Miriam Makeba, a South African singer forced into exile for her anti-apartheid views has died, the BBC reports. Known as "Mama Africa," Makeba brought a jazz influence to traditional South African music. She spent decades away from her homeland after the government of South Africa revoked her passport shortly after appearance in the 1959 anti-apartheid film Come Back, Africa, returing in the '90s at the request of Nelson Mandela. Makeba was married twice, first to fellow musician Hugh Masekela, then to Stokely Carmichael, a leader of the Black Panthers. Makeba died of a heart attack shortly after performing a concert in Italy. It was part of a farewell tour she began in 2003.
Join the discussion...