried about it.

It doesn't dissuade me -- or actually, actually, it propels [ Rhythmic tapping ] [ Wind rushing ] [ Music playing faintly ] ## Elba: The new setup is different from where we were in JBO.

Because we were in a studio and -- and this is very much sort of like grab your laptop, grab your little area, and go for it.

You know, the musicians aren't coming to see us.

You know, we've gotta go and get the musician and "Hey, do you want a jam on thi And it works.

Yeah.

Yeah.

You know, it's a learning curve fo And, um, I'm enjoying that.

It's Africa, man.

## [ Bleats ] ## ## There's loads of musicians here in Bamako, you know, they fed part of the north where they'd been banned rece This is what they do.

This is their trade.

And suddenly, their trade could get their hands chop ## ## [ Thunder rumbling ] ## [ Shouting ] ## -I'm Idrissa Elba.

-Elba.

-Idris.

-Idrissa.

Idrissa.

-Idrissa.

-Idr So let's do -- let's do the change.

Alright?

Yeah.

I want them to Yeah.

So just to cha-- just to change.

Yeah?

[ All singing ] [ Laughter ] [ Choir singing ] [ All singing ] Elba: When you listen to the album, it's gonna sound like a great album.

And then half of it is done by people that are totally unknown.

I love that.

-Fantastic.

Very g Very good.

Very good.

I'll tell you what, man, it's -- th And she's singing beautifully.

She's gonna get the track, right?

Ma And we've got bass now.

So he'll be able t And then drums dro And we're out of here.

## You know, I wish I had more time.

'Cause I would've probably just finished the whole record here, but I have to jump from this space into promoting the Mandela film.

Not what I wanna do right now.

[ Engines roar ] ## This is Graça Machel, Mum.

Yeah?

Mr. Mandela's wife, now.

I'm Mandela's wife.

[ ## Mum, Winnie's here.

She was so excited to meet you.

So good to see you.

[ Laughter ] Has it felt like a lo Uh.

[ Chuckles ] Yes, of course.

It's been a very long time you know, to come to this da Reporter: Was there some that you learned about y Um, I channeled my father, my late da to, uh, play Nelson Mandela.

And I realized, also, that I'm very much like my d I think, when I'm old, I'm gonna look just like him.

[ Chuckles ] [ Camera shutters clicking I'm sweating.

Hold on.

Have you got a tissue?

Oh, don't matter.

Doesn't matter.

I'm sweating.

Ev eryone's in your face, and everyone was pulli and it should have been a great moment, you know, in our lives, but I definitely wi as a time when it was just Everybody, everybody, stop touching me.

And I couldn't really keep the cool facade on.

Where's uh -- Where's my mum and -- [ Speaking indistinctly ] Al Where's my famil ## You okay?

[ Speaking indistinctly ] -No, you okay?

-Yeah.

You're holding your belly.

Yo So really gotta look at what I'm supposed to do.

All of it's important to the film, but I'm just not sure how much Yo u can't give away that much of yourself, man, and expect to survive.

## [ Bird calls ] I'd love coming and showin or showing my mum a film.

That was it.

That's it.

I'm happy with that.

The rest of the world -- I don't kn [ Bird calls ] I've been close to death in a fiction way but this is the death of someone that's real to me, but I'll tell you, it's just weird how it's a and all while I'm doing the greatest moment of my life, you know?

It just seems unfair, really, but this is the grea should be the greatest time of my life.

And [sighs] don't know.

## ## Anyway, kind of feels good to be back here and sort of finish up some loose ends.

## I've got to see Thandiswa.

She sung two songs of us.

She wants to hear the song, and she hasn't signed paperwork.

Let me play this stuff.

It's gonna be nuts.

[ Up-tempo music plays ] ## Man: Is it a bit unnerving?

Of course.

If she doesn't like it they'll make me go in and do it again.

It's not mixed, eh?

Yeah.

That No, the tune -- it's not mixed.

Mazwai: Oh yeah, yeah.

## Oh.

So I just hope she doesn "Oh, I don't really want 'cause that would just f##k me up.

## Ah!

[ Indistinct singing ] ## ## ## Okay.

Let me do that again.

Rewind.

She's on board fully.

They're good songs.

I knew that -- I, you know -- I've just been, I think she -- 'cause she hasn't he since she recorded them, and, you kno she's likes to be in the control.

So she wants to hear the s then she'll tell you when it's done [ Engines roar ] ## So far, doing this without a record label has proved to be, like, taxing And I understand why record labels exist.

## It was a journey in S while I was making the film.

Music was the way I sort South Africa has a rich, rich music culture, music scene, musicians and whatnot.

And I sort of plugged into it.

And then I found myself back [ Mid-tempo music plays ] ## ## ## ## Those people did not know what to expect.

[ Chuckles ] I could just see it dawn on "He is absolutely serious."

Leonard: Successful actor wants to make an album.

We've all seen it.

And you know, sometimes the that -- that -- that pleasant or even, indeed, interesting.

And it is a risk.

Elba: I'm not an artist that's gonna make them a lot but hopefully gonna build a strong relatio ## Leonard: You're -- You're gonn who feel that he's blowing the boundaries of what he should be doing.

And -- But it's stil ## That's an incredible song -- that.

Please tell me that's on the al Elba: Yeah.

It hangs togethe There's a cohesiveness Th ank you very much.

An d we'll get into some more of and come back to you.

Alright, man.

Thank you very much.

Thanks I know what the ingredients are, and I've got a very strong idea of... ## But what they -- what it's actually gonna t I -- I haven't a clue.

Dobner: Ohh, I thi We did it, in front of a whole record label.

We pulled the wool over their eyes.

Jesus Christ.

We pulled that together.

# Da-da, da-da, da-da, da-da # I've got to take a [ Laughs ] [ Cheers and applause ] ## ## Elba: I'm on Leicester Square, man, dreamed of it.

All the premieres that I would go to as a kid going, "Wow."

And then, there I was, literally.

This was my moment, my name ev And I'm on Leicester square, man.

I had a few members of my family, my first drama teacher there, I had my mates, and there was a really nice atmosphere in London.

Idris -- [ Camera shutters clicking ] I was in the cinema with the Duchess on my left, Prince William next to us, and someone leaned over to the Duchess and said something to her.

And she just looked up an d just passed me this phone and said, "Nelson Mandela dies age 94."

And the Duchess just burst into tears.

[ All conversing in native langua [ Cheers and applause ] [ All singing in native language ] ## Elba: The family said, "We'd like you ## Went to the private burial.

[ Rhythmic gunshots ] It was very deep, very personal, very sad.

It took a man like Madiba to free not just the prisoner, but the jailer as well.. [ Cheers and applause ] For the people of South Africa... for those he inspired around the globe, Madiba's passing is rightly a time of mourning and a time to celebrate a heroic life.

[ Cheers and applause ] Elba: The world was empty, and everyone was there, There was a moment when, um, we're sitting there, and, you know, the whole world's watching, and at the end he says, uh, you know, "The man that played Nelson Man Idris Elba."

And all I heard was "E And, you know, I just can imagine, you know, that's my old man's name.

You know what I mean?

Like, my dad's name was [ Scoffs ] It blew my mind, you know?

When I think about it, it blows my mind.

## [ Bird cawing ] ## We miss you, man.

I'm th [ Breathes deeply ] And... [ Sighs ] I dunno, man.

[ Birds cawing ] I'm, uh, directing the story of, uh It's a half-an-hour film.

I'm playing you, and Mum is playing the lollipop lady.

[ Laughs ] She always wanted to be in the movies.

[ Laughs ] So I've put her in the movies, playing the lollipop lad [ Sniffles ] Bloody hell.

You would laugh, Dad, I'm telling you.

[ Chuckles ] ## Seven days before he died, man, believe it or not, on my birthday.. me and Naiyana went to tell my dad that she was pregnant.

[ Sniffles ] And he went, "Well, boy, if it's a boy, then you know you must call him Wisdom."

Man: Really?

[ Laughs ] Yeah, I swear.

He was excited.

[ Birds chirping ] My dad dying and my son alright, you know, it's just like... ## ...it's just full -- that's full ci You know what I mean?

This is what we're here for.

This is full circle.

Everything is circul Everything has a beginning and an end and then a beginning.

[ Sniffles ] 'Cause when I see my son, I just laugh 'cause I'm like, "Yeah, you know, that's me.

That's -- That's my rebirth."

[ Chuckling ] You know what I'm saying?

I love it.

And -- And my dad must have fe He loved music and loved movies, loved great actors.

And here I am doing all of that for him that -- you know, that's him.

You know what Ladies and gentlemen, And I would like you to just watch me.

[ Cheers and applause ] [ Indistinct shouting ] -At this time... .. .and see how I'm still doing it -- going strong.

Man: Yeah, yeah!

[ Cheers and applause ] ## # Growing old # ## # Growing old # ## # I wish I'll never grow old # ## # Growing ol ## # Growing old # ## # I wish I'll never grow old # ## # So many times I'm told # # My hand is made of gold # # So many, many times I'm told # # Told # # I'll never, never # Grow old # # Life is always a misery # # Misery # # Just because of m # Policies # # The thought of growing old # # Is a problem with the human soul #