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
House of the Rising Sun
Miriam Makeba Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They call the Rising Sun
It's been the ruin of many a poor girl
And me, oh Lord is one
Go tell my baby sister
Never do what I have done
To shun the house in New Orleans
I'm going back to New Orleans
My race is almost run
I'm going back to end my days
Beneath the Rising Sun
Miriam Makeba's rendition of the classic folk song "House of the Rising Sun" tells the tale of a woman who has fallen victim to the notorious New Orleans brothel, the Rising Sun. The lyrics speak to the dangers and temptations that await those who enter the house, which has brought ruin upon many poor girls, including the singer herself.
The desperation and regret in the lyrics are palpable as the singer warns her baby sister to avoid the same mistakes and to shun the Rising Sun. The singer acknowledges that her own time is coming to an end, and she plans to return to New Orleans to spend her final days there. The repetition of the phrase "the Rising Sun" throughout the song serves as a haunting reminder of the dangers that lurk within the house, and the devastating consequences it can bring.
Overall, "House of the Rising Sun" is a cautionary tale that speaks to the corrupting influences of power, temptation, and vice. It's a powerful song that has been covered by countless musicians over the years, and one that continues to resonate with listeners to this day.
Line by Line Meaning
There is a house in New Orleans
In New Orleans, there is a particular house that is notorious among the locals
They call the Rising Sun
This house is known as 'the Rising Sun', possibly due to its location or history
It's been the ruin of many a poor girl
Over the years, many young, vulnerable women have suffered due to their association with the Rising Sun
And me, oh Lord is one
The artist, Miriam Makeba, is one of those poor girls who has experienced hardship because of this house
Go tell my baby sister
The artist is urging someone to pass on a message to her younger sibling
Never do what I have done
She is warning her sister, or anyone else who will listen, not to make the same mistakes as she has
To shun the house in New Orleans
Specifically, she advises her sister to avoid the Rising Sun at all costs
I'm going back to New Orleans
Despite her past experiences there, the artist is returning to New Orleans
My race is almost run
The artist is aware that her life is drawing to a close, so she is making a final journey
I'm going back to end my days
The purpose of her trip is to spend her remaining days in New Orleans
Beneath the Rising Sun
Once there, she plans to live near or perhaps even in the very house that caused her so much pain – the Rising Sun
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, OLE MEDIA MANAGEMENT LP, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Alan Price
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.