Zenzile Miriam Makeba, often known as Mama Africa, was a South African singer, songwriter, actress, and civil rights activist who lived from 4 March 1932 to 9 November 2008. She was an opponent of apartheid and the white minority government in South Africa, and was associated with musical genres such Afropop, jazz, and world music.
Makeba, who was born in Johannesburg to Xhosa and Swazi parents, had to work as a youngster after her father passed away. She gave birth to her sole child in 1950, went through a brief and apparently brutal first marriage at the age of 17, and beat breast cancer. She started singing professionally in the 1950s with the Cuban Brothers, Manhattan Brothers, and an all-female group called the Skylarks, performing a blend of jazz, traditional African tunes, and Western popular music. Her vocal aptitude had been noticed since she was a young child. Makeba gained international recognition in 1959 after playing a small part in the anti-apartheid movie Come Back, Africa. As a result, she gave performances in Venice, London, and New York City.
Why was Miriam Makeba exiled?
In 1960, she attempted to return to South Africa but found that her passport had been revoked, becoming her an exile. Later same year, she released Miriam Makeba, her debut studio album in the United States, after signing with RCA Victor.
She spoke out against South Africa’s apartheid during the 1960s. She fell in love with Stokely Carmichael, a well-known civil rights activist and Black Panther, in 1968 and got married to him; they later divorced in 1973.
