Meeting Africa in melodies
Lets use Miriam Makeba as a prime
example in this respect:
After being sent into exile by the
ruling South African party in 1967,
Miriam went on to release ‘Pata Pata’
in the US. Singing and performing
liberation songs in her mother tongue
made her extremely popular, earning
her the name ‘Mama Africa’.
She brought a certain level of
awareness regarding African culture,
and even received a Grammy Award
for best folk album entitled ‘An
evening with Belafonte’. The album
dealt with the racial struggle and
oppression in South Africa- one of
the first American albums to have
traditional Zulu, Sotho and Swahili
songs.
Today, many alternative artists in the
diaspora pool such as Janelle Monae
and Laura Mvula, feel a desire to
promote their native African lands
through their choice of music, attire
and message. This provides a platform
for all lost diaspora with which they
can identify.
“THE AFRICAN EXPERIENCE
IS NOW ACKNOWLEDGED
IN MODERN WESTERN
C U LT U R E .”
15
IMBO/ ISSUE 32/ '14