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
Thanayi
Miriam Makeba Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hayi tha la la la
Iye mama kutheni Nomalizo?
Iye mama kutheni weh Nomalizo?
Akatyebang'uNomalungelo inkab'itshonile
Akatyebang'uNomalungelo inkab'itshonile
Xa ungenzanga nto emhlabeni
Xa ungenzanga nto emhlabeni
Kubhetel'ubhubhe mama
Hayi thanayi bo
Hayi thanayi
Thanayi, thanayi bo
Thanayi bo
Iyo ndanga niyambon'umntanami
Ehlel'emgodini mama
Ndanga niyambon'umntanami
Ezenz'umlungu mama hayi bo!
Akatyebang'uNomalungelo inkab'itshonile
Akatyebang'uNomalungelo inkab'itshonile
Xa ungenzanga nto emhlabeni
Kubhetel'uvume mama
Xa ungenzanga nto emhlabeni
Kubhetel'uvume mama
Iyo thanayi bo
Hayi thanayi
Thanayi, thanayi bo
Thanayi bo
Iyo ndanga niyambon'umntanami
Ehlel'emgodini mama
Ndanga niyambon'umntanami
Ezenz'umlungu mama
Thu lu lu lu lu lu
Hayi tha la la la la la
Iye mama kutheni Nomalizo?
Iye mama kutheni weh Nomalizo?
Hayi bo!
The lyrics of Miriam Makeba's song "Thanayi" depict the pain and struggles of the black people under the system of apartheid in South Africa. The first verse portrays a mother lamenting over the fate of her daughter, Nomalizo, who might have been killed or imprisoned due to her defiance against the oppressors. The lines "Akatyebang'uNomalungelo inkab'itshonile" and "Xa ungenzanga nto emhlabeni, Kubhetel'ubhubhe mama" mean that Nomalungelo has been silenced by those who have taken away her rights, and the mother is left with nothing but sorrow and tears.
The chorus "Hayi thanayi bo" is a form of a lullaby that the mother sings, even though the situation is far from peaceful. The repetition of the phrase "thanayi" symbolizes hope and the mother's desire for a better future for her children. The second verse talks about the mother's son, who might have been killed by the white police, and the mother's helplessness in the face of this injustice. The lines "Iyo ndanga niyambon'umntanami, Ezenz'umlungu mama hayi bo!" depict the mother's disbelief and anger, as she questions how the white people can commit these atrocities without any remorse.
Line by Line Meaning
Thu lu lu lu lu
This line is not meant to convey a message as it comprises only syllables and sounds.
Hayi tha la la la
This line is also not meant to convey a message as it comprises only syllables and sounds.
Iye mama kutheni Nomalizo?
The singer is asking her mother why she never revealed the full extent of the injustice that Nomalizo experienced.
Iye mama kutheni weh Nomalizo?
This is a repetition of the previous line, with the singer asking her mother why she did not share the whole truth about Nomalizo's story.
Akatyebang'uNomalungelo inkab'itshonile
The singer is expressing her frustration that the rights of Nomalungelo, an oppressed person, have been taken away or ignored.
Akatyebang'uNomalungelo inkab'itshonile
This is a repetition of the previous line, with the singer emphasizing how unjust it is that Nomalungelo's rights have been taken away.
Xa ungenzanga nto emhlabeni Kubhetel'ubhubhe mama Xa ungenzanga nto emhlabeni Kubhetel'ubhubhe mama
The singer is saying that if she ever does something wrong in the world, her mother should mourn her and express her sadness.
Hayi thanayi bo
This line and the next three lines are a refrain that just express sadness and disappointment at the situation without any clear meaning.
Hayi thanayi
Thanayi, thanayi bo
Thanayi bo
Iyo ndanga niyambon'umntanami Ehlel'emgodini mama Ndanga niyambon'umntanami Ezenz'umlungu mama hayi bo!
The singer is expressing how she understands the plight of oppressed people, as she has seen the suffering of her own people while growing up. She is saying that her mother saw it all - both the oppression and the resilience of the people, and she should not stop fighting for what is right.
Kubhetel'uvume mama Xa ungenzanga nto emhlabeni Kubhetel'uvume mama
This is a repetition of the previous stanza, suggesting that not only should her mother mourn the singer's wrongs, but also she should stand up for justice in the world.
Iyo thanayi bo
This is the same refrain from earlier expressing sadness and disappointment.
Hayi thanayi
Thanayi, thanayi bo
Thanayi bo
Iye mama kutheni Nomalizo?
This is a repetition of an earlier stanza, asking why her mother didn't reveal the full extent of the injustice that Nomalizo experienced.
Iye mama kutheni weh Nomalizo?
This is also a repetition of an earlier stanza, asking why her mother didn't tell the full truth about what happened to Nomalizo.
Hayi bo!
This is an exclamation expressing the singer's frustration and anger at the injustice and oppression faced by Nomalizo and others.
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.