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
Where Can I Go
Miriam Makeba Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Not one word of pity
Or a helping hand
I watch them as they pass me by
To a place called home
They all have somewhere that belong to them
But me I have drome
There is no place for me
Where to go? Where to go?
Every door is closed to me
To the left to the right
It's the same in every land
There is nowhere to go
And it's me who should know
Won't you please understand?
Now I know where to go
Where my folks proudly stand
Let me go, let me go
To that precious promised land
No more left no more right
Lift your head and see the light
I am proud can't you see?
For at last I am free
No more wandering for me
Won't you please understand?
The lyrics of Miriam Makeba's song Where Can I Go? speak to the theme of displacement, belonging, and the search for home. The first stanza sets the tone for the rest of the song, as we see the singer observing the people around her as they move towards their own homes, a place where they belong. She laments her own predicament, feeling that she does not have anywhere that she belongs to. The repetition of the question "Where to go? Where to go?" emphasizes her desperation and confusion.
The second stanza continues with the same theme, as the singer acknowledges that it doesn't matter which direction she goes, she'll still find herself in the same predicament. She pleads for understanding, as if hoping that someone will finally reach out a hand to help her. The final stanza brings a note of hope, as the singer declares that she has finally found her home, "where my folks proudly stand". She rejoices in her freedom from wandering and displacement, and urges others to understand her struggle.
This song is a poignant representation of the experience of so many people around the world who have been displaced from their homeland, whether by choice or by force, and who have struggled to find a sense of belonging elsewhere. Despite the fact that the song was written and recorded in 1960, it resonates with audiences today, as the issue of displacement and migration continues to affect millions of people worldwide.
Line by Line Meaning
In the cities of a hundred foreign lands
I have traveled to many different cities in distant lands.
Not one word of pity
But the people there show me no kindness or concern.
Or a helping hand
They do not offer any assistance or support.
I watch them as they pass me by
I observe as they ignore my struggles and continue on their way.
To a place called home
These people have a home to go to.
They all have somewhere that belong to them
They have a place where they feel like they belong.
But me I have drome
But I have no such place, I am a wanderer.
Tell me where shall I go?
I ask for guidance in finding a place to belong.
There is no place for me
I feel like no place is accepting of me.
Where to go? Where to go?
I keep asking where I should go and still do not have an answer.
Every door is closed to me
Every opportunity I have tried has been unfruitful.
To the left to the right
I have looked everywhere, left and right.
It's the same in every land
But everywhere I go, it is the same.
There is nowhere to go
I feel like there is nowhere left for me to turn.
And it's me who should know
I know better than anyone how I feel and where I have been.
Won't you please understand?
I ask for empathy and understanding in my struggle.
Now I know where to go
But I have finally found where I belong.
Where my folks proudly stand
With my people, where I feel proud and accepted.
Let me go, let me go
I want to leave this time of hardship behind.
To that precious promised land
To a place promised to me, where I am welcome.
No more left no more right
I no longer need to search for a home; I have found it.
Lift your head and see the light
I see the beauty and positivity in my new home.
I am proud can't you see?
I feel pride in myself and my home.
For at last I am free
Finally, I have found freedom in a place where I feel like I belong.
No more wandering for me
I no longer need to wander in search of a home.
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
MerlePsyA
Lovely, lyrical, deeply moving rendition of this very important song. Miriam Makeba is a great soul, a great singer. Other versions of this song on YouTube -- Leo Fuld, Steve Lawrence -- in a particular style -- this straight-up ballad style of Miriam Makeba shows a deep understanding of the song, the music and words.
Marzieh Kian
MerlePsyA please send me the lyrics
prettycountrygirl2
She sung so well. RIP Mariam.
Asirram Nosnibor 1
Just heard this song on the radio its amazing!!
GA Englund
Thanks for this - I have the same album some where tucked away. This is a real treat.
Fateemah Sanneh
Queen 👸🏿 rest in dignity
Jazmund Campbell
All one can type to that is AMEN....
Olive Pamela
I love you mama Africa.Thanks a million for all. RIPP
SuperXavier30
This woman really gave a damn!
fancytub
Can anyone link me the text, please????