Miriam Makeba used her voice to entertain, but also to give a voice to millions of oppressed fellow South Africans who suffered as a result of apartheid. The price she had to pay for her actions was high, namely her South African citizenship. After she appeared, in 1960, in the an anti-apartheid documentary Come Back, Africa, the South African regime banned her from returning to her home country and took away her citizenship.
This event didn't stop her from continuing to raise her voice against the apartheid regime. Between 1964 and 1975, as a United Nations delegate of Guinea where she was granted asylum, Miriam Makeba addressed the General Assembly of the United Nations regularly on the tragic developments in South Africa.
Meanwhile she carried on singing, a process in which she put South African music on the map. Over the years Makeba worked with artists as Joe Sample, Stix Hooper, Arthur Adams, and David T. Walker of The Crusaders. In the late 1980's she joined Paul Simon and Ladysmith Black Mambazo during their world-wide Graceland tour and in 1990 she worked with Odetta and Nina Simone for the One Nation tour.
Following Nelson Mandela's release from prison, the citizen of the world Makeba returned to South Africa in December 1990; more than thirty years after she went in exile. In April 1991 she performed her first concert in her homeland in three decades.
The years after were busy ones for Makeba. She starred in the South African award-winning musical Sarafina! , about the 1976 Soweto youth uprisings, playing the role of the title character's mother. She then reunited with her first husband, trumpeter Hugh Masekela, for the Tour Of Hope. She also performed at the Vatican's Nevi Hall during the world-wide broadcasted show, Christmas In The Vatican. In 2000 Makeba released the grammy-nominated Homeland, her first studio album in a decade. In 2002 she shared the Polar Music Prize with Sofia Gubaidulina, in recognition of her exceptional achievements in the creation and advancement of music.
After her return to South Africa Miriam Makeba recorded over ten albums. In 2004, at the age of 72, she relased Reflections honoring the tenth anniversary of the end of apartheid in South Africa. In that same year Makeba was voted 38th in the Top 100 Great South Africans. She also started a 14 month worldwide farwell tour in 2005, holding concerts in all countries she had visited during her life.
With an impressive career spanning more than four decades Miriam Makeba is, indeed, one of the most respected, loved and cherished treasures in (South) Africa.
On the early morning of 10th of November 2008 she died at the age of 76 after being taken ill near the southern Italian town of Caserta, after performing at a concert against organized crime.
Source: Miriam Makeba, A true South African musical Legend
Discography on last.fm
External links:
Official website
Unofficial website
Movie database
Cameroon
Miriam Makeba Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ikhaya lam liseCameroon mama
Bathi oh, oh, oh Cameroon
Oh mna sengibuyel'eCameroon mama
Oh, oh, oh Cameroon (Oh, oh, oh Cameroon)
Oh, oh, oh Cameroon (Oh, oh, oh Cameroon)
Oh, oh, oh Cameroon (Oh, oh, oh Cameroon)
Oh, oh, oh Cameroon mama (Oh, oh, oh Cameroon)
Bathi oh, oh, oh Cameroon (Cameroon, Cameroon)
Ikhaya lam mama liseCameroon mama (Cameroon, Cameroon)
Bathi oh, oh, aye Cameroon (Cameroon, Cameroon)
Oh mina sengibuyel'eCameroon mama (Cameroon, Cameroon)
Oh, oh, oh Cameroon mama (Cameroon, Cameroon)
Oh, oh, oh Cameroon (Cameroon, Cameroon)
Oh, oh, oh Cameroon mama (Cameroon, Cameroon)
Oh, oh, oh Cameroon mama (Cameroon, Cameroon)
Bathi hey, hey, hey Cameroon (Helelelele Cameroon)
Where the sun always shines Cameroon (Helelelele Cameroon)
Nature's paradise is Cameroon (Helelelele Cameroon)
Where true lovers can be all alone (Helelelele Cameroon)
Cameroon, Cameroon mama (Oh, oh, oh Cameroon)
Cameroon, Cameroon mama (Oh, oh, oh Cameroon)
Cameroon oh, oh, oh, oh Cameroon (Helelelele Cameroon)
I can't wait to get back to get back to Cameroon (Helelelele Cameroon)
My heart calls me to Cameroon (Helelelele Cameroon)
For it's there I know that I belong (Helelelele Cameroon)
Cameroon, Cameroon mama (Oh, oh, oh Cameroon)
Cameroon, Cameroon mama (Oh, oh, oh Cameroon)
Cameroon oh, oh, oh, oh Cameroon (Helelelele Cameroon)
What a beautiful country Cameroon (Helelelele Cameroon)
Sandy beaches in Cameroon (Helelelele Cameroon)
Will entice you to make it your home (Helelelele Cameroon)
Cameroon, Cameroon (Oh, oh, oh Cameroon)
Cameroon, Cameroon (Oh, oh, oh Cameroon)
Cameroon, Cameroon (Oh, oh, oh Cameroon)
Cameroon, Cameroon mama (Oh, oh, oh Cameroon)
Cameroon
Miriam Makeba’s “Cameroon” is a vibrant and upbeat ode to the West African country that celebrates the natural beauty and warm embrace of the Cameroonian people. The song begins with Makeba exclaiming, “Oh, oh, oh Cameroon”, a rhythmic exultation that serves as a refrain throughout the song. She goes on to affirm her identity, stating “Ikhaya lam liseCameroon mama” (My home is in Cameroon, mother) and expressing her yearning to return there, “Oh mna sengibuyel'eCameroon mama” (Oh, I’m coming back to Cameroon, mother). The song is a joyful expression of Makeba’s love for Cameroon, as she sings about the warm sun, stunning natural beauty, and the sense of belonging she feels in the country.
One of the unique features of the song is its use of Zulu, Makeba’s native language, alongside English and Cameroonian pidgin. This multilingualism reflects Makeba’s own background as a South African artist who was exiled from her home country due to her outspoken criticism of the apartheid regime. The song was released in 1972, at a time when several African countries were gaining independence and young people across the continent were eager to assert their own cultural identities. The song’s message of proud self-identification and return to one’s roots resonated with many of these young people and became a popular anthem across the continent.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, oh, oh Cameroon
The singer is expressing her love for Cameroon and cannot contain her excitement.
Ikhaya lam liseCameroon mama
She considers Cameroon her home and refers to it as 'Cameroon mama.'
Bathi oh, oh, oh Cameroon
There are others who share in her love and excitement for Cameroon.
Oh mna sengibuyel'eCameroon mama
The singer is looking forward to returning to Cameroon and considers it a place of comfort and familiarity.
Bathi hey, hey, hey Cameroon
Others are expressing their happiness for Cameroon with enthusiasm and joy, using the word 'helelelele'.
Where the sun always shines Cameroon
Cameroon has a pleasant climate, with sun shining year-round.
Nature's paradise is Cameroon
Cameroon is a place of natural beauty and wonder; it is a true paradise.
Where true lovers can be all alone
Cameroon provides a peaceful and romantic setting for couples to be alone with one another.
I can't wait to get back to get back to Cameroon
The singer is eagerly anticipating her return to Cameroon.
My heart calls me to Cameroon
The singer feels a deep emotional connection to Cameroon that is pulling her back.
For it's there I know that I belong
The singer feels a strong sense of belonging in Cameroon and considers it her true home.
What a beautiful country Cameroon
The singer is struck by the beauty of the country and feels compelled to express it.
Sandy beaches in Cameroon
Cameroon has stunning beaches composed of sand.
Will entice you to make it your home
Cameroon's beauty will attract people and make them want to stay.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mfundo Piti
on To Those We Love (Nongqongqo)
At the time the song was composed and released all the people mentioned ((Mangaliso) Sobukhwe, (Albert) Luthuli, (Nelson) Mandela, and (Walter) Sisulu were alive. While the three were in prison at Robben Island, Luthuli was not in prison, hence the question to Luthuli asking what "will you do?". Luthuli was the president of the banned African National Congress (ANC). Sobukhwe the president of Pan Africanist Congress (PAC). Mandela and Sisulu occupied executive leadership positions within the ANC at the time of their sentencing to serve life sentences in prison (1964). The same question is asked to all Africans.
Mfundo Piti
on To Those We Love (Nongqongqo)
The lyrics of "To Those We Love" by Miriam Makeba are about the struggles, sacrifices, and resilience of great African leaders who fought for freedom, justice, and equality. The repetitive chorus, "Bahleli bonke entilongweni, Bahleli bonke kwaNongqongqo" refers to how all these leaders, including Sobukwe, Luthuli, Mandela, and Sisulu, are resting in peace or buried in their respective homes. The verses pose questions about their legacy and the continuation of their work, asking "Why, Baba Luthuli? What will you do?" and "What will happen to us, MaAfrica?" These questions are a call to action for listeners to carry on the struggle for freedom and justice.
Junior
on Soweto Blues
The melancholy in her voice
Junior
on Mama
It makes me cry I could not bury my mother cause I was in prison when I ask prison authorities to allow me an opportunity to go and attend the funeral they refused. We always underestimate the role of women
no
on Beware, Verwoerd! (Ndodemnyama)
no
hi! i enjoted. this song. i loved it
Matt Olomu
on Noweva
This is your challenge, South Africans who understand the lyrics of NOWEVER. Do yourselves and Africa a favour. Interpret it.