Miriam Makeba

Known as "Mama Africa", Miriam Makeba is a legend who has lived an extraordinary life. Born in South Africa in 1932, Makeba's incredible voice won her the lead role in King Kong, together with Hugh Masekela, her future husband.

She went on to conquer America where she sang at President Kennedy's birthday and worked with Harry Belafonte creating classics such as The Click Song and Pata Pata. In 1963, after testifying against apartheid before the United Nations, Makeba was exiled. She returned to prominence when she performed with Paul Simon on 1987's Graceland tour. Her 2000 album Homeland was Grammy nominated. Finally, in the late 1980's she returned to her homeland as a free South African and continued to tour, perform and thrill audiences worldwide. She passed away in 2008 at the age of 76.

The image below by Alf Kumalo.

Hugh Masekela - South African Legend

Hugh Masekela is one of the legends of South African music. A child prodigy, he mastered the trumpet in the mid-1950's and got his big break when he joined the orchestra of Todd Matshikiza's smash hit musical King Kong, which toured the world for two years. After the Sharpville Massacre, Masekela went into excile. With the help of Harry Belafonte he became a big start in the USA, where he had a number one pop song called "Grazin' in the Grass" in 1968.


In the photograph Hugh Masekela leaps into the air with delight after receiving a trumpet from American jazz legend, Louis Armstrong, 1956. The trumpet came to him via Trevor Huddleston, the anti-apartheid activist and priest. Almost half a century later the image was chosen for the cover of a book on Masekela's life.