Remembering Mama Afrika

TITUS MBUYA
Staff Writer | Tuesday November 18, 2008 00:00

As part of my own tribute to this fallen African queen since the news of her death broke I have been listening to her music and I appreciated the reason why the entire globe was saddened by her death. She sang in various African languages, European languages and even Arabic, which made her a true citizen of the world.Miriam Makeba was the voice of Africans, especially those living in the Diaspora for more than four decades.

Unlike many African artists who change their style and attempt to be more American than the Americans themselves when they arrive in the United States, Makeba retained her style of music and actually made traditional African music universal by popularising it worldwide. She was the first African singer to do that.My generation and those older than me grew up on Makeba's music.

There were other prominent female singers like Dorothy Masuka, Dolly Rathebe, Thandi Klassen and Margaret Singana - all of them divas in their own right. Although I had listened to Makeba's music during my teens I developed a deep interest in the music when I was at varsity after listening to her album entitled A Promise. In A Promise Makeba is accompanied by members of the Crusaders, namely Joe Sample on piano, and Stix Hooper on drums. Most of the tracks on the album were familiar but the title track A Promise was my favourite.

As I grew up and 'discovered' myself I developed an even deeper appreciation of Makeba's Nguni folk songs, I guess because of my Xhosa heritage. Makeba's father was Xhosa and her mother Swati. Her sharp but soothing vocal chords evoked strong emotions in me and brought to the fore the lullabies embedded in my succulent brain as a child.My most memorable live performance of Makeba was the concert I attended in 1994 at Cornell University, Ithica, in upstate New York. I travelled from Syracuse with a couple of other Batswana students to attend the show.

The highlight of the concert was when Makeba jammed with another African legend, Hugh Masekela, and saxophonist Khaya Mahlangu of Sakhile fame. It was when they played the songs composed for Makeba by Masekela that the genius of the two African legends found expression. And the domineering Bro Hugh 'behaved' that night and allowed Makeba to shine. Mama Afrika, in her 60s then, set the stage on fire with her indigenous classics and the audience sang along with her throughout the duration of the concert.

The show, held in an auditorium provided an intimate atmosphere as the artists interacted freely with the audience. Even at her advanced age Makeba could still do the Xhosa dance - ukuxhentsa - with the energy and grace only reserved for young initiates, quite a feat for someone who grew up under the bright lights of Johannesburg! The dance consists of springing straight up and coming down with a quivering of the body.

Even after the show the diminutive Makeba mingled with the crowd, consisting mainly of African students and African-Americans. It was this humility and originality that made Mama Afrika the darling of so many a fan around the world.