Miriam Makeba

Who is Miriam Makeba?

Zenzile Miriam Makeba popularly identified only as Miriam Makeba is a legendary South African singer and songwriter. The late singer who passed away in 2008 while aged 76 years old is best remembered for her advocacy against apartheid rule in South Africa.

The music star was born into a humble family of a Swazi mother and Xhosa father in Johannesburg. She experienced a tough childhood after her parents passed away while she was still young. Reports indicate that the singer was forced into an early marriage before she was 18 years old. She welcomed her firstborn child in 1950.

Miriam Makeba discovered her talent in music at a tender age. She nurtured her passion for music in the school choir before venturing into the industry officially in the 1950s. Within a decade of her debut in the music industry, the songster had already made a name for herself within South Africa. Her music projects enjoyed a warm reception among the locals earning her a huge fanbase and influence.

The songstress earned global attention after she was featured in an anti-apartheid movie dubbed ‘Come Back, Africa’. The film attracted immense success for her and even earned her a chance to perform in London and New York cities. She later on relocated to New York City where she continued her music career. Her unique style of music which blended a variety of genres including Afropop and Jazz contributed to her international breakthrough.

She recorded her debut album in 1960. The album performed incredibly well and made her one of the most popular African artists in the world. She cemented her growth with several more albums and hit songs. One of her most successful albums was 1965’s “An Evening with Belafonte/Makeba” which won her a Grammy Award.

As a successful African artist living abroad, Miriam Makeba encountered a lot of challenges that stemmed from her race. For instance, her visa was revoked by the US government around 1968 following her marriage to Stokely Carmichael. This forced her to relocate to Guinea as she had been banned from traveling back to her home country South Africa.

She continued with her music activities in the West African region. Within a short while after relocating to Guinea, the music icon had already established herself as one of the top musicians in the region. She was treated to a warm reception by governments, especially in the countries that had gained independence. She competed with some of the top Nigerian artists who were doing well at the time.

During this time, she tailored her music specifically to the fight against colonialism, especially the apartheid era in South Africa. One of her most successful anti-apartheid songs was ‘Soweto Blues’ which was written by her ex-husband Hugh Masekela.

The songstress returned to South Africa following the fall of the apartheid era around 1990. She continued recording music. She had quite a number of highlights including appearing in the viral ‘Sarafina’ film in 1992.

What are some of her popular songs?
Pata Pata
Malaika
A Luta Continua
The Retreat Song
My Angel
Suliram
The Naughty Little Flea
House of the Rising Sun
Nomeva
Forbidden Games
In the Land of the Zulus
Nongqongqo
The Click Song
Mbube

How To Listen To Miriam Makeba Music On Mdundo?
Her songs are available for free download and streaming on Mdundo.com. Visit the site using a device that can access the internet. Navigate to the search bar area, type in her name then tap on the search button. A catalog bearing all of her available mp3 songs will show up. Scroll to your favorite song and either listen to it online by tapping the play button, or save it to your device by tapping the download button. Apart from the audio, you can also enjoy the lyrics of your favorite songs from the artist and his biography on the site.

Stream/Download Miriam Makeba’s MP3 songs online. Find the latest Miriam Makeba music on Mdundo.com for free.