Miriam Makeba was a world renowned South African singer and activist. Called Mama Africa by some, she embodied the political and cultural ideals shared by many in the liberation struggle. She was banned from the country in 1960 (early in her career) after she appeared in an anti-apartheid film called Come Back Africa (see clip from below). The Apartheid government, sensing she was a revolutionary, revoked her South African passport as she was returning home from performing in Europe to attend her Mother's funeral. She would not re-enter the country for another 30 years.
While she had been performing in South Africa for a number of years, her international career took off when she partnered with Harry Belafonte both in music and in business. The album they recorded together in 1965, An Evening with Belafonte/Makeba, won a Grammy Award for Best Folk Recording. It was one of the first albums released to American audiences to contain traditional songs in African languages (Zulu, Sotho, Swahili, etc.). She recorded a few succesful records in the following years, while gaining notoreity with American audiences and the mainstream press.
However, her marriage to Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee organizer and Black Panther Stokely Carmichael in 1968 found her practically blacklisted in the Unites States. Suddenly, her record deals and tour dates were mysteriously cancelled. She moved with Carmichael in his self-imposed exile to Guinea. Here, she continued to record music, but also acted as Guinea's Official Delegate to the UN. After she split with Carmichael in '73 she continued to travel and perform, although still not in the US. In 1986 she connected with Paul Simon and accompanied him on his Graceland Tour (see video below).
In 1990 she finally returned to South Africa at the behest of none other than Nelson Mandela. She continued to make music, starred in the film Sarafina!, and was involved in global humanitarian work until her death in 2008.
This afternoon I was introducing myself to a large group of high school students. We were doing an exercise where if I said something that they liked, they patted their heads in approval. When talking about what I liked in and about South Africa, I mentioned Miriam Makeba. I didn't notice a single student not patting their head.
This is Miriam singing a couple of songs and being interviewed in Sweden, 1966. She talks about the Apartheid system and its repression of black entertainers and protest music. She is so elegant and eloquent.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lExbPP8zmUg
This is a clip from the documentary Come Back Africa. It's a beautiful setting and reveals the the resiliency of character amongst the victims of Apartheid.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyQUYJkvcUo&feature=related
Here is Miriam coming onstage with Paul Simon to sing a tune called Soweto Blues. This is from the Graceland Tour and took place in Harare, Zimbabwe in 1987. Her energy is electric and the song is rousing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhwAX_r99Ck
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