I loved this beautiful South African woman, Miriam Makeba.
Her life could have been very easy with that beautiful voice she had.
Instead, she decided to speak out against the injustice in her South African homeland.
While touring out of country, the apartheid government revoked her passport, forbade her return and stripped her of her citizenship.
While trapped in exile, her mother died and was buried without her.
Thirty-one years later, after her condemnation of the apartheid government, Nelson Mandella was freed from prison and begged Miriam to return to her homeland.
Her first stop upon return was her mother's grave, pictured below. The moving photo was taken at Nancefield Cemetery in Soweto in 1990 by Bono Magazine.
Said Makeba: “I sat on my mother’s grave and cried. I was like a baby sitting on my mother’s lap asking for forgiveness. I said: ‘Sorry, Mama. I was not able to see you when they took you to your final resting place. I am sorry I did not see you when you died. But now Mama I am here. I am home.”
A legit talent! A legit rebel - brave as hell! A wonderful person!
Unfortunately her relationship with Black men left a lot to be desired - especially Hugh Masakela and even the wonderful Harry Belafonte (Belafonte did help her career take off in US, but on a personal level, not good). RIP.
