11.10.2008

Mama Africa

Miriam Makeba has passed. She collapsed, apparently from a heart attack, while on stage last night in Italy. I found her a long time ago, when she married and performed with the legendary Hugh Masekela. She taught me the "Click Song." The real name was Pata pata, but it was called the click song because she sang it in Xhosa, a language that uses not only words but clicking sounds made in the throat. I spent a lot of time as a kid trying to master those sounds.

May she rest in peace

2 comments:

Darius T. Williams said...

Yea - so sad. I heard about this and was in shock...she died doing something she loved!

Jo Moore said...

that's the only way to go..doing something you love. I hope South Africa honors her as they should, nothing less than a state funeral