Image of Miriam Makeba…photo credit: miriammakeba.org
Miriam Makeba
Dubbed “Mama Africa,” Zenzile Miriam Makeba, also known as Miriam Makeba is the South African crooner known for the tunes “Pata Pata” and “The Click Song.” She is credited with introducing Westerners with music sung in the Zulu and Xhosa languages. Makeba is known for aggressively speaking out against apartheid in South Africa – which caused her to be exiled from her native country. She also boldly married Stokely Carmichael – a well-known Black Panther and was ostracized by some American fans. Subsequently, she and Carmichael had to relocate to Guinea.
In the 1960s, Makeba solidified her connections with the Black Power movement thus advocating for civil rights and black consciousness. She showed support for the independence from British colonialism of Kenya by visiting in 1962. In 1999 she was appointed the Goodwill Ambassador for humanitarian causes. Sadly, Makeba died of a heart attack on November 9, 2008.
Providing the world with altruism and talent is never a bad move.
