Miriam Makeba

Biography

Zenzile Miriam Makeba was a South African singer, songwriter, actress, and civil rights activist who advocated against apartheid with her music, bringing African melodies to a Western audience and popularizing world music and Afropop genres. Born in Johannesburg to Swazi and Xhosa parents, she began singing professionally as a child and gained international attention after appearing in the 1959 anti-apartheid film Come Back, Africa. Makeba continued to perform, record, and advocate for humanitarian causes until her death in 2008.