Miriam Makeba, Acting - KorPlix:Korean Person Archives

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Miriam Makeba
Acting

Miriam Makeba
Known For
Acting
Birthday
1932-03-04,Prospect Township, near Johannesburg, South Africa
Gender
Female
Biography
Zenzile Miriam Makeba (4 March 1932 – 9 November 2008), nicknamed Mama Africa, was a South African singer, songwriter, actress, and civil rights activist. Associated with musical genres including Afropop, jazz, and world music, she was an advocate against apartheid and white-minority government in South Africa. Born in Johannesburg to Swazi and Xhosa parents, Makeba was forced to find employment as a child after the death of her father. She had a brief and allegedly abusive first marriage at the age of 17, gave birth to her only child in 1950, and survived breast cancer. Her vocal talent had been recognized when she was a child, and she began singing professionally in the 1950s, with the Cuban Brothers, the Manhattan Brothers, and an all-woman group, the Skylarks, performing a mixture of jazz, traditional African melodies, and Western popular music. In 1959, Makeba had a brief role in the anti-apartheid film Come Back, Africa, which brought her international attention, and led to her performing in Venice, London, and New York City. In London, she met the American singer Harry Belafonte, who became a mentor and colleague. She moved to New York City, where she became immediately popular, and recorded her first solo album in 1960. Her attempt to return to South Africa that year for her mother's funeral was prevented by the country's government. Makeba's career flourished in the United States, and she released several albums and songs, her most popular being "Pata Pata" (1967). Along with Belafonte she received a Grammy Award for her 1965 album An Evening with Belafonte/Makeba. She testified against the South African government at the United Nations and became involved in the civil rights movement. She married Stokely Carmichael, a leader of the Black Panther Party, in 1968. As a result, she lost support among white Americans. Her visa was revoked by the US government when she was traveling abroad, forcing her and Carmichael to relocate to Guinea. She continued to perform, mostly in African countries, including at several independence celebrations. She began to write and perform music more explicitly critical of apartheid; the 1977 song "Soweto Blues", written by her former husband Hugh Masekela, was about the Soweto uprising. After apartheid was dismantled in 1990, Makeba returned to South Africa. She continued recording and performing, including a 1991 album with Nina Simone and Dizzy Gillespie, and appeared in the 1992 film Sarafina!. She was named an FAO Goodwill Ambassador in 1999, and campaigned for humanitarian causes. She died of a heart attack during a 2008 concert in Italy. Makeba was among the first African musicians to receive worldwide recognition. She brought African music to a Western audience, and popularized the world music and Afropop genres. She also made popular several songs critical of apartheid, and became a symbol of opposition to the system, particularly after her right to return was revoked. Upon her death, former South African President Nelson Mandela said that "her music inspired a powerful sense of hope in all of us." ... Source: Article "Miriam Makeba" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.

Filmography

Amandla! A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony

6.5

Amandla! A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony
2002-09-21

6.149

Sarafina!
1992-09-18

Come Back, Africa

6.813

Come Back, Africa
1959-09-01

The Panafrican Festival in Algiers

6

The Panafrican Festival in Algiers
1969-01-01

The Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Concert

10

The Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Concert
1988-01-01

When We Were Kings

7.575

When We Were Kings
1996-10-25

8

Amok
1983-04-01

6.4

Soul Power
2009-06-10

Have You Seen Drum Recently?

8

Have You Seen Drum Recently?
1989-09-09

Pieces of Lives, Pieces of Dreams

0

Pieces of Lives, Pieces of Dreams
2012-06-02

5.6

Mama Africa
2011-08-12

7.5

Africa Rising
2019-06-03

Paul Simon | Graceland: The African Concert

6.083

Paul Simon | Graceland: The African Concert
1987-08-20

Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute

6.5

Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute
1988-06-11

Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat

7.8

Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat
2024-09-11

As Matter Speaks

0

As Matter Speaks
2025-06-09

Voices of Sarafina!

9

Voices of Sarafina!
1988-03-25

Algiers, the Mecca of Revolutionaries (1962-1974)

10

Algiers, the Mecca of Revolutionaries (1962-1974)
2016-01-01

6.982

The Cosby Show
1984-09-20

Tonight in Person

7

Tonight in Person
1963-01-30

The Steve Allen Show

6.167

The Steve Allen Show
1956-06-24

The Mike Douglas Show

5.8

The Mike Douglas Show
1961-12-11

Ein Kessel Buntes

4.167

Ein Kessel Buntes
1972-01-29

Cachitos de hierro y cromo

7.7

Cachitos de hierro y cromo
2013-10-27

9

Bio’s Bahnhof
1978-02-09

Le Grand Échiquier

8

Le Grand Échiquier
1972-01-12

0

Exiles
1988-06-02

7.5

Numéro un
1975-04-05