Miriam Makeba Research Paper

Zenzile Miriam Makeba, also known as Mama Africa was a South African singer and civil rights activist. Makeba was born to parents Caswell and Christina Makeba, in Johannesburg during March 1932, a time of economic depression in South Africa. Miriam’s mother was imprisoned when she was just over two weeks old, meaning she joined her mother for the six months she was in prison for brewing beer in her home. She was married to James Kubay, having a daughter together. Miriam eventually left her husband because of physical abuse she endured from her husband. Before her rise to international fame and after leaving her husband, Makeba initially worked doing domestic work and performing for special events.
During 1954 to 1957, Miriam sang with the Manhattan Brothers, building her reputation as she toured through South Africa, Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) and Congo. After this, she sang with an all women group, the Skylarks. As well as vocal performances, Makeba also performed in the film Come Back
During her time in the United States, Miriam preformed for President John F. Kennedy in 1962 for his birthday at Madison Square Garden, and gave speeches for the United Nations General Assembly in 1964 and 1975, speaking out against apartheid, eventually winning the Dag Hammerskjold Peace Prize in 1986. Through all these accomplishments, the South African apartheid government banned Miriam’s music until 1988, preventing her message from reaching where it was needed most. This didn’t stop Makeba from continuing to spread her message. Through her tours throughout Europe, the United States, Africa and South America, she could put foreign pressure on South Africa as she publicized what was going on from within the country, and ultimately endorsing change from the outside while she was unable to do her work and activism from inside South