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
Serenade Me
Miriam Makeba Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Serenade me my love
Serenade me my love
Serenade me with your love
Like a sailing dove
I'll never stop loving you
For you're my love eternally
Our love will keep growing
For you my love eternally
For I'm (Serenade me)
I'm just a part of his ecstacy
This holy divinity
This angelic love eternally (Serenade me)
Serenade me till death do us part
Till the North Wind blows
Over the Dalabar Mountain top
For you my love eternally
My beautiful love
Spiritual love
This infinite love
Praise my beautiful love
Praise my beautiful love (Serenade me my love)
And I'll feel that I'm with you my love (Serenade me my love)
Yes I feel that I'm with you my love (Serenade me my love)
Yes I feel that I'm with you my love (Serenade me my love)
Hmm I feel that I'm with you my love (Serenade me my love)
Yes I feel that I'm with you my love (Serenade me my love)
Serenade me my love
Serenade me my love
Serenade me my love (That I'm with you my love)
Serenade me my love
Yes I feel that I'm with you my love (Serenade me my love)
Yes I feel that I'm with you my love (Serenade me my love)
Hmm I feel that I'm with you my love (Serenade me my love)
Yes I feel that I'm with you my love
The song "Serenade Me" by Miriam Makeba is a heartfelt plea for love and affection. The repetitive phrase "Serenade me my love" sets the tone for the desire to be showered with love and attention. The singer longs for her partner to serenade her, to express his love through music and romantic gestures. The serenade becomes a symbol of their connection and the depth of their relationship.
The lyrics emphasize the eternal nature of love, with phrases like "I'll never stop loving you" and "For you my love eternally." This suggests that the singer's love is unwavering, and she longs for her partner to reciprocate that love. The idea of the serenade continuing until the end of time reflects the hope for a love that transcends all obstacles.
There is a spiritual aspect to the song as well, with lines like "This holy divinity" and "This angelic love eternally." This hints at a deeper, sacred dimension to their love, suggesting a connection that goes beyond the physical realm.
Line by Line Meaning
Serenade me my love
Please serenade me with your love
Serenade me with your love
Express your love for me through a serenade
Like a sailing dove
With grace and freedom, just like a dove
I'll never stop loving you
My love for you is endless
For you're my love eternally
Because you are the love of my life forever
Serenade me till the end of time
Continue to serenade me for eternity
Our love will keep growing
Our love will continue to mature and develop
For you my love eternally
Because you are my eternal love
For I'm (Serenade me)
Because I am (serenade me)
I'm just a part of his ecstasy
I am only a fraction of his overwhelming joy
This holy divinity
This sacred and divine connection
This angelic love eternally (Serenade me)
This everlasting love that feels heavenly (serenade me)
Serenade me till death do us part
Continue to serenade me until we are separated by death
Till the North Wind blows
Until the strong wind from the north blows
Over the Dalabar Mountain top
Across the highest point of Dalabar Mountain
My beautiful love
You are my stunning and beloved partner
Spiritual love
Our love transcends the physical and touches the soul
This infinite love
Our love is boundless and limitless
Praise my beautiful love
I celebrate and praise our beautiful love
And I'll feel that I'm with you my love (Serenade me my love)
When you serenade me, I sense a strong connection between us
Yes I feel that I'm with you my love (Serenade me my love)
I truly believe that I am by your side when you serenade me
Hmm I feel that I'm with you my love (Serenade me my love)
Hmm, the serenade makes me feel intimately connected to you
Serenade me my love
Please serenade me with your love
Yes I feel that I'm with you my love (Serenade me my love)
I genuinely feel your presence when you serenade me
Hmm I feel that I'm with you my love (Serenade me my love)
Hmm, the serenade creates a profound sense of togetherness
Yes I feel that I'm with you my love (Serenade me my love)
I firmly believe that your serenade connects us deeply
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.