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
I'm In Love With Spring
Miriam Makeba Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The song so sweet and clear
I love the glow that comes from the sunshine
I'm in love with spring
Go away winter with your coldness seeping through my bones
Howling winds that blow so strong with snowy overtones
Threatening me with illness that will surely cause me harm
I love the fragrant smell of the flowers
As all the petals bloom
I love to walk through April showers
I'm in love with spring
Children laughing, singing, dancing, playing all the day
Everyone feels so gay and peppery, summer is on the way
Lovers are busy making plans for marriage is sure this year
Old folks sitting in their rockers grinning from ear to ear
I love the voice that whispers I love you, but when that love is gone
I love when the summer makes its debut
I'm in love with spring
In the song "I'm in Love with Spring," Miriam Makeba expresses a deep affection for the season of spring. She loves the sound of robins singing sweetly and the warmth that comes from the sunshine. Makeba longs for winter to depart with the coldness that seeps into her bones and the howling winds that cause illness. She feels that the protective winter clothes, such as coats with furs, boots, and hats, hide her natural charm. When spring arrives, she enjoys the fragrant scent of blooming flowers and walking through the April showers. She also finds joy in the activities of children, lovers making plans for marriage, and the elderly grinning from ear to ear.
Makeba's love for spring goes beyond the physical attributes of the season. The references to children playing, lovers making plans for marriage, and elders grinning all represent the energy and hope that spring brings. The sense of renewal and rejuvenation that spring brings is something that Makeba cherishes.
Overall, "I'm in Love with Spring" is a celebration of the season of new beginnings, the shifting of life and the joy, and hope that it brings. Through her lyrics, Makeba invites her audience to share her eagerness and appreciation for the arrival of spring.
Line by Line Meaning
I love the sound of robins in springtime
I am mesmerized by the melodious song that the robins sing in the spring season.
The song so sweet and clear
Their song is not only melodious but also pure and soothing to my soul.
I love the glow that comes from the sunshine
The warmth and brightness of the sun bring a glow to my face and fill my heart with joy.
I'm in love with spring
Spring is the season that I admire the most, and everything about it makes me fall in love with it.
Go away winter with your coldness seeping through my bones
I despise the winter season, as it brings nothing but the chilling cold that easily penetrates through my skin and reaches my bones.
Howling winds that blow so strong with snowy overtones
The winter winds are fierce and strong, and they carry along with them the snow that seems never-ending.
Threatening me with illness that will surely cause me harm
The winter season poses a threat to my health and well-being as the cold can cause me to fall sick.
Coats with furs and the boots and the hats hide my natural charm
To shield myself from the winter cold, I have to wear heavy coats, boots and cover my head with hats, which obscures my natural beauty.
I love the fragrant smell of the flowers
The sweet aroma of the blossoming flowers is one of the things that I love about the spring season.
As all the petals bloom
The flowers are in full bloom during spring, and their petals exhibit a beautiful sight.
I love to walk through April showers
The light rain that usually falls in April brings joy to my heart, and I take pleasure in strolling in it.
Children laughing, singing, dancing, playing all the day
Kids are in high spirits during spring, and they constantly play, sing and dance, giving the season a lively atmosphere.
Everyone feels so gay and peppery, summer is on the way
During spring, everyone is optimistic, and there is excitement in the air as the hot summer season is approaching.
Lovers are busy making plans for marriage is sure this year
Spring is a season of love, and couples often plan to get married during this period as the season symbolizes a new beginning.
Old folks sitting in their rockers grinning from ear to ear
The older generation also enjoys the spring season, and they usually sit on their rockers outside, smiling and basking in its refreshing ambiance.
I love the voice that whispers I love you, but when that love is gone
The words of love that are whispered to me during springtime fills me with warmth and happiness, but if the love fades, it will be painful.
I love when the summer makes its debut
The onset of summer after the beautiful springtime brings a new kind of joy to my heart.
I'm in love with spring
The spring season holds a special place in my heart, and I have an unexplainable fondness for it.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: George Patterson, William Salter
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.