Miriam Makeba: "Mama Africa" Leaves Us a Map

By Amir Said

How much life can you live? At some point, if we want more, we must ask that seemingly simple question, "how much life can I live?" Miriam Makeba, affectionately known around the world as 'Mama Africa', asked that question. Her answer? A sweet voice that spread humanity with every note.

Famed singer Miriam Makeba was born in South Africa in 1932, right into the throws of Apartheid--the institutional racism and oppression against Black South Africans that was enforced by the (white) South African government. This was a fact that would shape her professional music career, which began in the 1950s, and ran straight through to her death this past Monday, November 10, 2008.

Miriam Makeba was the kind of singer/recording artist that better appeals to each of our personal musical instincts. She was literally a voice for humanity. In 1963, she testified against Apartheid before the United Nations (UN). In a powerful, Harry Belafonte-aided speech, (that ultimately lead to the South African government revoking her citizenship and right to return to South Africa), Makeba put the spotlight on the un-humanity of the South African government. One important bi-product of Makeba's speech was that it also shed light on the denial of civil rights to Blacks in America at the time.

After Miriam Makeba's South African citizenship was revoked, she remained in the United States, where her professional music career blossomed. In 1967, she recorded her biggest American hit, "Pata Pata." In 1969, After receiving a public backlash for marrying civil rights activist and then Black Panther, Stokely Carmichael (Kwame Ture), Makeba and her new husband moved to Guinea. By 1973, Makeba and Carmichael (ture) separated. After their divorce, Makeba performed primarily in Africa, Europe, and South America, throughout the remainder of the '70s and the '80s.

In 1990, at the request and persuasion of South African leader Nelson Mandela, Miriam Makeba finally returned to South Africa. Two years later (1992) she starred in the film Sarafina!, about the 1976 Soweto youth uprisings.

Having given so much of herself--so much joy and uplifting encouragement--to the world, Miriam Makeba realized just how much life she wanted to live.

My condolences to Miriam Makeba's family and friends.

Miriam Makeba

Comments

[Kiril]

Technically she wasn't born into the throws of Apartheid, as the National Party did not come to power until 1948, although she certainly was born into institutional and systemic racism.

Semantics aside, she was a great singer and a greater human being.

[Kiril]

Technically she wasn't born into the throws of Apartheid, as the National Party did not come to power until 1948, although she certainly was born into institutional and systemic racism.

Semantics aside, she was a great singer and a greater human being.

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