This motto of the great South African singer Miriam Makeba is Mika
Kaurismäki's documentary Mama Africa - Miriam Makeba repeated several
times and so much Makeba's artistic claim. That in the case of the
singer who was born in South Africa's apartheid government and spent a
large part of their lives in involuntary exile, and direct political
statements were relevant, because the moving documentary leaves no
doubt.
Makeba was born in 1932 in Prospect Township, near Johannesburg. Even
as a young woman she began to sing. She became well known in South
African bands like the Manhattan Brothers and The Skylarks. In
addition to her musical career, she also played roles in musicals and
films, for example on the side of her later husband Hugh Masekela in
the musical King Kong (1959). A film that was it, ultimately, which
caused one of the most significant events of her life and the film's
first section, the term refers to Makeba in South Africa ended. Makeba
took on a role in Lionel Rogosin anti-apartheid film Come Back, Africa
(1959). After they traveled together with Rogozin on the Venice Film
Festival to accept a prize, her South African passport was
confiscated. With the help of the singer Harry Belafonte, she could go
to the United States and quickly began a very successful career there.
So she became in 1967 the first black singer who was with the world
famous Pata Pata land a Top Ten hit. (Even if you can hear in the film
Makeba as she insists that she never has the song means a lot
especially since it is only just a dance)
But her political involvement was inspired by her international
career. In 1960 after they could not enter the funeral of her mother
to South Africa in 1963 she spoke before the United Nations and
denounced the apartheid regime. This subsequently withdrew their
citizenship and forbade their albums. In 1968 she married the civil
rights activist Stokely Carmichael, a former fellow, Dr. Martin Luther
King and the leaders gradually radicalized movement, which invented
the legend of the Black Power slogan. So she went into a crosshairs of
the FBI, which is the militant wing of the civil rights movement and
fought and was monitored in the United States persona non grata.
Makeba and Carmichael finally went to Guinea, where the latter adviser
of President Ahmed Sékou Touré was called Kwame Ture and from then on.
In Guinea, Makeba, who separated from Carmichael in the late 1970s
again, to the celebrated icon, and toured throughout the continent -
with the exception of their home. In her house in Guinea, she received
artists, intellectuals and others. They committed to continue against
apartheid. She spoke again before the UN General Assembly and served
as Guinea's ambassador to the United Nations. After private
misfortunes as her daughter's death in 1985 she moved to Brussels.
Finally, after three decades of exile, she could finally return to
their homeland in 1990, after Nelson Mandela was released from prison
after 27 years and invited her. The film devotes the last 20 years of
her life not very much time. After the end of apartheid in South
Africa, Makeba continued to put one against racism and for
humanitarian projects and continued her career as a successful
musician. On 10 November 2008, she died at the age of 76 after a
benefit concert for the Italian journalist Roberto Saviano.
Mika Kaurismäki, who had previously filmed documentaries about music,
yet the project began with Miriam Makeba and decided to realize the
film even after her death. For this he used the testimony of numerous
friends, relatives and colleagues of the singer to - largely
chronological - their experience as exiles Antin, her rise as a singer
and their significance for people around the world and to highlight
particularly on the African continent - the latter point in particular
is highlighted. African musicians who were influenced by their past or
of their occurring, make clear the importance of Miriam Makeba's music
for them and for many people in Africa was and is. Makeba was perhaps
the first, the songs on traditional African languages, and had thus
received international success. Even the so-called Afro look that
follows from it as is commented, "black women imitate my hairstyle.
But that's not a style. It leaves the hair easy to freedom. And it is
called Afro, "goes back to her. In the 1960s she represented
self-confident "their" culture and was able to find fans and admirers
around the world and are applicable as a model for many Africans whose
countries had partially liberated from the grip of the old colonial
powers, the fight still led . It is Kaurismäki's film to be expected
that this case by the memories of relatives and friends Makeba always
shows how much the singer was still hurt by the long-long exile, and
how the experience will be celebrated in large parts of the world, but
the home country and, for example the grave of the mother not being
able to attend, they influenced.
The documentary paints a moving portrait of the musician, that's
certainly interesting not only for fans. Just for the music
connoisseur Miriam Makeba, the film offers perhaps not too much news.
Although you get to see many shots Makeba - including impressive in
small cellars of South Africa, where she sings exclusively for black
audiences - but can not learn much about the music itself, the film is
not particularly long with 90 minutes, it So would definitely still
have time to include more information about Makeba's musical style.
One learns a lot about her life, but unfortunately less than that for
which they became famous. A former bandmate of Skylarks have reported
that they at that time - were still influenced by American jazz bands,
but how Makeba's style developed further, is not really discussed -
that is in the 50s. Rather, interesting facts about the social
backgrounds, for example by Makeba's former colleague, that the black
musicians played in clubs for whites and then to have been taken into
the homes in order to play whites and their friends - which in the
apartheid state of course, was illegal. If a neighbor informed the
police, the musicians had to quickly dress up as maids - in this role,
they were tolerated in the homes of whites. The anecdote tells more of
the hypocrisy and absurdity of the racist society, as of Makeba's
music itself, for what was probably the intention of the Kaurismäki
film. He says that he's in his music films "is not just about music,
but also social aspects," goes. He "wanted to show what a strong and
positive force can have music for the people and take as much
musicians can position on social issues." He manages to do actually.
Thus, we see, for example, recordings of Makeba's speech at the United
Nations, where the young woman while seemingly shy, but determined the
racism in their home country and the whole world condemns. If you do
not learn too much about the musician, Makeba, it is clear how
influential she was an activist and role model. The voices of her
companions, especially her grandchildren Nelson Lumumba Lee and Zenzi
Lee, tell of Makeba's life moving from the influence and importance,
which had the singer.
One must notice that the film offers nothing formally turns heads.
Mama Africa goes mostly archival footage with shots from the various
interviewees. This filmed interview Kaurismäki its various partners
and partners for example in a basement music in Johannesburg or at a
market in Guinea. The different sequences are not always necessarily
fit together harmoniously, and the film, especially visually acts, not
always of a piece. If you want to inform themselves about Makeba's
life, her painful experience with the racism of their homeland, but
also their significance for many people, Mama Africa is still highly
recommended. Kaurismäki uses the possibilities of the documentary, the
singer and her life story to portray, but also to go beyond, and the
public insight into the history of the second half of the 20th To give
th century. Although it is only partially torn (as in the case of the
U.S. civil rights movement and Black Power activists), the film shows
that the fight against racial oppression was not confined to single
continents. Miriam Makeba remains the case - and this is undeniably an
asset of the film - not only as musician but as a fighter and role
model in memory. At one point, the film also deals with the musical
heritage of Makeba. A musician reported that Makeba's songs are often
gecovert and of course we hear a band playing their version of Pata
Pata - the song which we have learned that it meant so little Makeba
(Kaurismäki himself is aware of the irony?). Mama Africa shows that
her life was marked by so much more important things.
