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
Wind Song
Miriam Makeba Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The wind is long
And the wind is a song
For you my love
For you my love
For you
You touched my heart
I'll never forget
That night my love
That night my love
That night
The sea is green
The sea is life
But the sea brought death
To you my love
To you my love
To you
Your love was sweet
Your love was life
And your life will live
In me my love
In me my love
In me
The wind is calm
The wind is love
And the wind is my song
To you my love
To you my love
To you
Miriam Makeba's Wind Song is a beautiful and touching tribute to a lost love. The opening lines of the song, "The wind is deep, the wind is long, and the wind is a song for you my love," set the tone for the entire piece, which is a moving ode to a loved one who has passed away. Makeba uses the metaphor of the wind to convey the idea that their love, and the memory of their loved one, will endure forever.
The second verse of the song speaks of the power that the lost love had over the singer. "You touched my heart, you touched my soul, I'll never forget that night my love, that night," Makeba sings. The lyrics convey the sense of intimacy that existed between the two, and the profound impact that their relationship had on the singer's life.
In the third verse, Makeba addresses the sea as a symbol of life, but also acknowledges that it brought death to the loved one. "The sea is green, the sea is life, but the sea brought death to you my love, to you," she sings. These lines are a powerful reminder of the delicate balance between life and death, and the inevitability of loss that accompanies any deep and meaningful relationship.
Overall, Wind Song is a beautiful and moving tribute to a lost love. Through its use of metaphor and symbolism, it communicates the depth of emotion and the enduring power of memory that can arise from profound relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
The wind is deep
The wind is profound and full of hidden meaning
The wind is long
The wind seems to go on forever, without end.
And the wind is a song
The wind is like a beautiful piece of music, full of emotion and mystery
For you my love
All of this beauty is dedicated to you, my beloved
You touched my heart
You made a deep emotional connection with me
You touched my soul
You had a profound effect on me, spiritually
I'll never forget
Your impact on my life is so powerful, I will always remember
That night my love
This specific moment in time, when we were together, had a lasting impact on me
The sea is green
The ocean is a vibrant green color
The sea is life
The ocean is a vital force which sustains life on earth
But the sea brought death
Despite its life-giving properties, the sea can also be dangerous and deadly
To you my love
You, my beloved, were a victim of this deadly force
Your love was sweet
Your love was pure and beautiful
Your love was life
Your love brought vitality and happiness to me
And your life will live
Even though you are gone, your spirit will continue to have a presence in my life
In me my love
I will carry your memory and your love with me always
The wind is calm
The wind has now lost its mystery and depth
The wind is love
But it still has the power to evoke strong emotions
And the wind is my song
This song is my expression of love and devotion to you
To you my love
All of this is dedicated to you, my beloved
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.