This film depicted the harsh conditions under which black South Africans were forced to live by the apartheid government. Her artistry extended beyond the stage, her impeccable vocals and sophisticated interpretations of international and South African repertoire. Her artistry, always informed by the circumstances in South Africa, served as a razor-sharp awareness tool. In journalist Gwen Ansell’s book Soweto Blues, the late Hugh Masekela concurs that; “There’s nobody in Africa who made the world more aware of what was happening in South Africa than Miriam Makeba. She was not Belafonte’s “discovery from South Africa”.

Source: Standard Digital May 08, 2022 03:30 UTC