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MAMA AFRICA MAKES HER FAREWELL<br><br>
Singing and weeping with Miriam Makeba<br><br>
Two marvelous concerts in Havana<br><br>
BY MIREYA CASTAÑEDA<br>
Granma International staff writer<br><br>
MIRIAM Makeba is all strength, in her words, her look, her<br>
voice. With delicacy and supreme humility she has embarked on<br>
an extensive international tour to say farewell to audiences<br>
that have applauded her for several decades. Thus she has<br>
come to Havana for the third time.<br><br>
"I am 73 and I have been in many countries. I feel as if I am<br>
a little tired. My heart wants to go on, but my bones are not<br>
letting it. I decided that I should return to those that I<br>
have visited, those who applauded me to thank me and Adios<br>
Makeba!<br><br>
That is the simple and emotive (and humorous) explanation<br>
that she gave in a rarely emotional exchange between the diva<br>
and journalists, which included Makeba’s gift of two songs,<br>
acapella, naturally; one in English: "I Walk Alone" and
the<br>
other in her native language.<br><br>
She gave two concerts (October 6 and 7) in the Astral Theater<br>
which, needless to say, were unforgettable and magisterial.<br>
It was an extremely brief tour of her repertoire, which<br>
included, since she cannot get away from that theme, the<br>
famous "Pata pata."<br><br>
"It was a dance of the time in which couples mutually touched<br>
each other. In Zulu touching is pata. I still don’t<br>
understand why it was such a success. For me, it one of the<br>
most insignificant in my repertoire. Now I can’t stop singing<br>
it."<br><br>
As she predicted in the press conference, the public sang and<br>
wept over her themes. It is because the inspiration for her<br>
songs is her people, her country South Africa, all of Africa.<br><br>
She revealed a fine irony when she was asked for musical<br>
definitions. "I don’t believe that there would be rhythm<br>
without Africa. Now we are called World music, and I ask<br>
myself, where are the rest from then? We are all of the<br>
world. In real terms they want to say Third World music. It’s<br>
the same as when they called us underdeveloped countries and<br>
now courteously we are in development. That’s how it is."<br><br>
She is asked if she sings jazz. "I don’t know what jazz<br>
means. I am asked what kind of music I make and I say I sing<br>
music. When I went to the United States, they called me a<br>
folk singer, then a jazz singer. I have been at jazz<br>
festivals, and soul festivals. So I don’t know what I was<br>
singing. So I sing what I have always sung."<br><br>
Fidel is a moment apart. Are you going to sing to him? Would<br>
you like to?<br><br>
"I was fortunate enough that Fidel attended my concert in<br>
1978 and I have always boasted about that. He is a star on my<br>
chariot. Who wouldn’t be excited about singing to Fidel?"<br><br>
Once again, Makeba, out of her commitment to the finest<br>
causes, sang to the Cuban president. She generously offered<br>
two songs during the event paying tribute and in remembrance<br>
of the victims of the Barbados crime (29 years ago) and the<br>
recently assassinated Puerto Rican patriot Filiberto Ojeda.<br><br>
Various questions over and above art.<br><br>
"Cuba? I am sorry that I do not speak Spanish although I am a<br>
Cuban citizen. I am very gratified to be here again, after<br>
the first time in 1972. For me it was a great honor to be in<br>
Cuba when I was not allowed to return to my country. Cuba was<br>
and is very important to Africa. It has helped us a lot. We<br>
still have no way of repaying everything that it have given<br>
us. I think that in time, we will be able to give it as much<br>
as we have received."<br><br>
Racism in New Orleans? "I wasn’t in the United States but we<br>
saw it when Katrina hit Louisiana and aid wasn’t immediately<br>
received. Those people who didn’t have a car couldn’t leave,<br>
thousands of others in a stadium. It was very painful. I<br>
don’t know if it was racism or not, but the aid was certainly<br>
delayed."<br><br>
Makeba announced that she has agreed to take part in a CD to<br>
be recorded for fundraising for the victims of that<br>
hurricane. "I sang in Los Angeles recently and a band that<br>
had managed to get out of New Orleans played there. They<br>
asked me for one or to songs for a CD being recorded. My<br>
group and I said yes, we were ready to contribute in that<br>
way, the only way we have."<br><br>
Goodwill ambassador for the Food and Agricultural<br>
Organization (FAO)? "I’m not the only one. There are many of<br>
us ambassadors, Gina Lollobrigida, Gong Li, Gilberto Gil. We<br>
should find the time to do what is needed. I am also involved<br>
in helping the victims of antipersonnel mines. We recently<br>
brought artificial legs, crutches and wheelchairs to<br>
Mozambique. Uganda and Rwanda are also in the program, and<br>
Angola in the future."<br><br>
After the tour? "I am going home to look alter my<br>
grandchildren and attend to the Makeba Center for Girls, a<br>
home for girls that I have opened in South Africa."<br><br>
The text of the song that she spontaneously gave us in the<br>
Havana Press Center talks of how many people she has around<br>
her, of how she sings alongside them. That is how it has<br>
always been for the great South African diva, on the stage or<br>
off it. The world gives thanks to Miriam Makeba.<br><br>
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Distributed By: THE PAN-AFRICAN RESEARCH AND DOCUMENTATION CENTER<br>
50 SCB BOX 47, WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY<br>
DETROIT, MI 48202-- E MAIL: ac6123@wayne.edu<br>
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