Legendarysinger and cultural crusader Miriam Makeba, who died suddenly of a heart attackSunday night following a performance in Castel Volturno, Italy, is beingremembered as a performer who energized an African consciousness here in theUnited States and more significantly gave hope to millions of her owncountrymen during the struggle against apartheid. Voice of America Africa music specialist Matthew Lavoie explains how in music and in life, Makebatransmitted her unique brand of artistic authenticity.
"Startingin the 1950's, Miriam Makeba was a popular singer. Her material wasn't particularly political. In 1959, she starred in a documentary aboutapartheid actually, which from there went to the Venice Film Festival. And it was during that trip that she went toLondon and found that she was not welcomed back in South Africa. Harry Belafonte met her in London. They came to the United States, and really,in the United States, she became the first African artist to become nationallypopular. Her song Pata Pata wasin the US top ten," he noted.
Lavoiesays Makeba's US popularity marked a huge triumph for establishing Africanmusical creativity in the popular American consciousness. It also led to her becoming identified as anartist with a political message.
"Interms of politics, much like (Nelson) Mandela, her politics were not based on amessage of revenge or hatred, but were always based on a message that reallytried to push people throughout the world to live up to the best in humannature. And this is something that shereally believed in and also sacrificed for throughout her career," heexplained.
Oftenaffectionately billed as "Mama Africa" and the "Empress of African Song," SouthAfrican-born Makeba was the first African woman to receive a prestigious Grammyaward from the American recording industry (in 1966 together with HarryBelafonte for Best Folk Recording for An Evening With Belafonte/Makeba). Lavoie says although she frequentlycollaborated with other notable musical luminaries like her former husband,South African trumpeter Hugh Masakela, jazz greats Nina Simone and DizzyGillespie, and on Paul Simon's 1987 Graceland tour of Southern Africa, Makebadistinguished herself the most as a solo performer.
"Whileshe was a great artist and a spirit open to collaboration, again, I think herwork as a solo artist stands above all the collaborations she did," notes Lavoie.
Aftercalling for a political boycott of South Africa in 1963 before the UN SpecialCommittee Against Apartheid, Miriam Makeba was stripped of her South Africancitizenship and barred from returning home for about 30 years. Matthew Lavoie says her 1968 marriage toblack power activist Stokely Carmichael (who later changed his name to KwameToure and moved with Makeba from the US to Guinea) transformed the artist intoa subject of continent-wide focus.
"Really,one of the few artists who not only spoke about pan-Africanism, but reallycreatively invested herself and her entire career into being a pan-Africanartist. And some of that was a creativedecision. Some of that was due to therealities of her life. She was forcedinto exile from South Africa, lived in the United States, and was more or lessforced out of the United States. Thegovernment didn't say,'You have to leave.' But after she married StokelyCarmichael, her record contract dried up, her concert appearances driedup. And so she was more or less, tocontinue having a career, forced to leave the country. And all these again political decisions hadartistic consequences," he said.
Althoughresuming and reviving her singing career after several interludes as aninternational diplomat (for Guinea) and in other roles, Lavoie said Makebaultimately vowed to continue singing as long as she said she could.
"Shewas someone who genuinely believed in African independence, in Africanintellectual creativity, both politically and artistically on the world stage,and I think that she really tried to live that. Also, (Guinean President Ahmed) Sekou Toure welcomed MiriamMakeba with open arms and she represented Guinea at the United Nations as apolitical appointee. And so she wasreally embraced by that country when other parts of the world wouldn't," henoted.
MiriamMakeba at age 76 continued to appearon stage. On Sunday evening in Italy,she was appearing at a solidarity concert for a journalist covering the storyof six immigrants from Ghana who were recently shot to death by alleged mafiagunmen during a reported drug-dealing dispute.Matthew Lavoie says her sad farewell, just after singing one of her mostfamous hits, , was characteristic of the way she lived herlife.