Jessie

Rest in peace, Mama Afrika.

You have enriched our souls for more than five decades and will remain in our collective hearts forever. You truly were a Queen of the whole African continent and a true daughter of the whole world.

Can anyone tell me where one could obtain a CD of some of her banned freedom songs? Before the unbanning of the ANC, I had a cassette tape recording of a collection of her songs featuring “Aluta Continua” and other freedom songs. Unfortunately, the tape was played until it finally collapsed.

peter kai

late fifties UCT lunch time concert makeba and
african jazz we kept them until six that evening
no lectures

bongani

Interesting. Just as I was about to work on my column on Makeba, I receive a cute lill’ parcel from the postman.

In it is a earthy hued cd entitled: Miriam Makeba, The Legend. It has some of her classics such as Pata Pata, Malaika and the underappreciated but stunning piece Chove Chuva, a Jorge Ben composition.

“Miriam,Mazi”, “Nightingale”,”Zenzi”, “Nut Brown-Baby”. . .what a voice, what a soul, what an artist,oh!

Where can you get her music?

1. For this new disc i’m telling you about,try this innovative, passionate indie called African Cream Music. [011]339-5295,there’s a nice chap there called Alex. Or visit their site: http://www.africancreammusic.com

2. Also, you gan get the greater part of her body of her work at all Look & Listen outlets, the best being Hyde Park one up Jan Smuts Road.

3. Also Plum Records in the Rosebank Mall. They always have rare grooves and rare finds.

4. If it is her entire body of work you are keen on,try her recording home of the last fifty years, Gallo Records on 011-340-9620. A great woman there called Sibongile at your service, though I know they don’t do direct retail.

5. If you are adventorous enough, go search for one of her underappreciated but rare and outstanding recording of all time in which she sings in English,Portuguese and isiXhosa:
Live At Bern’s Salonger, Stockholm, Sweden 1966.”

It contains innovative and well produced interpretations such as her bluesy piece,”Oh So Alone”, which she co-wrote with her first real boyfriend, the performer and Africa’s Sinatra, Shunna Pillay, as well Solomon Linda’s “Mbube” and the afore mentioned ” Chove Chuva” one of the many Latino folk-classics Makeba added to her international repertoire.

6. Better still, get that recording’s accompanying DVD same titled.In in, you will appreciate how beautiful and something people don’t want to talk about,which I think its the sillines we apply to everyone but not our African Icons,as though they were just struggle icons with soul,sensulaity,no sense of play and lack the 360 degree worldview that full life offers:
Makeba was out and about ****!

In her youth and later in life. Why should we continue to look at Sophia Loren, Marilyn,Lena Horne, Dorothy Dandrige Greta Garbo,Doris Day, Josephine Baker etc, within that prism and not explosively attractive and exo-erotic performers such as Miriam, Dolly Rathebe,Dotty Masuka, Letta Mbuli, Busi Mhlongo etc?

Anyway, I’ve overstepped my line: Laurice just wanted a simple answer: where to get Miriam’s music.

Thank You.
bongani madondo

frank

African Cream, also released a a CD called The Winds Of Change featuring other struggle songs

a must have in your CD collection

frank