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	Miriam Makeba (Zenzile Miriam Makeba, 1932 - 2008), known as Mama Africa, was a famous South African singer, composer, actress, and political activist. She introduced African music to the Western world and became one of the first African female songwriters to receive global recognition. Several of her songs criticized apartheid and she became a symbol of resistance against racism. She was born on March 4, 1932, in the shanty town on the outskirts of Johannesburg; she was young when her father died and she found herself in need of work from an early age. At 17 she had a brief marriage and had a daughter, who died at 35. Makeba started singing in shops in her 20s with various groups such as the Cuban Brothers, the Manhattan Brothers and the Skylarks, performing jazz and traditional African songs. In 1959 she played a small role in the film Come Back Africa, which brought her international attention and at the same time she was targeted by the regime of the South African government as the film denounced apartheid. When she tried to return to South Africa for her mother's funeral she was blocked by the African government and forced to remain in exile until 1990. She lived in New York where she quickly became famous, recording her first album in 1960. Together with Belafonte she received a Grammy Award for the record An Evening with Belafonte / Makeba (1965). Her greatest hits are the songs "Pata Pata" (1956), "Malaika" (1960) and "The Cling Song" (1965). She was married a total of five times, one of them eas the American political activist Stockley Carmichael who was a member of the radical organization "Black Panthers". Because of this marriage she lost the support of white Americans and was treated with hostility by the American government, causing her and Carmichael to move to Guinea. She continued to sing, mainly in African countries. In 2005, she embarked on a farewell tour around the world, and in 2008, after a concert in Italy, she suffered a stroke and died on November 9, 2008.

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Makeba Miriam 1932 - 2008 (76)

QUOTES

Miriam Makeba (Zenzile Miriam Makeba, 1932 - 2008), known as Mama Africa, was a famous South African singer, composer, actress, and political activist. She introduced African music to the Western world and became one of the first African female songwriters to receive global recognition. Several of her songs criticized apartheid and she became a symbol of resistance against racism.

She was born on March 4, 1932, in the shanty town on the outskirts of Johannesburg; she was young when her father died and she found herself in need of work from an early age. At 17 she had a brief marriage and had a daughter, who died at 35. Makeba started singing in shops in her 20s with various groups such as the Cuban Brothers, the Manhattan Brothers and the Skylarks, performing jazz and traditional African songs. In 1959 she played a small role in the film Come Back Africa, which brought her international attention and at the same time she was targeted by the regime of the South African government as the film denounced apartheid. When she tried to return to South Africa for her mother's funeral she was blocked by the African government and forced to remain in exile until 1990. She lived in New York where she quickly became famous, recording her first album in 1960. Together with Belafonte she received a Grammy Award for the record An Evening with Belafonte / Makeba (1965). Her greatest hits are the songs "Pata Pata" (1956), "Malaika" (1960) and "The Cling Song" (1965).

She was married a total of five times, one of them eas the American political activist Stockley Carmichael who was a member of the radical organization "Black Panthers". Because of this marriage she lost the support of white Americans and was treated with hostility by the American government, causing her and Carmichael to move to Guinea. She continued to sing, mainly in African countries. In 2005, she embarked on a farewell tour around the world, and in 2008, after a concert in Italy, she suffered a stroke and died on November 9, 2008.