Google pays tribute to South African singer Miriam Makeba, or ‘Mama Africa’ (video)

March 4, 2013
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Google paid tribute on Monday, South African singer Miriam Makeba in 81 anniversary of her birth.

Known as Mama Africa and the Empress of African song, Makeba was an icon of the struggle against apartheid in her country, committed to the struggle for civil rights and against racism.

Internet search engine paid tribute again to great figures of history. This time, Google is focused on music to celebrate the anniversary of one of the most important interpreters of the twentieth century, not only for her music but for her struggle against racism and civil rights.

Miriam Makeba was born on March 4, 1932 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Makeba started singing in the 50s with the Manhattan Brothers group for later founded her own band, The Skylarks, which mixed jazz with traditional South African music.

Because of her activism the singer could not be work in her country so she traveled to Venice and then made it to London (UK), where she met Harry Belafonte, who helped her enter in the United States.

Also known as the mother of Africa or the Song Empress of African took the stage traditions of her homeland. She achieved her greatest popularity with the theme Pata Pata (1967), which won the first places in different countries in the ranking of pop music.

In October 1999 she was appointed Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Organization for Food and Agriculture (FAO) in 2001, Makeba was awarded the Otto Hahn Peace, granted by the German Association of the UN.

On November 10, 2008 she died in Castel Volturno in southern Italy, because of a heart attack after a concert against racism and mob.