Mama Africa: singing the truth
The life of the South African singer Miriam Makeba, known as “Mama Africa” who, died of a heart attack aged 76 in November. Perhaps more than any other musician, Makeba popularised South African music around the world and became widely identified with the struggle against apartheid. Born in Johannesburg and singing from an early age, Makeba first became well known in the early 50s when she teamed up with the popular close harmony singers, the Manhattan Brothers. This was a time of Black cultural resurgence in the ghettos of Johannesburg and Cape Town. Makeba became prominent in this, recording...