Miriam Makeba(1932 — 2008)
Miriam Makeba
Algérie, Afrique du Sud
8 min read
South African jazz singer and political activist
Frequently asked questions
Key Facts
- Miriam Makeba naît en 1932 à Johannesburg, en Afrique du Sud, sous le régime de ségrégation raciale qui précède l'apartheid officiel (1948).
- Elle acquiert une renommée internationale dans les années 1960 grâce à des chansons comme 'Pata Pata' (1967) et devient la première artiste africaine à remporter un Grammy Award (1966, avec Harry Belafonte).
- En 1960, le gouvernement sud-africain lui retire son passeport après qu'elle témoigne devant l'ONU contre l'apartheid, la condamnant à 30 ans d'exil.
- Son mariage avec le militant des Black Panthers Stokely Carmichael (1968) lui vaut un boycott aux États-Unis et la pousse à s'installer en Guinée.
- Elle rentre en Afrique du Sud en 1990 après la libération de Nelson Mandela, symbole de la fin de l'apartheid, et meurt en 2008 lors d'un concert en Italie.
Works & Achievements
First album recorded in the United States, produced by Harry Belafonte. It introduced traditional African music to the Western world and established Makeba as a recognized international artist.
A popular song from the townships of Johannesburg that became a worldwide hit. Its unexpected success restored Makeba's international visibility and popularized African music around the globe.
A live album recorded with Harry Belafonte, awarded a Grammy Award. It cemented Miriam Makeba's place as one of the great voices of the civil rights movement on a global scale.
A landmark testimony delivered before the United Nations Special Committee against Apartheid, which led to the revocation of Makeba's South African passport and established her as a major political figure.
An album that blends traditional African music, jazz, and protest songs, forming a foundational musical and activist work in her repertoire.
An album recorded in exile, entirely dedicated to traditional Xhosa songs and healers' music. A rare and precious testament to African oral tradition, it is considered her most personal work.
A world tour accompanying Paul Simon's album 'Graceland', which brought Miriam Makeba back into the international spotlight and introduced African music to a whole new generation of listeners.
Anecdotes
In 1960, Miriam Makeba testified before the United Nations Special Committee against apartheid, becoming the first Black artist to speak on that international stage. The South African government immediately revoked her passport, condemning her to an exile that would last 31 years.
Her song 'Pata Pata', recorded in 1967 in the United States, became an unexpected worldwide hit. Miriam Makeba did not understand at first why Americans loved it so much: to her, it was simply a dance song from her native township of Johannesburg.
In 1968, following her marriage to Black Panthers activist Stokely Carmichael, Miriam Makeba lost all her contracts in the United States. Record labels dropped her and concert venues cancelled her shows under political pressure. She then settled in Guinea with her husband.
In 1990, Nelson Mandela, freed after 27 years in prison, personally called Miriam Makeba to ask her to return to South Africa. Her homecoming was triumphant: thousands of people welcomed her at Johannesburg airport, moved to tears.
On November 9, 2008, at the age of 76, Miriam Makeba collapsed on stage in Castel Volturno, Italy, minutes after singing 'Pata Pata'. She died of a heart attack during a concert held in solidarity with writer Roberto Saviano, who was under threat from the Camorra. She was singing until her very last breath.
Primary Sources
I am a victim of apartheid, and I speak on behalf of all those who suffer under this regime. My people are deprived of fundamental rights, dignity, and freedom. I ask you to support our struggle for justice.
When I was told that my passport had been revoked and that I would not be able to return home, I understood that the government was trying to silence me. But my voice does not belong to apartheid.
For thirty-one years, I sang for my country from the outside. Today I return, and my music returns with me. South Africa is no longer the one I left behind.
Music is the weapon of the poor. When you have nothing left, you sing. And sometimes, that song changes the world.
Key Places
A vibrant and cosmopolitan neighborhood of Johannesburg where Miriam Makeba grew up and first honed her musical skills in jazz clubs. Destroyed by the apartheid regime in 1955, Sophiatown remains a symbol of Black cultural resistance.
It was before the UN General Assembly that Miriam Makeba delivered her speeches against apartheid in 1964, becoming the first Black artist to bring this cause to the world diplomatic stage.
The city where Miriam Makeba lived in exile from 1968 to 1986, under the protection of President Sékou Touré. There she deepened her ties with Francophone African music and represented Guinea at the UN.
Her birthplace and the site of her triumphant return in 1990 after 31 years of exile. Makeba was welcomed as a national heroine during the first free elections of 1994.
A small town near Naples where Miriam Makeba collapsed on stage on November 9, 2008, during a solidarity concert, and passed away a few hours later. A place that became a symbol of her dedication until her very last moment.
