This week's "Best of The Beat on Afropop" feature from volume 7 #2, 1988, of The Beat magazine commemorates the seventh anniversary of the passing of Miriam Makeba, Nov. 9, 2008, at the age of 76. Possessed of one of the the world's great voices, she became an international icon who transcended her South African origins, and 30 years of exile during the apartheid era, to become one of the world's most recognized singers. You must read her biography, discography and filmography to appreciate the full and influential life she lived: Wikipedia entry.
This in-depth interview by Roger Steffens took place in Los Angeles on the occasion of the release of Sangoma, her first U.S. album in some 20 years.
The sound clip, "Liwa Wechi," features just her stunning voice with only percussion backing, sung in Lingala, a language from central Africa. The song is Makeba's interpretation of a composition by the great Congolese bandleader and composer, Luambo "Franco" Makiadi, from the early '60s, a lament for a childhood friend.
Click here to listen to the Afropop podcast "Mama Africa."
For even more on Miriam Makeba: An Afropop wrap-up of crucial tracks
READ OR DOWNLOAD PDF HERE: Beat7#2Makeba
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