Luvuyo Kakaza
World-famous singer Miriam Makeba’s career has reached a new exuberant pitch with her latest release, Homeland (Putumayo).
Recorded in South Africa, it features a range of local talents: Themba Mkhize (keyboards), Louis Mhlanga and Mauritz Lotz (guitar), Prince Lengoasa (trumpet), Barney Rachabane (alto saxophone), Kwazi Shange (drums), Mandla Zikalala (bass guitar) McCoy Mrubata (sax), Cedric Samson (percussion) and vocals by Faith Kekana, Stella Khumalo, Zamo Mbutho, Wings Segale, Margaret Motsage and Innocent Modiba. Also featured is Makeba’s grandchild, Zenzi Lee on vocals.
The album showcases a range of compositions with an essential feel of African rhythms and lyrics. Makeba has updated her 1967 international hit Pata Pata, one of the first African songs to reach United States top 10 charts. It is on tracks like Homeland, Lidawechi, Lindelani and Uhome – written by Lakua Kanza, Mbutho, Makeba and Samson – that one finds funky and danceable, traditional rhythms with jazz influences.
The album, pioneered by Samson, pays tribute to Makeba as living legend of African music. According to Samson, the album was originally going to be called The Legend Lives On, but representatives of Eputamayo – one of world music’s great international labels – felt that Homeland would be more fitting in expressing the fact that Makeba finally made it home after her difficult years in exile. Today at more than 60 years old, she is still going strong and performs all over the world.
Referring to the fact that the new album was released abroad months before its local release, Samson says: “It is unfortunate that Makeba has not been able to get decent recording deals in the country and still has to perform mostly abroad because of unpleasant state of affairs in the arts here.”
Homeland is Makeba’s second release since her return debut Welela in 1993, which used South African musicians after years of her playing with mainly US or Guinean backing groups.
Since her “reunion” concert in South Africa in 1991 Makeba has involved herself in social welfare. She opened a home for destitute girls in a former miners’ hostel. She is currently organising musician involved in the Kora Awards to raise money for HIV/Aids awareness.
At the launch of her new CD on June 3, Makeba will perform songs from previous albums and tracks from Homeland.
Miriam Makeba launches her new CD with a live show at the Civic Theatre on June 3 at 8pm. Tickets R60 at Computicket (www.computicket.com)