Miriam Makeba

Like it 3/5

I'd never heard of Miriam Makeba and enjoyed this album.

Impossible to hate but not something I’m going to love either. Worth a listen

An enjoyable listen, although the quality drops a bit from 'House of the Rising Sun' onward. 'One More Dance' is clearly the weakest song on the record, but Miriam Makeba's warm vocals carry it through.

Kinda enjoyed this, good energy

Vibes

743/1001 2026.11.11 🌕🌕🌗🌑🌑

The songs not in english have a lot more charm in them than the traditional standard western ones, though I did enjoy the cover of House of the Rising Sun, which I also didn't know was a song covered by a lot of artists until now. As usual in these kinds of albums, you have to figure that if they were made today they'd skip most of the euro/western songs and do a full album of traditional or stylistic music. I understand why they didn't at the time though. This was decent listening, I don't think anything extraordinary, but the south african theme running through most of it was cool and unique.

Interesting

Soms prachtig, soms saai, soms enerverend, soms irritant

Eindelijk een een vocal jazz plaat die niet afgezaagd klinkt. Mooie stem en een diverse range aan liedjes.

Great voice and nice change of pace music wise.

I find the vacillation between jazz standards and world music a little jarring. She's got a fantastic voice and the vibes are pleasant but it's a bit hodgepodge

interesting but not my type

Lovely, joyful listening.

This was fantastic. She has such amazing control. Every song was so different and surprising, but every one of them was amazing. I especially liked the stretch from "Mbube" to "Where Does It Lead", and the hilarity "One More Dance".

this was really cool and different and what i’d love to hear more of. she has a really beautiful voice

what the hell am i even listening to? chinga changa, iiiiaaaa, uuuuaaaa....

Miriam was a joy. Very uplifting. Beautiful voice.

Got the thumbs up from the surfing Kooks.

Another artist I’d not heard of and enjoyed. Not sure I would have it on repeat so maybe a slightly harsh 3*

Great voice, beautiful harmonies and occasionally foot tapping rythms. But it's covering too many bases as it ranges from traditional African songs through novelty outings and western jazz, none of which quite hits the spot for me. The realisation that The Lion Sleeps Tonight was originally a bloody good song nearly gives it an extra star, but it's still 2*

I didn't think I would ever need to hear another version of "House of the Rising Sun"; the Animals one is definitive enough, and nobody who tries to touch it ever succeeds. Turns out the solution is to turn it into a torch song by one of the most perfect voices I've ever heard. The more Makeba I hear the more I realize how powerful her influence has been; beyond just "Mbube" and "The Click Song" there is a general sense of drama in her performances that has become a touchstone of African music as a whole - and, I dare say, has filtered out beyond those origins into the broader pop world. Really enjoyed this.

A very pleasant, relaxing listen. Heard it before? ❌ Listen again? ✅ Rating out of ten? 7

Miriam‘s pure talent and incomparable artistry make this an easy 5 stars. I loved this.

Spectacular. First track is an instant classic. One of those albums where im like, yeah, this is music that sounds so good to me! Made me think Paul Simon was chasing some of this sound in the production of Graceland.

Beautiful voice but not something I would listen to often.

Just delightful!

Great voice, great songs. Just all around enjoyable to listen to.

Could have been really great if it weren't for just too many novelty tracks on it. Like, I'm listening to this and I'm hearing what someone like Linda Perhacs would only be catching up to 10 years later! But then I also have to listen to some dumb song where a guy can't even stop laughing for a second, and it really does a lot to ruin all the goodwill I've been building up.

Her vocals are stunning and I believe she deserves to be on this list, however, its definitely not an album I'll listen to again.

not that enjoyable personally but 100% deserves a spot on this lit

This was amazing music

This was certainly interesting and it made me smile. Something I would never have listened to outside of this list. Interesting reading up on her life too.

1. 4 2. 3.5 3. 5 4. 3 5. 4 6. 4.5 7. 5 1. 4 2. 4.5 3. 3.5 4. 5 5. 4 6. 2.5 7. 4

Great album. Easy listening. 4.5

Nope

Mama Africa delivering

😃

Listenable

I think that this would have been an amazing live performance. Her voice is stunning. However, I just did not like it as an album

Ok

Bit long for me.

This one is so far out of my usual wheelhouse, I have no clue how to properly rate it. I’ll give it a 3/5 only because a 2 feels too low and a 4 feels too high.

nice voice

Has some iconic tracks pretty standard with some weird ones

Not my usual listening, but pretty enjoyable. Good to have on in the background

One of the most beautiful singing voices you will ever hear.

Interesting listen. Naturally a lot of historical context. High 2s.

She's a very good singer. The choir has a great voice range too. A little jazzy. 2.4/5 Favorite Songs: The Naughty Little Flea Where Does It Lead House Of The Rising Sun

What a beautiful voice and vibe! I really enjoyed listening to this today. Just awesome! 60s jazz sound with a beautiful African twist! This is going onto my rotation list!! Also a nice change from the shite that this list seems to be throwing toward me at the moment.

An enjoyable listen! She has a beautiful voice and I enjoyed the vibe.

When Mbube started I immediately stopped and had to read and confirm that yup, that's where The Lion Sleeps Tonight comes from. Didnt expect to hear a cover of House of the Rising Sun either.

Not really my cup of tea, but I can definitely recognise this for it’s quality and undoubtedly cultural value, and I don’t even throw those words around randomly. It’s a pretty chill album to listen to when you want a different ambience. Favourites: The Click Song, Where Does It Lead and maybe that version of the lion sleeps tonight

Stunning. Beautiful. Strong. Bold. The album starts with a bang and it just doesn't stop. Such an amazing voice, and with songs so suited to it. Loved hearing where the Lion Sleeps Tonight comes from, and fascinating to hear something as different as the Click Song. I'll need to explore more if Miriam's work.

I enjoyed this album, Miriam Makebas voice is wonderful. It's definitely a nice inclusion on the list, and i was not expecting it to take the humorous turn that it does near the end of the album. Favourites: Suliram Holilili The Naughty Little Flea

Another entry in the category called 'i'm sure this is really good but it isn't really for me'. She had a lovely voice but it wasn't really a style of music i am ever going to go back to. Highlight was totally House of the Rising Sun..which genuinley might be my favourite version of that song. I also had a pleasant suprise when i realised what Mbube was. Where Does It Lead has vibes of Billie Holliday's Strange Fruit. As i said, lots to appreciate but i can't see myself returning to it.

Lots of different styles on display here. The naughty little flea obviously iconic, but the dying husband had me pissing myself. Twas at its best when it had the backing choir vocals I thought

Like going to church.

Got boring fast. Miriam has a lovely voice, and stands for a great cause, but this put me right to sleep.

5 for the voice 3 for the compilation

Fascinating to learn about Miriam and her role in the anti apartheid movement but her music was just.. Fine.

Would I be wrong to say she’s like the South African Nina Simone?

Very relaxing, wouldn’t listen to it in the regular but pleasant.

Марко 2,5 Сара 1,5

Really good

This was ok. A few pleasant songs

Miriam Makeba was a genuine star in the former GDR. The South African civil rights activist visited the now-defunct country several times and was—naturally—held in high esteem due to her political activism. As a result, I am reasonably familiar with her music. However, I am not familiar with her debut album, released in 1960. Her songs tell the stories of the oppressed Black population during the apartheid era. She was regarded as a voice for her homeland, having been forced to leave the country early on. Harry Belafonte supported her along the way. Later, she was often simply known as "Mama Africa," as she sang in several African languages—though, of course, in English as well. She possessed an incredible vocal range, which she frequently employed with great intentionality. To the uninitiated ear, this record might pose a challenge, but for those with open hearts and ears, it is a revelation! This album comes highly recommended—provided you are willing to engage with it. And don't forget: this music was created 66 years ago. Thanks to *1001 Albums* for this reminder!

631/1089 - Very intelligent guitar playing. Some cool songs and interesting takes on standards.

Good to get a sample of music from other countries so I don’t feel like such an uncultured swine.

I do think this is an essential listen. I actually really enjoyed hearing something so different than what is normally fed to me from this list. Beautiful voice. So much emotion. I thought the production was actually pretty great for 1960. 36 minutes is about perfect, don’t know if I would want to listen too much longer. 3.5/5

6/10

There are a couple songs that I found interesting, the first one for example. It felt so tribal, so roots. But most of them are just ok. 2,5/5.

Fun! 4

Good

Hoy es miércoles, se fuma makeleleee

6.5/10 - Very pleasant and I like Miriam’s voice. It felt a bit like a Standards Album. Something you would hear out of James Taylor. It wasn’t bad but it didn’t grab my attention.

Her vocals are great but I don't see myself coming back to this often. 5/10

I liked it, felt like sitting hearing someone sing in a living room or something.

7/10 Really rather good. Kinda made me reassess Graceland

I respect world music and other cultures. This is not for me tho.

Está interesante y chévere, pero no es el tipo de música que yo escucharía normalmente

The Retreat Song (Jikele Maweni) - 4/5 Suliram - 3/5 The Click Song - 4/5 Umhome - 3/5 Olilili - 3/5 Lakutshn, llanga - 3/5 Mbube - 4/5 The Naughty Little Flea - 3.5/5 Where Does It Lead - 3/5 Nomeva - 3/5 House of the Rising Sun - 3/5 Saduva - 3/5 One More Dance - 2.5/5 Iya Guduza - 3/5 Thank you Harry Belafonte for somehow allowing Makeba to make an album as a black woman during the Apartheid. It's a good mix of original stuff and folk and western covers, and she has the voice to make some of them really shine. Nice hearing (a cover of) the originator of The Lion Sleeps Tonight, which I guess makes sense in translation since it means "Lion" in Zulu. This feels like more of a standards album so it gets an "eh" out of me overall. Overall: 3/5 Favorites: The Retreat Song, The Click Song, Mbube

I think I just have a hunger for world music. Everytime any African music comes up in the generator I thoroughly enjoy the album from start to finish. I can't tell is it's Miriam Makeba specifically that I enjoyed, or I just love this genre / style of music, but this was another great listen. The rhythm and vocal range just feel some warm and colorful, it feels like music of celebration and good times. I think I should really get my stuff together and do a deeper dive into this stuff

She's got a phenomenal voice and I loved learning about her history and her music. Very happy to have heard this album and it definitely deserves to be heard before you die, but it's just not something I can see myself coming back to.

Banger of an album. Little English boys heard this album and said "lemme just make worse versions of these songs". Why was the dude cracking up laughing during that one song? Absolutely iconic.

Nice. Aber werd ich wahrscheinlich nicht nochmal hören

Really interesting album, beautiful songs and an intriguing life story for this artist

felt okay about this

This is going to make me even more judgemental of every mediocore white man in the 80s who tried to imitate this sound (count your days, Paul Simon)

First off, well played Alexander for having this album the day after Graceland, that is funny and poignant as fuck. I absolutely loved this. I love her vibrato in the English songs, it's so wonderfully nostalgic. And the non-English (not sure if they all were Xhosa or not) were so cool. The choral parts were so complex and absolutely mesmerising. Now I know what "the lion sleeps tonight" really sounds like!

Chill and happy album.

Probably my first encounter on this list where the artist's impact is much more significant than the art itself. This is still just a 1960 debut album from a rising star vocalist. Great voice, some interesting African-influenced songs, but destroyed by baffling album sequencing and questionable covers. And that laughing on One More Dance is wild... I appreciate that I learned about Miriam Makeba through this list, and I would be interested in hearing her later career works (particularly from the 1980s). But I did not particularly enjoy this album. Rating: history lesson/10

Very beautiful. Recording sounds better than I would expect for 1960

Never heard her before, but I liked her sound.

That’s enough of that by the end of the album, but it had more energy than so much on this list even if it was just as lowkey at moments. Like, does in 1960 what so many artists did worse later on. I kinda just gotta like the albums on here with songs I could be tortured with. WHERE DIE THE FLEA GO.

Give me more 60’s music from around the world

5/10 - I was expecting more from this but it was middle of the road

Not terrible, but not my cup of tea.

Beautiful.