| A Tribute to Mama Africa – Remembering Miriam Makeba |
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| Written by Zola Ndimande |
| Monday, 01 June 2009 10:09 |
 JOHANNESBURG She was born Miriam Zenzile Makeba in a small township in Johannesburg. Little did she know that being born in an apartheid era would determine most of the life experiences she had and shape the strong woman she became and one that we all learned to love so much. She was given the title “Mama Africa” for carrying Africa’s struggle
within her and for her unchanging dedication to the whole of Africa. She carried this title always with great humility and grace. This legendary songstress had the ability to hypnotize people with her music and beauty wherever she went including world leaders such as Hailé Selassie, Fidel Castro, John F. Kennedy and François Mitterrand. She toured with singers such as Paul Simon, Nina Simone, Hugh Masekela and Dizzy Gillepsie and many moreLike most singers, her first experience with singing was in church. She was well known for her sensational singing and she later formed a group called the Skylarks  which recorded many songs which became big hits at the time. Just as apartheid was beginning in South Africa, her music career kicked off with an invitation to go on a tour with the Manhattan Brothers, whose sound was reminiscent of the American Mills Brothers. Having grown up in a difficult environment Makeba soon realised that singing would be her ticket out of the poverty surrounding her and also a means of voicing out the injustices of the apartheid system. She further expanded her career by playing a lead role in King Kong, a South African Musical about the life of a boxer. However her real success came when she played a small singing role in the anti-apartheid documentary film Come Back, Africa, which was screened at the 1959 Venice Film Festival. She literally became an instant celebrity.She travelled to America to sing at the Village Vanguard Jazz Club and soon after, she joined up with Harry Belafonte on a world tour and he helped her record her most famous solo recordings of “Pata Pata” which became the first top 20 U.S. single by an African artist and the well known “Click song”. These were songs which would follow her throughout her career until the end. In1959 she became the first South African to win a Grammy award for the album 'An Evening with Harry Belafonte & Miriam Makeba'. She captivated the public with her music and open views about injustice in her home country. Meanwhile, South Africa continued to cement the roots of the apartheid regime and kept a close eye on her growing stardom and her outspoken nature. She soon became a threat to the government and records of her music were banned in South Africa. Makeba soon found herself an exile from her own country and she couldn’t even return to attend the funeral of her own mother. She would remain an exile for the next 31 years. She made a huge impression on the American public who embraced her like a long lost child and she met with many famous personalities from Marlon Brando to Bill Cosby. She even appeared on the Letterman show as a young and confident African woman who knew exactly where she was going. As the years went by and South Africa’s situation was not improving, she gave several addresses to the UN special committee to request sanctions on the apartheid government.  She won several awards throughout her life some of them being the Dag Hammarskjöld peace prize for her campaigning efforts and the UNESCO Grand Prix du Conseil International de la Musique. After her very controversial marriage to Black Panther leader Stokely Carmichael, America turned their back on her and she found herself yet again, without a home. She moved to West Africa, Guinea where she lived as an exile and it was during that time that she also visited East Africa and recorded a version of the famous Swahili song ”Malaika”. Throughout her life she traveled and lived in those countries which would accept her and also being banned from some of them. She always stood as an icon for Africa as a whole and wherever she went she made quite an impression. But back in South Africa she was not forgotten. With the eminent release of Nelson Mandela and the future of South Africa looking promising, the people of South Africa were ready for her to come back to her home country. After her return, she continued to be “Mama Africa” and a reluctant political ambassador for the plight of South Africans and all Africans who were marginalized by society. She became a strong voice all over the world The beloved Miriam Makeba, sang her last song in November 2008 in Castel Volturno, Italy where she had a heart attack after completing one of her famous songs, “Pata Pata”. She collapsed on stage and was taken to the "Pineta Grande" clinic where doctors were unable to revive her. She was performing at a benefit concert to support writer Roberto Saviano in his stand against the Camorra, a local mafia-like organization and also held in memory of six immigrants from Ghana shot dead in a turf war over drugs. She died while doing what she did best, communicating a positive message through the art of singing. Miriam Makeba had weathered many storms in her life, including several car accidents, a plane crash and even cancer. There is no doubt that this amazing songstress will live in the hearts of many for years to come. She will be remembered for her outspoken nature and the many fights she fought for all vulnerable people from Africa. She was truly Mama Africa. In an interview in 2005 by Agence France-Presse, she was asked about her title Mama Africa, "People gave me that name. At first I said to myself: 'Why do they want to give me that responsibility, carrying a whole continent?' Then I understood that they did that affectionately. So I accepted. I am Mama Africa”. Bookmark us: 
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| Last Updated on Monday, 08 June 2009 13:47 |