Miriam Makeba
by Miriam Makeba

Miriam Makeba’s self-titled debut is a wonderful introduction to South African music. Drawing inspiration from vocal jazz (and no doubt collaborator Harry Belafonte’s music), she effortlessly combines lyrics in Xhosa with traditional western standards. That’s a very difficult thing to do, but despite over half the album being in a language I don’t speak, I feel just as at home in Saduva as I do listening to The Naughty Little Flea. Her voice is gentle and graceful and Perry Lopez does a fantastic job keeping the rhythm on the guitar to the point that I barely noticed a lack of percussion on most tracks. While there are definitely a few weak points (the a capella Umhome and the satirical One More Dance), the album doesn’t overstay its welcome, even if the songs do keep to a similar formula. The standout track however is The Click Song, which moves at a tempo that no other song does on this album. Overall, a pleasant, if somewhat basic listening experience.

Overall: 3.11/5
Highlights - The Click Song, House of the Rising Sun, Saduva

From VictorVale 06/08/2023 16:52 | #297475

Canto imortal e eterno.

Africa

Makeba was a South African singer who had a difficult early life, but her strong and attractive singing voice got her attention. She blended African and Western music to great effect. She toured with several singing groups in the 1950s, and on gaining international attention she moved to America in 1960 as a solo artist. She became a spokesperson for civil rights in America and South Africa, her home, where she was banned until the end of apartheid. For a while she was also banned from certain Western countries, such as France, and with South Africa refusing her a passport, she had to rely on the goodwill of other African nations in granting her diplomatic papers so she could travel. He main musical output was the 1960s and early 1970s, though she continued to record and perform throughout her life, including touring with Paul Simon on the controversial Graceland tour. She died on stage in 2008. This was her first Western album. Though not the immediate commercial success that RCA had hoped for, the album is widely seen as her best.