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
Ask the Rising Sun
Miriam Makeba Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Waiting, hoping, longing to meet
And love, and be loved in return
Who are we, who need love?
Ask the rising sun
Lonely, lonely, it's a lonely feeling
Waiting, hating the time we lose when
Who are we, who need love?
Ask the rising sun
For the sun sees every tender leaf
That drifts to earth and trembles
For the sun sees every stricken bird
That tries to fly and fumbles
And the sun fears not a distant thunder
Gathers, grows and rumbles
Oh
Take my hand all you who are so lonely
You who yearn and look with longing to touch
And love and be loved in return
Who are we, who need love?
Ask the rising sun
In Miriam Makeba's song "Ask the Rising Sun," the lyrics depict a sense of loneliness and the yearning for love. The repeated phrase "lonely, lonely" emphasizes the feeling of isolation and the longing to connect with others. The song speaks to those who are waiting, hoping, and longing to meet someone, to love and be loved in return.
The lyrics then pose a question: "Who are we, who need love?" This question is directed towards the rising sun, symbolizing a higher power or source of wisdom. The rising sun represents a force that has witnessed the struggles and desires of humanity. It sees the loneliness and the longing in people's hearts.
The following lines suggest that the sun observes and empathizes with our pain. It sees every tender leaf that falls to the ground and trembles, representing vulnerability. It also sees every stricken bird that struggles to fly, symbolizing our efforts to find love but stumbling along the way. The sun is aware of our fears and challenges, yet it remains steadfast and unafraid.
In the final verse, Makeba invites all those who are lonely to take her hand. She acknowledges their yearning and longing for touch, love, and reciprocity. The question is repeated once again, urging listeners to seek solace and guidance from the rising sun.
Overall, "Ask the Rising Sun" is a poignant song that explores the universal human experience of loneliness and the constant search for love and connection. It suggests that even in our solitude, there is a higher power that witnesses our struggles and can provide solace and support.
Line by Line Meaning
Lonely, lonely, it can be so lonely
Feeling a deep sense of loneliness and isolation
Waiting, hoping, longing to meet
Anticipating, wishing, and desiring to find companionship
And love, and be loved in return
To experience love and have it reciprocated
Who are we, who need love?
Questioning our identity and acknowledging our need for love
Ask the rising sun
Seek guidance and understanding from the presence of the rising sun
Lonely, lonely, it's a lonely feeling
Acknowledging the deep emotional pain and emptiness of loneliness
Waiting, hating the time we lose when
Enduring the frustration of wasting time while waiting
We're cast aside and then forgotten
Being discarded and subsequently ignored or disregarded
Who are we, who need love?
Questioning our purpose and worth as individuals requiring love
Ask the rising sun
Seek wisdom and enlightenment from the rising sun
For the sun sees every tender leaf
The sun observes and witnesses the fragility and vulnerability of every delicate leaf
That drifts to earth and trembles
Referring to the gentle movements and instability of leaves as they fall to the ground
For the sun sees every stricken bird
The sun perceives and recognizes the struggles and hardships of every wounded bird
That tries to fly and fumbles
Depicting the attempts of injured birds to fly but facing difficulties and mistakes
And the sun fears not a distant thunder
The sun is unafraid of the distant rumbling sound of thunder
Gathers, grows and rumbles
The thunder gradually intensifies and resonates, becoming more powerful
Oh
An exclamation expressing intense emotion or realization
Take my hand all you who are so lonely
Extending a compassionate gesture to those who feel deeply lonely
You who yearn and look with longing to touch
Addressing individuals who crave physical and emotional connection
And love and be loved in return
Desiring to experience reciprocal love and affection
Who are we, who need love?
Posing again the question of our identity and worthiness as beings in need of love
Ask the rising sun
Reiterating the call to seek wisdom and insight from the rising sun
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Nikkie van Lierop
Sheer beauty. Thank you.
Fridah Mot
Incredible