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Internationally renowned South African singer Miriam Makeba has died at age 76. Known affectionately as “Mama Africa,” Makeba suffered a heart attack as she collapsed onstage during a concert in Italy. Her performance was in honor of half a dozen African immigrants who were killed in a suspected mafia shooting, and in support of an Italian anti-mafia writer who also faced threats. Banished from her native South Africa for more than thirty years, Makeba was internationally revered for her songs highlighting the oppression of apartheid rule in her country. During her exile she traveled the world, endured five marriages – including one to Black Panther leader Stokely Carmichael, even fleeing with him to Guinea. She became the first African woman to win a Grammy award and finally returned home in 1990 after Nelson Mandela was released from imprisonment. Upon hearing the news of Makeba’s death, the Former South African President issued a statement and said, “She was a mother to our struggle and to the young nation ours. It was fitting that her last moments were spent on stage, enriching the hearts and lives of others – and again in support of a good cause.”

Miriam Makeba was a friend to Pacifica and performed for a fundraiser for KPFK at LA’s Coconut Grove at The Ambassador Hotel… Makeba was introduced by actress Lena Horne. Her performance is preserved in the Pacifica Radio Archives.

GUEST: Gerald Le Melle, Executive Director of Africa Action