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
Same Moon
Miriam Makeba Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Same moon I see, his eyes see
Aren't you the same moon that smiles so wistfully?
Watched as my lover swore love eternally
You sent down moonbeams to share in our embrace
As warm as his lips on my face
Same moon in sky over me
Weren't you my friend as you listened from above?
Held back night's end as a favour to my love
Aren't you the same moon that lit our lonely stream
Where gently he answered my dream
Same moon in sky over me
Same moon I see, his eyes see
I was so carefree perhaps I should have known
That you were jealous we mooning all alone
So you bewitched him and then revengefully
You captured my true love from me
Same moon I see, his eyes see
But his eyes are now far from me
Same moon I see, his eyes see
But his eyes are now far from me
Same moon I see, his eyes see
But his eyes are now far from me
The song "Same Moon" by Miriam Makeba narrates a lover's story of how the moon played a significant role in her relationship. The first verse describes how the same moon is seen by both the lover and the singer, highlighting their connectedness. Then, the singer recalls the night when her lover expressed his love for her, and how the moon shone upon them and shared in their embrace. The second verse further reinforces the singer's belief that the moon is a friend of lovers, who holds back the night's end as a favor to them. However, the final verse takes a darker turn as the singer realizes that the moon is not always benevolent. She suspects that the moon bewitched her lover and stole him away from her.
Throughout the song, the moon serves as a metaphor for the various emotions and experiences that the singer goes through in her relationship. The moon symbolizes not only the romantic aspects of her relationship, but also the jealousy, betrayal, and heartbreak that she experiences. The song reminds us of the power of nature and how it can both bring joy and sorrow in our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Same moon in sky over me
I see the moon, the same one that is in the sky over me, shining down on me.
Same moon I see, his eyes see
The moon I am looking at is also the same moon that my lover is looking at.
Aren't you the same moon that smiles so wistfully?
I wonder if you, the moon, are the same one that looks like it is smiling so sadly and longingly.
Watched as my lover swore love eternally
I remember watching my lover promise to love me forever.
You sent down moonbeams to share in our embrace
I felt the moon shining down on us and its light seemed to join our loving embrace.
As warm as his lips on my face
The moonbeams felt warm on my skin, just as warm as the kiss that my lover gave me on my face.
Weren't you my friend as you listened from above?
I feel like you, the moon, were my friend as you listened to us and watched over us from above.
Held back night's end as a favor to my love
You, the moon, helped us prolong the night, giving us more time together, as a favor to my lover.
Aren't you the same moon that lit our lonely stream
I remember the time when you, the moon, were shining on the lonely stream where my lover and I found solace and love.
Where gently he answered my dream
It was on that stream where my lover gently answered my dream, giving me hope and happiness.
I was so carefree perhaps I should have known
I was so happy and carefree that I did not realize that you, the moon, were jealous of our love.
That you were jealous we mooning all alone
I realize now that you were jealous of us being alone and in love under your watchful gaze.
So you bewitched him and then revengefully
You, the moon, used your power to bewitch my lover and take revenge on me for being so happy.
You captured my true love from me
You took my lover away from me and captured him, leaving me alone under the same moon that once watched over us in love.
Same moon I see, his eyes see
I can still see the same moon as my lover, even though he is no longer with me.
But his eyes are now far from me
Although we both saw the same moon, my lover's eyes are now far away from me, leaving me alone under its light.
Same moon I see, his eyes see
I continue to look at the same moon as my lover, even though he is no longer with me.
But his eyes are now far from me
But my lover's eyes are now distant and unseeing, leaving me to gaze up at the same moon alone.
Same moon I see, his eyes see
The moon remains the same, and I continue to look at it, just like my lover once did.
But his eyes are now far from me
But my lover's eyes are no longer here, leaving me under the same moon without his presence.
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.