Miriam Makeba

Miriam Makeba

Early Life and Career Beginnings

Zenzile Miriam Makeba was born on March 4, 1932, in Prospect township near Johannesburg, South Africa, to Xhosa and Swazi parents. Her childhood was marked by hardship—her father, a teacher, died when she was six years old, and her mother was imprisoned for six months when Miriam was just eighteen days old for brewing and selling umqombothi, a traditional beer. Despite these challenges, Makeba showed exceptional vocal talent from an early age, singing in church choirs in multiple languages including English, Xhosa, Sotho, and Zulu. She was heavily influenced by her family's musical heritage, with her mother playing traditional instruments and her father performing with a group called The Mississippi 12.

Professional Rise in South Africa

Makeba began her professional career in the early 1950s, joining the all-male Cuban Brothers before moving to the Manhattan Brothers at age 21, where she was the only female vocalist. With them, she recorded her first hit, "Lakutshn, Ilanga" in 1953, and developed a national reputation. In 1956, she joined the Skylarks, an all-woman group performing jazz and traditional South African melodies. Her 1956 solo recording "Lovely Lies" became the first South African record to chart on the US Billboard Top 100. In 1959, Makeba appeared in the anti-apartheid film "Come Back, Africa," which garnered international attention and led to performances in Venice, London, and New York City.

International Breakthrough and Activism

After her film appearance, Makeba moved to New York in 1959, where she quickly gained prominence in jazz clubs and received strong critical reviews. She signed with RCA Victor and released her debut studio album in 1960. Her most famous recording, "Pata Pata," released in 1967, became a worldwide hit and is described as a "groundbreaking Afropop gem." Collaborating extensively with mentor Harry Belafonte, she won a Grammy Award for Best Folk Recording in 1966 for "An Evening with Belafonte/Makeba." Following the Sharpeville massacre in 1960, her South African passport was cancelled, forcing her into exile. She testified before the United Nations in 1962 and 1964 against apartheid, and her music was subsequently banned in South Africa, making her a global symbol of resistance to racial oppression.

Exile and Continued Influence

Makeba's marriage to Black Panther leader Stokely Carmichael in 1968 caused her popularity in the US to decline dramatically among white audiences, leading to visa revocation and relocation to Guinea in 1968. She remained in exile for 15 years, performing extensively throughout Africa at independence ceremonies and recording songs explicitly critical of apartheid, including "Soweto Blues" written by Hugh Masekela in response to the 1976 uprising. She later moved to Belgium in 1985 and participated in Paul Simon's Graceland Tour in 1987, releasing the album "Sangoma" that same year. After apartheid ended, she returned to South Africa in June 1990 and continued recording and performing, notably releasing "Eyes on Tomorrow" in 1991 with Dizzy Gillespie and Nina Simone, and appearing in the 1992 film "Sarafina!"

Legacy and Final Years

Named a Goodwill Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 1999, Makeba established the Makeba Centre for Girls, an orphanage, and advocated for children with HIV/AIDS. She released over 30 albums throughout her career, pioneering world music and Afropop genres while bringing African music to Western audiences. Known for her dynamic vocal range and ability to sing in multiple African languages while refusing to sing in Afrikaans, she became an iconic style figure, popularizing the "Afro look" with her natural hair and African jewelry. Makeba collapsed during a concert in Castel Volturno, Italy, on November 9, 2008, suffering a heart attack after performing "Pata Pata," at age 76. Her death marked the end of an extraordinary career dedicated to music, activism, and cultural diplomacy.