Miriam Makeba's 81st Birthday

Zenzile Miriam Makeba was born in Johannesburg March 4, 1932. Her mother was a Swazi sangoma (traditional healer-herbalist). His father, who died when she was six, was a Xhosa. When she was eighteen days, her mother was arrested for selling Umqombothi craft beer brewed from malt and African flour. His mother was sentenced to six months in prison, while Miriam spent her first six months in jail. As a child, she sang in chorus Kilmerton training Institute in Pretoria, in primary school, which she attended for eight years.

At the age of eighteen years, Makeba had her only child, bongos Makeba, whose father was the first husband of Miriam Makeba, James Cuba. Makeba, then a diagnosis of breast cancer, and her husband left her shortly after. His professional career began in 1950 when she was featured in the South African jazz group Manhattan Brothers, and appeared for the first time on a poster. She left the Manhattan Brothers to record with her all-female group, larks, singing a blend of jazz and traditional melodies of South Africa. In 1956, she released the single "Pata Pata", which played on the radio and became known throughout South Africa.

She had a short marriage in 1959, Sonny Pillay, a South African singer of Indian origin. His breakthrough came in a year when she had a brief guest appearance in Come Back, Africa, anti-apartheid documentary and directed by American independent filmmaker Lionel Rogozin. The short cameo made an enormous impression on the public and Rogozin has managed to organize a visa for her to take part in the premiere of the film at the 24th Venice Film Festival in Italy, where the film won the prestigious critics. That same year, Makeba sang the lead female role in the Broadway style of South African music of King Kong, and among those in the cast was a musician Hugh Masekela. She made her debut in the United States on November 1, 1959 Steve Allen Show.

Death and legacy:

November 9, 2008, she fell ill while attending a concert organized to support writer Roberto Saviano in his stand against the Camorra, a mafia organization of the local region of Campania. The concert took place in Castel Volturno, near Caserta, Italy. Makeba suffered a heart attack after performing his hit "Pata Pata", and was taken to the "Pineta Grande" clinic where doctors were unable to revive her. His publicist notes that Makeba suffered "severe arthritis" for some time. She and family members were based in Northriding, Gauteng, at the time of his death.

25, 26 and 27 September 2009, Makeba tribute concert entitled "Tribute to Miriam Makeba" and curator Beninese singer Angelique Kidjo Grammy and activist for the Festival d'Ile-de-France, took place in the Circus of winter in Paris. The same show but with the English title of "Mama Africa: Celebrating Miriam Makeba" was held at the Barbican in London on 21 November 2009. Mama Africa, a documentary on the life of Miriam Makeba, co-written and directed by Finnish director Mika Kaurismaki, was released in 2011.

Miriam Makeba's 81st Birthday