Top 10 Reasons To Pay Homage to Miriam Makeba

As I’m sure some of you know by now, international music icon, Miriam Makeba died yesterday. I could probably right 50 reasons why we should hold our heads in reverence, but I’ll spare you. Plus, it’s popten, not popfifty.

1.) The most obvious…it’s Miriam Makeba!

2.) The second most obvious…she died on stage. We always say “When I go, I hope it’s doing what I love.” Mrs. Makeba, actually checked that one off her list. Beautiful.

3.) An Evening With Belafonte/Makeba. If you don’t know this album…think Bob Marley’s Exodus, or NWA’s Straight Outta Compton. Though the album was charged with disdain for the apartheid taking place in her home of South Africa, she won a Grammy Award.

4.) She performed at The Rumble in the Jungle. Whoa.

5.) Because of her political activism, she was exiled! EXILED!!!

6.) But Nelson Mandela asked her to come back to South Africa, once he was freed from prison. MANDELA!!!

7.) She was married to music legend, Hugh Masekela, and Black Panther leader, Stokely Carmichael. In the same lifetime.

8.) If you’ve ever heard of the album Graceland…yeah the one Paul Simon made…yeah, the classic one… she’s on it.

9.) See: Click Song

10.) Her nickname (as in the one the whole world called her) was Mama Africa. Fitting indeed.

Rest in peace dear one. You will be sorely missed.

* If you are interested in her music (after reading this) and would like to know where to begin, check out Click Song, or Pata Pata.