[News] Mariam Makeba Holds Farewell Concert in Havana

[Anti-Imperialist News]

MAMA AFRICA MAKES HER FAREWELL

Singing and weeping with Miriam Makeba

Two marvelous concerts in Havana

BY MIREYA CASTAÑEDA
Granma International staff writer

MIRIAM Makeba is all strength, in her words, her look, her
voice. With delicacy and supreme humility she has embarked on
an extensive international tour to say farewell to audiences
that have applauded her for several decades. Thus she has
come to Havana for the third time.

"I am 73 and I have been in many countries. I feel as if I am
a little tired. My heart wants to go on, but my bones are not
letting it. I decided that I should return to those that I
have visited, those who applauded me to thank me and Adios
Makeba!

That is the simple and emotive (and humorous) explanation
that she gave in a rarely emotional exchange between the diva
and journalists, which included Makeba’s gift of two songs,
acapella, naturally; one in English: "I Walk Alone" and the
other in her native language.

She gave two concerts (October 6 and 7) in the Astral Theater
which, needless to say, were unforgettable and magisterial.
It was an extremely brief tour of her repertoire, which
included, since she cannot get away from that theme, the
famous "Pata pata."

"It was a dance of the time in which couples mutually touched
each other. In Zulu touching is pata. I still don’t
understand why it was such a success. For me, it one of the
most insignificant in my repertoire. Now I can’t stop singing
it."

As she predicted in the press conference, the public sang and
wept over her themes. It is because the inspiration for her
songs is her people, her country South Africa, all of Africa.

She revealed a fine irony when she was asked for musical
definitions. "I don’t believe that there would be rhythm
without Africa. Now we are called World music, and I ask
myself, where are the rest from then? We are all of the
world. In real terms they want to say Third World music. It’s
the same as when they called us underdeveloped countries and
now courteously we are in development. That’s how it is."

She is asked if she sings jazz. "I don’t know what jazz
means. I am asked what kind of music I make and I say I sing
music. When I went to the United States, they called me a
folk singer, then a jazz singer. I have been at jazz
festivals, and soul festivals. So I don’t know what I was
singing. So I sing what I have always sung."

Fidel is a moment apart. Are you going to sing to him? Would
you like to?

"I was fortunate enough that Fidel attended my concert in
1978 and I have always boasted about that. He is a star on my
chariot. Who wouldn’t be excited about singing to Fidel?"

Once again, Makeba, out of her commitment to the finest
causes, sang to the Cuban president. She generously offered
two songs during the event paying tribute and in remembrance
of the victims of the Barbados crime (29 years ago) and the
recently assassinated Puerto Rican patriot Filiberto Ojeda.

Various questions over and above art.

"Cuba? I am sorry that I do not speak Spanish although I am a
Cuban citizen. I am very gratified to be here again, after
the first time in 1972. For me it was a great honor to be in
Cuba when I was not allowed to return to my country. Cuba was
and is very important to Africa. It has helped us a lot. We
still have no way of repaying everything that it have given
us. I think that in time, we will be able to give it as much
as we have received."

Racism in New Orleans? "I wasn’t in the United States but we
saw it when Katrina hit Louisiana and aid wasn’t immediately
received. Those people who didn’t have a car couldn’t leave,
thousands of others in a stadium. It was very painful. I
don’t know if it was racism or not, but the aid was certainly
delayed."

Makeba announced that she has agreed to take part in a CD to
be recorded for fundraising for the victims of that
hurricane. "I sang in Los Angeles recently and a band that
had managed to get out of New Orleans played there. They
asked me for one or to songs for a CD being recorded. My
group and I said yes, we were ready to contribute in that
way, the only way we have."

Goodwill ambassador for the Food and Agricultural
Organization (FAO)? "I’m not the only one. There are many of
us ambassadors, Gina Lollobrigida, Gong Li, Gilberto Gil. We
should find the time to do what is needed. I am also involved
in helping the victims of antipersonnel mines. We recently
brought artificial legs, crutches and wheelchairs to
Mozambique. Uganda and Rwanda are also in the program, and
Angola in the future."

After the tour? "I am going home to look alter my
grandchildren and attend to the Makeba Center for Girls, a
home for girls that I have opened in South Africa."

The text of the song that she spontaneously gave us in the
Havana Press Center talks of how many people she has around
her, of how she sings alongside them. That is how it has
always been for the great South African diva, on the stage or
off it. The world gives thanks to Miriam Makeba.

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