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Legendary singer Miriam Makeba became an icon of African culture, associated with the “Black is Beautiful” movement of the 1960s.
Profession: Singer
Country of Origin: South Africa
Country of Asylum: United States of America
Country of Transit: Guinea
Date of birth: 4 March 1932
Makeba began her career in 1952 as a vocalist for the Manhattan Brothers. Her appearance in the 1950s documentary, “Come Back Africa”, led to invitations for her to visit Europe and America. It was there that she came to the attention of singers such as Harry Belafonte and was catapulted to stardom. But the impact of the anti-apartheid documentary caused the South African government to revoke her citizenship.
Makeba’s uncles were killed in the Sharpeville Massacre. Her mother died shortly afterwards but Makeba was not granted a visa to allow her to return to pay her respects. In 1963, she testified about apartheid before the United Nations. In 1967, her song “Pata Pata” became a worldwide hit and her recording career blossomed. Her records were produced by RCA, Reprise and many others. In 1968, after marrying her third husband, radical black activist Stokely Carmichael, her US concerts were suddenly cancelled and her recording contract broken.
Makeba decided to leave the US, this time relocating to the African country of Guinea, from where she continued a busy schedule of recording and touring. She continued in her fearless mission to denounce apartheid, this time serving as a Guinean delegate to the United Nations General Assembly.
The singer is also known for having inspired an enduring fashion in the 1960s when the slogan “Black is Beautiful” was launched: “I see other black women imitate my style, which is no style at all, but just letting our hair be itself,” she once said. “They call it the Afro Look.”
The ban on her records was lifted in South Africa in 1989 and she returned to her homeland in December 1990. Four years later, she started a charity project to raise funds to protect women in South Africa.
Makeba has received numerous awards for her commitment to the cause of justice, including the Los Angeles Certificate of Recognition in the field of music; the Certificate of Appreciation from the US District of Columbia for her contribution to the quality of life for the oppressed and disadvantaged; the 1986 Dag Hammarskjöld Peace Prize and the UNESCO Grand Prix du Conseil International de la Musique for her peace efforts. Her autobiography, “Makeba, My Story”, was published in 1988. She died in Italy in November 2008.
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