"Mandinka" is a song by Sinéad O'Connor from her 1987 album The Lion and the Cobra. Sinéad O'Connor drew inspiration from many different sources, for example, her Irish tradition as well as Leonard Cohen, punk rock, and the nascent rap scene. In an interview in The Tech, 12 April 1988, O'Connor 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."