tavis: good evening. first up to nine +, a discussion with vusi mahlasela. known as "the boys" he is not -- known as "the voice," he is here in america. melissa leo earned her second oscar nod this week for her performance in the film "the fight for." that film is also in the category for best picture. vusi mahlasela and melissa leo coming up. >> all i know is his name is james, and he needs extra help with his reading. >> i am james.

>> yes. >> to everyone making a difference, you help us all live better. >> nationwide insurance proudly supports tavis smiley. nationwide is on your side. >> and from contributions to your pbs station by viewers like you. thank you. [captioning made possible by kcet public television] tavis: vusi mahlasela is a singer-songwriter-poet known as "the voice.

his latest album is "say africa." he has recorded in dave matthews' studios. here is vusi and dave performing the song "everyday." ♪ ♪ ♪ tavis: this project was a collaboration. we mentioned dave matthews. you have everybody on this project.

>> yes. dave is not on this one. taz mahal is the producer. he was happy to produce this. he sort of really had to have the album. i think we came up with something with a folkish, blues -- he is so knowledgeable. there are quite a lot of african artists like it. it was great to work with him. tavis: you like doing collaborations? >> i like them. i think those collaborations are kind of like collecting the right forces.

tavis: what is it that you -- how would you describe what it is you are doing with the music? i read somewhere that this is not so much an album as it is a campaign. what do you mean by that? what are you doing with your music? >> more of really giving hope to the people, you know? giving them that kind of enlightenment about us as people. i think music is about giving hope and bring messages of hope for the music. i like doing that. there is a cause of humanness. tavis: how important is it for you, the lyrical content, the actual lyrics of what you're saying? >> i think the lyrics are very much important. people really can hear what you

really want to say. of course, it is supported by music and melodies that can go with it. it is really great. i think through the poetry, it goes into music. it really helps quite a lot for my music. i have been listening to quite a lot of musicians who inspired me, like a chilean poet and guitarist, who is using a lot of messages in the poetry of music. people like him really inspire me. i think the lyrics play a very important role. it is more like the language.

it is the language. if you're losing the language -- it is a special way to give the message is people really wanted to hear. my lyrics are more about focusing a lot on what makes us believe, conflict, fear, power, and jealousy. sometimes we have to speak about love. there is also more about global things as well. tavis: when it came to developing and defining your own language and finding your own voice, what came first to you artistically, the poetry or the music? >> first it is the music. i grew up playing music at home.

my grandmother, there used to be quite a lot of music there. she owned what you would call a speakeasy. she used to do quite a lot of music there. some musicians would also play. we also grew up listening to quite a lot of motown artists. we listened to quite a lot of american music growing up because america kept shipping things to other countries, you know? it is only here in america where they had them and that is where we got the tone of those artists. my guitar, it does more for me to play with. at the age of seven, me and my

friends would self-making instruments. my neighbor gave me my first guitar and used to work the night shift. me and my friend would be playing the music. he gave us the name. the name was "the pleasure invaders." tavis: because you would not let him sleep. beyond the music, you mentioned you were raised by her grandmother. what do you recall about life in south africa as a child? your childhood and what you went through, what you saw, apartheid, how does that affect your music, your lyrics? >> i grew whup not knowing there were imbalances or injustice in my country.

1976 came. i was 11 years old then. that was the uprising. it was the uprising were the students took it upon themselves that they were going to change this because of what was imposed on them. they had to do everything. in the townships, we were sort of like really placed in sections according to our ethnic -- the zulus, people would be in different sections. no, this has to change. that is when i started asking questions. that is when my education start. from that time on, i was really involved in the african nation of congress, a youth organization.

i joined a poetry group called the ancestors of africa. the leader of that group was my political mentor and was assassinated for his activism. tavis: do these experiences work their way into your music? >> very much so. sometimes, they're really bad. sometimes it is confiscated by police. everything that i write, i would put it here. i have it. i think we called it "the remember song." "when you come back" was my first cd.

i have been to a lot of political rallies since. tavis: this is put out on the dave matthews label. tell me about this city. what is "say africa"? >> it is more about my life. my friend of mine and i did this together. it is more about traveling all over. sometimes you wake up and you don't know where you are. sometimes you miss africa because there are such things to make you happy bear in africa, which is more the spirit of ubuntu. it is kindness. it is very much important, ubuntu. it is something that was there from the beginning of time. when you see your neighbor's

children going hungry, you really have to do something about it, sharing and helping. we have a problem with profits, some people would give you their name and are schering people. ubuntu is all about us. we ask people to honor each other and care for each other. tavis: perfect note to end our conversation on. you have your guitar. do you want to play a song? grab that drew a quick. i will tell the audience, remind them what the cd is, before we see melissa leo. the new cd from vusi mahlasela is called "say africa." i can assure you will love it. and you should add it to your collection. i have 45 seconds here. take it away.

[mid-tempo melody] >> ♪ ♪ >> ♪ tavis: please welcome melissa leo back to this program. every time we see her, she has been nominated for some of their award. an oscar in this case, for role

in "the fight for." the film also stars mark wahlberg and amy adams. >> he was a good man. >> a good man? >> he was a legitimate businessman. >> you know what that sounds like? they're crooks. he is a cab driver. he knows everything, right? i don't think so. he will rob him blind. >> why would you think that? why can you trust anybody? >> i know people. i know you think i don't know anything. >> i know you know things. >> we don't need that in our lives. >> we have not made $1 with these kids. he is a crook. >> what is dickie supposed to do? we're not talking about his trainer, sweetheart. we're talking about his manager.

that is me. tavis: you have quite a family in this movie. i asked how many kids she has in real life. she has one. what is it like playing the mother of nine kids? >> let me just say i am glad i have the one. it was extraordinary. i don't know if i would have known how to love them all. i learned from alice. i learned from the way the kids talked about the months today, 20 years beyond what you see in the film. mostly from dallas herself. an extraordinary woman. the film is not about alice ward. it is about mickey and his brother. you catch alice's story along the way. really, a remarkable woman. i don't know how many women there are in the fight management came today. tavis: i was, in research for our conversation, i was comparing your age to that of mark wahlberg and christian bale. i am thinking that maybe one

should be offended when mark wahlberg calls you and asks you to play the mother, his mother, when you are not that far apart. if mark wahlberg calling you to play his mama ends up with a nomination for an academy award, i guess you cannot complain, can you? >> no, you cannot complain. i advise anyone, if you get a call from mark wahlberg, take it and do whatever he says. [laughter] it was not a call from mark. i was invited to meet with james -- david at mark's suggestion. of course, he had seen "frozen river." i went with every intention to tell david, thank you, but no thank you. maybe down the line. i don't see myself in that part. five minutes into the conversation with him and he has me hook, line, and sinker, because he believed in me. as an actor, you really want that in a director. there is a bridge of trust between you. that belief from the director, clearly, i learned, his belief can be stronger than mine, and it can work. tavis: market is on record saying that when he saw you in

"frozen river," he knew he wanted you for this role. it is a beautiful thing to of the director believe in you, but how cool is that when the producer says, this is the person i want, and they come and get you? >> he had been living with the story for a long time, probably knows alice better than anyone. it was a remarkable honor to me that he would name me as the one to play this part. a delicate balancing type wrote -- tightrope walk apart. tavis: put up that solo shot -- thank you. the one thing that i love about your work, and i'm not the only one who feels this way, is you have this a knack, willingness to lose yourself in these roles. it is not just reacting. you take on and embody the character. talk to me about your process for how you literally lose yourself in these characters. >> honestly, i think that is the fun of acting.

that is the job. i will show up innately in every part i play, no matter how disguised or recognizable i am. that is the least important. that is the unavoidable part of it. i will either look to the script, and with "the fighter," there's not much of the script before we started shooting. it was a much more oral history, photo albums, stories told by david, mark, the family, everyone. it was an extraordinary amount of work on an external appearance of ballots. the hair is not a way. it is my hair. we cut it. david wanted it even shorter. tavis: last time you did your own makeup. at this time you did not. >> i did not. i called a girl i worked with 20 years before in rhode island. she did my face for alice each day. trisha hine. there you have it. the external part of dallas.

the internal part -- it is a necessity for me to believe the ground she is walking on. i will gather information from the family, and there will be misinformation because everyone has their own imprint -- interpretation of the truth, and i find a way for it to fit in me. that is where my experience as a mother comes in. i only have one. i don't know how you could have any children and not love them like nothing else on earth. everyone of them the same, but different. tavis: i have nine brothers and sisters. this is a good time to say thanks, mom. you suggested a moment ago that before you started shooting, the script was not completely developed. i am thinking, is that like, when you're working on a project when you have that freedom, is that like a trampoline were you bounce around and figure it out, or like a tightrope, were you

are walking and not so sure? does that make sense? crazy question. >> with david, it is a little bit of a tightrope that is the trampoline as well. there had been a script. marquette had this project for so long. he had a script. david coming into it really saw that the women were interval to these men's lives and wanted more about them in his script. when i met david, he was revamping what had been there already. at first, i only saw 20 pages of it. before we shot, we have the whole thing. there was a little making it up as we go along, which is fun. hard for me to describe how i worked on alice. there was so much of their involvement. we keep on citing "frozen river." polar opposite of that.

courtney was a beautiful guy who had written a beautiful script we could clearly follow together. most of the work on the who was my own. tavis:andy was here not -- amy was here not too long ago. you both are nominated in the same category. what will that be like? >> some people say we are nominated in competition or against each other in the category. i really like the notion that i am nominated with amy. she was a delight to work with ansett, to have a bond and have a really of enjoying someone, and then have animosity on- screen with them, is really fun for an actor to do. it was -- she was a really good friend. we spent a lot of time together having dinner. lesley ann jack would come along. it was great to have another female actor that, while we are

having down time, i could spend that time with her. they don't let that happen that often. tavis: what happens inside your home, inside your head, inside your heart, inside your camp, you know, when you start doing projects that you start getting nominated for with some regularity? how does your world start to change? you are not just an actor snow. people recognize you as a celebrated actress and nominations, along with that. how does it change? >> it is a good spot to be asked that question. i remember clearly, coming here with a single publicist that i don't know i knew that well on the day i met you to talk about "frozen river." i have a few more people with me. tavis: you have people now. >> my make up and my hair, it is a bigger deal. quite frankly, although "frozen

river" will always be deeply dear to my heart, this walk through all of this hoopla is really kind of fun this time. i met mark wahlberg, for god's sake. he goes down the hall in front of you. nothing like it. it is really kind of neat. tavis: is this one of those -- you hear these stories all the time. i don't know how much i believe them. you get in on some will like this, christian nominated, amy and you nominated, is the harmony we see now the same kind of harmony that was on the set? >> it has been such a beautiful journey, this entire film, down to the seven sisters. mickey was cast so beautifully

and aptly, not only with the right actor, but also at the right moment for each actor to be playing that character, something about the many years of mark's training that put him in the character i am not sure he has ever been so deep in a character. christian, his readiness to do it, amy's desire to share with the world a little broader aspect of hers as an actor. we were all so ready, willing, and able, and with great part to play, all of us. it was a remarkable shoot with a lot of interaction. it was kind of along the line of the characters we replying. that is sort of what happens on the set. to meet up with them as the film is released, at the red carpet, screenings, and now beyond, the worktables, sitting there at the golden globes table, it is my family there.

it is really fun. downright fun. tavis: this is getting to be a perennial. i hope you keep getting nominated. if she does, she will keep coming to see us. congratulations on the nomination. we will all be watching on the big night. it is a privilege to have you here. >> i will come any time you want. tavis: "the fighter," melissa leo. thank you for joining us. until next time, keep the faith. >> for more information on today's show, visit tavis smiley at pbs.org tavis: hello, i am tavis. join me with jennifer beals.

>> all i know is his name is james, and he needs extra help with his reading. >> i am james. >> yes. >> to everyone making a difference, you help us all live better. >> nationwide insurance proudly supports tavis smiley. with every question and every answer, nationwide insurance is proud to joint have this in working to improve literacy and remove obstacles to economic empowerment. nationwide is on your side. >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--