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Miriam Makeba

Miriam Makeba Quotes

Singer

Miriam Makeba, born on March 4, 1932, was a renowned South African singer, actress, and social activist. Her musical career spanned various genres, including African music, jazz, and pop. Makeba was known for her unique musical style and strong anti-apartheid stance, and her music and activities had a profound impact on the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa and around the world.

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Famous Miriam Makeba Quotes

“The tragedy of civil wars in countries like Angola and Mozambique is that they left many civilians maimed. Poverty is the reason HIV/AIDS spread so rapidly in the African townships and slums. Poverty is the real killer.”

War Real Country Reason Left Poverty Tragedy Spread Aids Civil War Killers Civilians Hiv Slums Hiv Aids Mozambique Angola

Author:Miriam Makeba

“I will probably die singing.”

Author:Miriam Makeba

“When I was young, I never bought records because my brother Joseph played saxophone and had a record player. I loved listening to his records: The Dorsey Brothers, Duke Ellington, all the big American jazz bands, and vocalists like Ella Fitzgerald, Ernestine Anderson, and Kitty White, a singer from the US who was a friend of Nina Simone. Nobody in America seems to know about her, but she was quite popular in South Africa.”

Knows Bigs Seems America Young White Records Player Brother Listening Band Jazz South Singers My Brother South Africa Dukes Saxophone Kitties Nina Vocalist Jazz Band Record Players

Author:Miriam Makeba

“In those years, when I came to the States, people were always asking me why I didn't sing anymore. I'd tell them, 'I sing all around the world-Asia, Africa, Europe-but if you don't sing in the US, then you haven't really made it.' That's why I'll always be grateful to Paul Simon. He allowed me to bring my music back to my friends in this country.”

People Ifs World Years Made Country States Havens My Friends Europe Asking Grateful Made It Around The World Be Grateful Asia

Author:Miriam Makeba

“I didn't have much, but I was always happy to share what I did have. It seemed like every African that came to New York City would show up at my apartment door at dinnertime, and I couldn't turn them away. I wasn't much older than any of them, but they started calling me 'Mama Africa' and the name stuck.”

Shows Turns Names Cities Doors Share New York Calling Stuck New York City Apartment Mama Always Happy

Author:Miriam Makeba

“Belafonte sent his people to pick me up and I went back and shook his hand, then went back to my little flat. I was very happy to have met a president of the United States - little me!”

People Littles States Hands President United United States Mets Picks Flats Very Happy Pick Me Pick Me Up

Author:Miriam Makeba

“[Belafonte]'d take me to perform for Martin Luther King's cause. But when they were marching I did not take part, because I was not a citizen”

Causes Kings Citizens Take Me Luther

Author:Miriam Makeba

“He [Belafonte] was a good teacher and looked after me. He said, 'You have such great talent, you must try not to be a tornado - be like a submarine. It was good advice when I found myself speaking at the UN Committee Against Apartheid and then the UN General Assembly.”

Trying Said Found Teacher Advice Talent Committees Assembly Good Advice Apartheid Good Teacher Tornadoes Submarines Great Talent General Assembly

Author:Miriam Makeba

“African music, though very old, is always being rediscovered in the West.”

Music West African Music

Author:Miriam Makeba

“If given a choice, I would have certainly selected to be what I am: one of the oppressed instead of one of the oppressors.”

Ifs Choices Given Oppression Oppressed Oppressors Selected

Author:Miriam Makeba

“In the West the past is like a dead animal. It is a carcass picked at by the flies that call themselves historians and biographers. But in my culture the past lives. My people feel this way in part because death does not separate us from our ancestors.”

People Way Feels Doe Past Culture Animal West Historian Ancestor Past Life Biographers

Author:Miriam Makeba

“I'm not a politician; I am a singer. Long ago, they said, 'That one, she sings politics.' I don't sing politics; I merely sing the truth.”

Long Said Politician Singing Singers Long Ago They Said

Author:Miriam Makeba

“I have one thing in common with the emerging black nations of Africa: We both have voices, and we are discovering what we can do with them.”

Nations Black Voice Can Do Common One Thing Discovering Emerging Speaking Up

Author:Miriam Makeba

“my thoughts are like quick little fish that swim out of my grasp.”

Littles Fishes Swim My Thoughts

Author:Miriam Makeba

“I look at the past and I see myself.”

Author:Miriam Makeba

“The conqueror writes history, they came, they conquered and they write. You don't expect the people who came to invade us to tell the truth about us.”

People Writing Telling The Truth Conqueror

Author:Miriam Makeba

“Girls are the future mothers of our society, and it is important that we focus on their well-being.”

Wells Important Mother Girl Focus Parenting Well Being Our Society

Author:Miriam Makeba

“I look at an ant and I see myself: a native South African, endowed by nature with a strength much greater than my size so I might cope with the weight of a racism that crushes my spirit.”

Looks Might Spirit Nature Greater Racism Weight South Size Crush Native Racist Ants

Author:Miriam Makeba

“Everybody now admits that apartheid was wrong, and all I did was tell the people who wanted to know where I come from how we lived in South Africa. I just told the world the truth. And if my truth then becomes political, I can't do anything about that.”

People Ifs Knows World I Can Wanted Political South South Africa Apartheid My Truth

Author:Miriam Makeba

“And I believe that it becomes a troubled continent because there are those who must always cause confusion so that we do not keep these natural resources.”

Believe I Believe Causes Natural Resources Confusion Continents Natural Resources

Author:Miriam Makeba

“For instance, we're always fighting amongst each other. Who gives us the arms? And then we become indebted to wherever we are buying them from - with what? The very resources we need to keep there.”

Needs Giving Fighting Arms Resources Instance Buying Indebted Always Fighting

Author:Miriam Makeba

“You are damned and praised, or encouraged or discouraged by those who listen to you, and those who come to applaud you. And to me, those people are very important.”

People Important Discouraged

Author:Miriam Makeba

“And why is our music called world music? I think people are being polite. What they want to say is that it's third world music. Like they use to call us under developed countries, now it has changed to developing countries, it's much more polite.”

People Thinking World Want Country Use Changed Thirds Developing Polite Third World Developing Countries World Music Developed Country Third World Countries Being Polite

Author:Miriam Makeba

“It's a really unfair world because life is, where I am; all day long we listen to American music. So I don't see why the radios in the U.S. cannot even put aside one hour a day just to play music that is not American.”

World Long Play Life Is Hours Radio Unfair One Hour American Music

Author:Miriam Makeba

“I titled the album Reflections because I am reflecting on my music career.”

Careers Reflection Albums Reflecting Music Career

Author:Miriam Makeba

“Age is wisdom if one has lived ones life properly.”

Ifs Age Funny Aging Old People Elders

Author:Miriam Makeba

“I have to go and say farewell to all the countries that I have been to, if I can. I am 73 now, it is taxing on me.”

Ifs Has Beens I Can Country Funny Farewell Farewell Love

Author:Miriam Makeba

“There are three things I was born with in this world, and there are three things I will have until the day I die-hope, determination, and song.”

World Song Dies Three Born Music This World Determination Hopeful Three Things

Author:Miriam Makeba

“People in the United States still have a 'Tarzan' movie view of Africa. That's because in the movies all you see are jungles and animals . . . We [too] watch television and listen to the radio and go to dances and fall in love.”

People Stills States Fall Animal United Views Watches United States Television Listening Falling In Love Radio Jungle Tarzan Movie

Author:Miriam Makeba

“Age is getting to know all the ways the world turns, so that if you cannot turn the world the way you want, you can at least get out of the way so you won't get run over.”

Ifs Knows World Way Want Running Age Turns Good Mood

Author:Miriam Makeba

“I look at a stream and I see myself: a native South African, flowing irresistibly over hard obstacles until they become smooth and, one day, disappear - flowing from an origin that has been forgotten toward an end that will never be.”

Looks Has Beens Ends Hard One Day South Forgotten Obstacles Disappear Streams Native South Africa Smooth

Author:Miriam Makeba

“I see other black women imitate my style, which is no style at all, but just letting our hair be itself. They call it the Afro Look.”

Looks Black Style Hair Black Women Afros

Author:Miriam Makeba

“I kept my culture. I kept the music of my roots. Through my music I became this voice and image of Africa and the people without even realising.”

People Culture Voice Roots Realising

Book:Makeba: The Miriam Makeba Story

Source: Makeba: The Miriam Makeba Story

“But if you are going to wear blinders then you do not know the world.”

Ifs Knows World Blinders

Author:Miriam Makeba

“In the mind, in the heart, I was always home. I always imagined, really, going back home.”

Mind Heart Home Back Home

Author:Miriam Makeba

“In New York I heard A Piece of Ground, written by a white South African, Jeremy Taylor. I modified it a little and sang it myself. That song is very special to me because it deals with the land question in southern Africa. We were dispossessed of our land.”

Littles Song White Deals Pieces Written Heard Land Special New York South Southern South Africa Special To Me Southern Africa

Author:Miriam Makeba

“Africa has her mysteries, and even a wise man cannot understand them. But a wise man respects them”

Men Wise Mystery

Author:Miriam Makeba

“I do not sing politics. I merely sing the truth.”

Book:Makeba: The Miriam Makeba Story

Source: Makeba: The Miriam Makeba Story

“Be careful, think about the effect of what you say. Your words should be constructive, bring people together, not pull them apart.”

People Thinking Should Together Effects Careful Be Careful Constructive

Author:Miriam Makeba

“I ask you and all the leaders of the world: Would you act differently, would you keep silent and do nothing if you were in our place? Would you not resist if you were allowed no rights in your own country because the color of your skin is different to that of the rulers, and if you were punished for even asking for equality? I appeal to you, and through you to all the countries of the world, to do everything you can to stop the coming tragedy. I appeal to you to save the lives of our leaders, to empty the prisons of all those who should never have been there.”

Ifs World Should Has Beens Different Country Asks Leader Rights Color Empty Skins Tragedy Asking Prison Silent Appeals Rulers Countries Of The World

Author:Miriam Makeba

“It is very much the theme of our President, President Thabo Mbeki, whose passion is for Africa to work together, and for Africans to get up and do things for us. We are trying as women to do things for ourselves.”

Trying Together Passion President Get Up Theme Working Together

Author:Miriam Makeba

“It was hard to be away from home, but I am glad that I am home now.”

Hard Home Glad Away From Home

Author:Miriam Makeba

“There are a lot of homes for boys, but very few for girls, that is why I chose to do for girls.”

Author:Miriam Makeba

“Well there is a lot of work here for younger and older musicians now. Our Ministry of Culture has now really embarked on changing things for artists, and it is getting much better. We just have to organize ourselves as artists, and then things will be better.”

Wells Artist Culture Musician Ministry Organize

Author:Miriam Makeba

About the Author

Born: March 4, 1932
Died: November 9, 2008
Known for: Singer
Quotes: 44

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People Ifs World Country South Knows Looks South Africa Culture Has Beens

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Makeba: The Miriam Makeba StoryRelated source material

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