Miriam Makeba Research Paper

Miriam Makeba (Mama Africa) is a South African singer. She was born in Johannesburg on March 4, 1932. Miriam Makeba had a passion for singing as a young girl. She performed her first solo during the royal visit in 1947. Around that time, she would help her mother clean houses to make money. Miriam began her music career by singing for her cousin’s band, the Cuban Brothers. Later into the future, Makeba sang in an all woman group called the Skylarks. The Skylarks was a mixture of jazz and traditional African melodies. Miriam Makeba then appeared in a documentary about South Africa that was directed by an American director. After the documentary was out in the world, Makeba had ultimate troubles with the South African authorities. It had …show more content…
Not only that, her records were banned from there, too. So, she live in the U.S.. During 1970-1980, She toured around Europe, South America, and Africa. In this period of time, she spoke out against South Africa’s apartheid laws two times. She was then awarded the Dag Hammarskjold award. During the 80’s, Makeba was said to have a hard time during this period. Her daughter, Bongi, died in tragic circumstances. Makeba battled a drug and alcohol problem and cervical cancer.
Equally important, Miriam Makeba was encouraged to return to South Africa. After 31 years of exile, she returned and became a goodwill ambassador of South Africa to the United Nations. In 2002, she starred in a documentary about music and apartheid. In 2005, Miriam stated that she was retiring from mainstream music, but would still show up in small performances.
To conclude, Makeba continued to work with the Miriam Makeba Rehabilitation Centre for abused girls. She also supported campaigns against drug use and HIV/aids awareness. Miriam Makeba passed away in 2008 at the age of 76 after having a heart attack. She is a woman that most people in Africa look up to. She was always true to herself, and kept her culture “involved” on what she