Biography of Miriam Makeba by Narcy Negrete
Abstract
Miriam Makeba was a South African singer, daughter, mother, and an antiapartheid activist. After she was exiled from South Africa in , she used her success to shine a light on the ugly truths of apartheid government. She utilised her voice to sing political songs and deliver two speeches at the United Nations.
Key Words
Miriam Makeba, music, Pata Pata, Soweto Blues, Graceland tour, United Nations Assembly
Introduction
Miriam Makeba was well known for her unforgettable voice, but no one can deny she played an even bigger part in the South African history. During her time in exile she became very outspoken about her stand against apartheid. She used her elevated position to address the United Nations and bring forth the issues occurring in South Africa. She demonstrated that there are different ways to fight an oppressive government; her songs and success proved to be a form of protest that the apartheid government tried to silence but failed. The success Makeba obtained internationally helped expose the suffering of Africans. While exiled in America and Guinea, Miriam Makeba contributed to the fight against the ap
Pata Pata: The world’s most defiantly joyful song?
Features correspondent
One of the most infectious songs ever made was first released in Arwa Haider looks at how Pata Pata has endured over the following six decades – and what it meant for those living under apartheid rule.
In a seemingly ageless clip of South African singer-songwriter Miriam Makeba, performing live on prime-time US TV, she sounds and looks radiant, soaring and shimmying through a melody that is irresistibly catchy from its opening notes; show host Ed Sullivan introduces her briefly yet emphatically as “magnificent”. The year of the clip is , and Makeba’s song is Pata Pata: an international smash hit by a black female talent exiled from her own country under apartheid rule.
Makeba had released many songs before Pata Pata, but for global audiences it has endured as an instant gateway, both to the rich versatility of her sound, and an expansive world perspective. Makeba had previously recorded a version of the song, the sweetly swinging Phatha Phatha, with her Johannesburg girl group The Skylarks in Her musical abilities had been recognised during her Prospect Township childho
Miriam Makeba: Pata Pata
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Miriam Makeba was born in March 4th, in Johannesburg, during a time of economic depression. Her mother, a domestic worker, was imprisoned for six months for illegally brewing beer to help make ends meet, and Miriam went to prison with her as she was just 18 days old. She grew up in Nelspruit where her father was a clerk with Shell Oil.
Makeba’s mother was also a sangoma, or a practitioner of herbal medicine, divination and counselling in traditional Zulu, Xhosa, Ndebele and Swazi (Nguni) societies of Southern Africa. Her father died when she was five years old, Miriam was sent to live with her grandmother at a compound in Riverside, Pretoria. From a young age, Makeba loved to sing at church, and performed her first solo during the Royal Visit. Miriam began her working life helping her mother clean houses. In the s, she lived in Sophiatown when it was a vibrant place and one of the few areas where all races could mix. It was the scene of kwela music, marabi and African jazz and big band music became popular.
Miriam Makeba began her music career singing for her cousin’s band, the Cuban Brothers, but it was only when she began to sing for the Manhatta
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