( CNN ) -- It is not easy to capture a man 's life in 152 minutes , let alone a life as illustrious and complex as Nelson Mandela 's . For London-born actor Idris Elba , who played the South African leader in the 2013 biopic `` Mandela : Long Walk to Freedom , '' the task was sure to feel Herculean . `` I could never really articulate what it felt like to play Mandela properly in an interview , '' he admits in a phone conversation with CNN . Though the actor is British , and physically bears little resemblance to the late South African leader , Elba recalls the unexpectedly warm reception he received , particularly from extras on set -- many of whom were locals who lived through the apartheid era . `` South Africa is very embracing . Even though I 'm not from South Africa and was about to play Mandela , they still gave me a lot of love , '' he says . By the end of filming , many were even calling him `` Madiba . '' The experience , life-changing in many ways , was bound to feel odd . For Elba , the best way to capture not just the man but the feeling of playing him on film , was through music . Next week will see the release of `` Mi Mandela , '' a tribute to Mandela made up of songs written and produced by Elba himself , and performed by a mixture of South African and British talent , including Mumford & Sons , the Mahotella Queens and Maverick Sabre . `` There were various sensations I experienced ( playing Mandela ) , and I could never give an answer I was satisfied with . I think this album represents that answer . It allows me to express the feelings of playing him , '' says Elba . The `` Luther '' actor describes the record as a `` character album , '' and hopes to produce similar projects for the many other roles he 's taken on over the years . In this respect , `` Mi Mandela '' is as much about his own journey as it is about Mandela 's . In the album 's title song -- the only one that Elba performs on -- he has a tongue-in-cheek lyric about the casting choice . `` All the families showed me love , the people wished me well/The whole town wondering how Mandela could be played by Stringer Bell , '' he sings , referring to his breakout role in HBO 's `` The Wire . '' `` It 's the thoughts I was thinking at the time of making that film . Music is a good way to get closer to a character , closer to an actor . It describes the whole journey of playing Mandela . It 's better than any picture , any postcard , any script , any autograph from an actor , '' he says . `` I would love to hear a character album from Marlon Brando in 'The Godfather , ' '' he admits . `` Just to understand what Marlon was going through at the time of making that film , how he was feeling playing that character . What kind of music would that be ? What would it sound like ? That would be fascinating for me . '' A link to his father . For Elba , playing Mandela had personal resonance as well , as filming for the role coincided with the death of his father . `` I lost both men around the same time , '' Elba confides . `` Mandela reminded me of my dad , and my dad reminded me of him . They were both massive symbols in my life . '' Elba describes how his father , a Sierra Leone-born shop steward working out of London 's Hackney , fought for the rights of union workers at a time in English history when their plight was particularly arduous ( it was Maggie Thatcher 's time in power , after all ) . `` He was always equating himself with Mandela and people like Mandela who were standing up for what they believed in , and I would always succumb to 30-minute lectures about rights , '' he recalls . He co-wrote the song `` Tree , '' which features on the album and is performed by American artists Audra Mae and Cody Chesnutt , partially as a tribute to his father . `` Somebody tell my father , that we are standing by his tree/ And even though we miss him , we are glad that he 's set free , '' the lyrics go . `` That song is particularly moving to me , '' says Elba . `` As much as I wrote it for my dad , it relates to Mandela too , even more so now . '' Idris Elba 's `` Mi Mandela '' is set for release on November 24 .
Singer Joshua Elba releases his first single , ` ` Mi Mandela '' next week . It captures the sensation of playing Nelson , in film ` ` Mandela : Long Walk to Freedom '' and plans to release other ` ` character albums '' for Luther and Stringer , in the future .