Miriam Makeba - The Guinea Years
Like many politically-minded black South Africans, Miriam Makeba spent several decades in exile during the apartheid era. Following the 1961 Sharpville Massacre, where dozens of people - including several of her relatives - were shot to death while protesting the new pass laws, Makeba broke her silence on the evils of apartheid rule. The South African government responded by revoking her citizenship and permanently refusing to let her return to her homeland.
After ten years of securing her fame in Europe and North America, singer Miriam Makeba returned home to Africa in 1968; sadly, though, Makeba couldn't return to her native South Africa because of her outspoken views on apartheid. So instead she temporarily lived in Guinea and recorded and performed with some of the top local musicians.
This excellent disc reveals the riches with 16 varied tracks, including four live cuts which end the program. While ranging from traditional Guinean cuts ("Milele") to bossa nova ("Le Enfant et la Gazelle"), Makeba further shows her flexibility by incorporating some rock and soul into the Afro-pop mix ("Lovely Lies") and even by offering a fine bit of torch singing à la Shirley Bassey ("Jeux Interdits [Forbidden Games]"). Taking in the raw soukous sound of Franco and his peers and expanding it with her own international touch and incredible voice, Makeba delivers a stunning batch of songs that can be counted as some of her best.
Touré Barika
REMEMBER SHARPEVILLE
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