“People in the United States [the West] still have a ‘Tarzan’ movie view of Africa. That’s because in the movies all you see are jungles and animals . . . We [too] watch television and listen to the radio and go to dances and fall in love.” Miriam Makeba
“The British often talk of Shaka Zulu as the ‘Black Napoleon’, but I think that Napoleon was a white Shaka!” Miriam Makeba
“Les Britanniques parlent souvent de [Chaka Zoulou] comme du ‘Napoléon noir’, mais je dis que Napoléon était un Chaka blanc.” Miriam Makeba
“In the West the past is like a dead animal. It is a carcass picked at by the flies that call themselves historians and biographers. But in my culture the past lives. My people feel this way in part because death does not separate us from our ancestors.” Miriam Makeba
“I look at an ant and I see myself: a native South African, endowed by nature with a strength much greater than my size so I might cope with the weight of a racism that crushes my spirit.” Miriam Makeba
“The conqueror writes history; they came, they conquered, and they write. You don’t expect people who come to invade us to write the truth about us…” Miriam Makeba
“Le vainqueur écrit l’histoire, ils sont venus, ils ont vaincu et ils ont écrit. On ne peut pas attendre de ceux qui nous ont envahi qu’ils écrivent la vérité sur nous…” Miriam Makeba
“I ask you and all the leaders of the world: Would you act differently, would you keep silent and do nothing if you were in our place? Would you not resist if you were allowed no rights in your own country because the color of your skin is different to that of the rulers, and if you were punished for even asking for equality? I appeal to you, and through you to all the countries of the world, to do everything you can to stop the coming tragedy. I appeal to you to save the lives of our leaders, to empty the prisons of all those who should never have been there.” Miriam Makeba
Who has not heard of the famous African love song ‘Malaika?’ The best known version of this song is the one sung by Mama Africa, Miriam Makeba. It is a Swahili song written by Tanzanian Adam Salim in 1945, who composed “Malaika” for his very beautiful girlfriend Halima Ramadhani Maruwa. Their parents disapproved of their relationship, and Halima was forced by her parents to marry an Asian tajir (wealthy man). The song is sung by a poor young man who wishes to marry his beloved ″Angel″ or ″Little bird″ but is defeated by the bride price.
This song is the most famous of all Swahili love songs in Tanzania, Kenya and the entire East Africa, as well as being one of the most widely known of all Swahili songs in the world; again, it was made popular around the globe by Miriam Makeba. Malaika means “angel” in Swahili, and this word has always been used by the Swahili speakers to refer to a beautiful girl. So this is to all the angels out there for this Valentine day.
| Malaika
Malaika, nakupenda Malaika Malaika, nakupenda Malaika Nami nifanyeje, kijana mwenzio Nashindwa na mali sina, we, Ningekuoa Malaika Nashindwa na mali sina, we, Kidege, hukuwaza kidege Kidege, hukuwaza kidege Nami nifanyeje, kijana mwenzio Nashindwa na mali sina, we, Ningekuoa Malaika Nashindwa na mali sina, we, Pesa zasumbua roho yangu Pesa zasumbua roho yangu Nami nifanyeje, kijana mwenzio Ningekuoa Malaika Nashindwa na mali sina, we, |
Angel
Angel, I love you angel Angel, I love you angel and I, what should I do, your young friend I am defeated by the bride price that I don’t have I would marry you, angel I am defeated by the bride price that I don’t have Little bird, I think of you little bird Little bird, I think of you little bird and I, what should I do, your young friend I am defeated by the bride price that I don’t have I would marry you, angel The money (which I do not have) depresses my soul I would marry you, angel I am defeated by the bride price that I don’t have |
Although just a singer, Miriam Makeba decided that she could not stay without telling the world about the oppression suffered by her people at the hand of the apartheid government. So, with a small voice, she stood at the United Nations General Assembly in 1963 and delivered a speech where she exhorted the leaders of this world to act. In her own words, she said: “I ask all the leaders of the world: would you act differently, would you keep silent and do nothing if you were in our place, would you not resist if you were allowed no right in your own country because the color of your skin was different from the color of the rulers?”
Check it out:
Dear all, today we will be talking about a great true African legend: Miriam Makeba! Well… where should I start? Zenzile Miriam Makeba, affectionately named Mama Africa was a singer who truly showed that music had no boundaries, and that music could be used as a platform to launch a revolution; above all, if you are passionate and excel in something, you can always do great things! Miriam Makeba started as a singer in South Africa, and was even married to the great South African trumpetist Hugh Masekela at one point. This woman sang about her love for her country, her people, and the struggle of her people. Like she said herself: “I was never politically involved. People always think that I’m political or that I sing politics, but I’m not. I just speak the truth. When I say we’re oppressed, I’m not lying. I’m glad I’ve been vindicated, in a way. I could have been in parliament, but I’m not a politician, I’m a singer. I love to sing, that’s what makes me happy” Miriam was a true warrior dedicated to the liberation of African people.
Miriam Makeba was never allowed the right to return home for 30 years by the apartheid government (from 1960-1990). She was not able to go to her mother’s funeral. Her song Welela is about a child yearning for her mother. In 1961, she sang at President Kennedy’s birthday, as she puts it: “I was the only foreign artist among the big giants of America paying tribute to him.” She spoke at the United Nations in New York, where she said: “I ask all the leaders of the world: would you act differently, would you keep silent and do nothing if you were in our place, would you not resist if you were allowed no right in your own country because the color of your skin was different from the color of the rulers?” Her records were subsequently banned in South Africa. She used her fame to let the world know about the suffering of Black South Africans. Her most popular songs include Pata Pata, the Click Song, and her beautiful rendition of Malaika! She later sang about the Soweto uprising (1976) in her title “Soweto Blues” written for her by Hugh Masekela.
When Miriam married the Black Panther leader Stokely Carmichael, her shows were canceled in the USA, as the FBI was after him. She picked up her bags with her husband and went to Guinea, where president Sekou Toure allowed them in. She even had a Guinean passport and was a United Nations ambassador for Guinea!
She was finally allowed to return to South Africa after Nelson Mandela got out of jail. He actually asked her to come back… So 30 years later, this great woman of power return to her country after losing her mother, and only daughter Bongi Makeba. I have attached this beautiful documentary. Please watch and celebrate a strong African Woman… a legend, a woman who loved her people so much that she sang about it, and spoke about it at the United Nations. In later years, she has also been an FAO ambassador (to fight hunger), United Nations Goodwill ambassador, and opened a girls’ school in South Africa for orphans, girls who have been raped, etc…
In a way, even though Miriam Makeba lost her only child, she was a mother to all of us, and fought for all South African, and African children. Thank you Beautiful Mama Africa. God loves you! We have to continue your legacy of strong African women, and legends!
Check out Wikipedia page on Miriam Makeba, and add more if you have more information on Miriam’s life (We, Africans, have to put our people on these pages, nobody will do it for us!). Check out Miriam Makeba’s website www.miriammakeba.co.za, and the article by the Guardian: Miriam Makeba. Don’t forget to check out her books: Makeba: The Miriam Makeba Story, Makeba: My Story, and Myriam Makeba une Voix pour l\’Afrique.
African Heritage 