Miriam Makeba

Really pleasant surprise as I don't normally listen to anything like this. Loved her voice and the blues influences in here. Super cool to hear 'Mbube' and to get some context for 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight' (even though Miriam's version is a cover)

If I had to put together a short list of the musicians who had the most influence on my taste in music, she would be in the top 5.  I didn't  fall in love with African music until I bought  Miriam Makeba's Welea album, Frustrated with most of the music I was being fed by radio, I was sifting through the "Music I Never Heard Of" section in the local record store and randomly picked this since she looked like a warm and interesting woman who I hoped would play music that would be more interesting than FM. Her music was peaceful and optimistic which in itself is quite remarkable given her life.  I would play that album before going to work when I knew I had stressful meetings.  I later found the Click song, among others, and learned  that she played with Harry Belefonte, played at the concert festival held in conjunction with the Rumble in the Jungle, and backed up Paul Simon on his Graceland tour. There are many lovely songs on the 1001 offering. The Click Song is charming and her story about the name is  cute. Saduva is one of my favourite songs. She had a longer (and better) version with excellent instrumentation on her Welea album. Lakutshon and One More Dance, both innocuous musically,  demonstrate how beautiful her voice is. At the end of the day I like Welea more than the 1001 offering but this is her first album and  her role in bringing South African and other African music to western audiences is second to none. Yeah Paul Simon played a big role and touched more people in North America and Europe but he likely was influenced by her.  

Good lord, we need more albums like this! Never heard of Miriam but she absolutely killed her debut. A mix of some fantastic native African songs and some more modern songs, including covers like "House of the Rising Sun." "Mbube" blew me away because it's essentially an original, proto-version of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" that feels 100x more authentic and lively. She's got a hell of a voice too, on some of the slower tunes like House of the Rising Sun, I was reminded of the power that someone like Nina Simone has in her voice. Lots of great call and response all over this too, which I always enjoy. The way Charles Coleman was laughing on "One More Dance" was a little bit much and distracting at first, but I couldn't help but love that song by the end too. I can't imagine hearing this album in 1960 and not being completely gobsmacked, considering I'm impressed more than 60 years later. Screw it, five stars. Good luck beating this next week. Favorite tracks: Mbube, Retreat Song, Click Song, Lakutshn Ilanga, Naughty Little Flea, Where Does It Lead, House of the Rising Sun, One More Dance, Iya Guduza. Album art: Just a portrait type shot of Miriam, but it's got that warmth and texture that lots of albums from the '50s and early '60s had, which I can't get enough of. It's the type of album that I'd buy at Goodwill with 100% certainty. 5/5

What a delicious album this is, the talent, the music, the resistance. Her generation brought down apartheid on South Africa, from pariah to hero. She spoke she sung, hope more of her records are on the list.

Wonderful energy, great singing and a wonderful person behind it all.

Que música incrível! Me fez aprender muito mais sobre a história dela, descobri q o Sivuca trabalhou com ela na decada de 60 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3znK08BoKfU). Me fez ver um outro contexto da revolução musical dos anos 60

so where the fuck did the naughty little flea go? This is another album on the Nandos playlist.

This was boring to the point of being irritating. Sounds very much of it’s time. The track with the guy laughing all the way through was horrible. This is a generous 2*!

Beautiful voice but otherwise, not my thing. Felt like I was listening to a 1940s movie musical. Again, talented and voice is great. Just not for me. 1 - 2 range

I listen to a few tracks and it’s interesting music but I don’t know that I will revisit this.

I do tend to get a lot of enjoyment out of music in other languages. I think that when I can’t understand what the lyrics are saying, I can enjoy the voice more as an instrument rather than a means of conveying a message. I quick google tells me that Miriam Makeba sang in Xhosa, Zulu and Sotho. I’m not sure which of those the songs on this album (or any combination of them), but I’m excited to listen! Songs I already knew: none Favourites: Mbube, The Naughty Little Flea, One More Dance This was a very enjoyable album. There are a few songs sang in English as well as African dialects, and the variation is very enjoyable. Miriam’s soft voice is a pleasure throughout, whether I can understand the lyrics or not. The styling of the music sometimes sounds somewhat similar to samba which I wasn’t expecting. Mbube (a version of The Lion Sleeps Tonight) was fantastic and even more enjoyable than the Tight Fit version which I do also like. Overall, a very enjoyable album which I’d recommend to anybody with an interest in music from around the world.

Where was Miriam Makeba all my life? What a delightful album - funny, haunting, bold, beautiful - I’m totally in love. So far the best new discovery for me from this list.

I first learned about Miriam Makeba some years ago when I was researching South African music for a school project, and I immediately became a fan. "Pata Pata" has been in my playlists ever since. This was a wonderful album and I loved listening to this amazing voice so much. What an interesting collection of songs! I love when this project brings us to artists I haven't known so well, but really appreciate, such as this. Love Love Love.

I very much enjoyed this album. Some moments I felt like I may be in church and others at a party. I appreciate the exposure to an artist that I would otherwise likely never have listened to.

Primeira vez escutando musica tão diferente de meu gosto musical, de primeira já curti, me lmbrou de minha infancia assistindo rei leão e kiriku. Ai ela é muito calminha, amei essa mulher! Ela ta morta :o wtf. triste. Amei a musica, salvei o album, escutarei mais vezes com certeza!

Great voice, enjoyed this album until “The naughty little flea” and “One more dance” which were utterly terrible.

african outdated but not ugly

This felt like bing at Church. Not a good place to be. The Naughty Little Flea got right on my tits.

Wonderful!

Loved this album. What a voice. I've always enjoyed the South African artists who have become popular in the West (Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Soweto Gospel Choir, etc.). I know of Miriam Makeba, but mostly for her activism. For some reason I never really explored her music that deeply and only knew her most popular songs. Her voice is smooth like butter and she effortlessly adapts to different styles — from South African folk songs to Indonesian lullabies (Suliram) to American jazz/soul (House of the Rising Sun, Where Does it Lead?, etc.). The music and the backing vocalists are great as well — really enjoyed the blues/jazz influenced folk sound and the mix of uptempo dance songs and slower ballads. The only low point on this album is One More Dance — Charles Coleman sounds like he's drunk off his ass and the laughing throughout the song is cringe-inducing. The version with Harry Belafonte is much better. 4.75/5 — docking a bit for the awful Coleman song, but that's not really Miriam's fault.

Would not naturally be a favorite of mine, but albums like this are why I’m doing this project. I had never heard this album before, but I loved it. It was authentic, unique (in the context of most of these albums), and she had legit chops when she needed them.

great dinner album

How did I ever miss this!? Wonderful powerful talent. Just what I needed today.

Mbube! Huge history, on that one! Love folk music, great for lifting the spirits. Incredible taste of South African culture. I always love when the cultural notes come down from 1001AG. Will definitely be keeping this in the back for traveling.

Such a beautiful voice and album. Enjoyed the cultural language sung in this album, very sweet sounds.

4.5/5 Makeba's exceptional voice transcends language and culture in a both beautifully sweet and fantastically powerful performance. If only the quality stretched to the very end of the record, then the album would be something special. Charles Colman's bizarre, goofy laughing feature is something I won't be able to get out of my head any time soon though. The Retreat Song 5/5 Suliram 5/5 The Click Song 5/5 (FAV) Umhome 4/5 Holilili 4/5 Lakutshon' Ilanga 5/5 Mbube 4.5/5 The Naughty Little Flea 5/5 Where Does It Lead 5/5 Nomeva 4/5 House of the Rising Sun 4/5 Saduva 3/5 One More Dance 2/5 (LEAST FAV) Iya Guduza 3/5

This is why I got involved in this, something so extraordinary that I'd never normally listen to. Break the cycle of westernized anglicized music and melt away with this. The only sad part is it was far too short...

She sang during my high school years so I'm not familiar with her songs, though I recognize the name. The song Mbube has parts that aver similar to Whimaway.

This was great, the only issue i ever really have with these albums of soul (sort of) singers from african nations that were granted funding and platforms for albums throughout the 60s and 70s is that they had to pander to a western audience through inclusions of western canon standards. It's not always a bad thing because usually the singer is a big fan of this music themselves, but there is definitely something lacking in most of the non-African tunes on this album, maybe a passion or personal connection that doesn't feel as strong and I think the album suffers for it unfortunately. That being said this doesn't apply to all of the performances and majority of the record was a joy to listen to. But also was the laughing song supposed to sound so sinister because that was SCARY.

What a voice. Thoroughly enjoyable 50's Afropop.

Listened to this three times in a row. First time it wasn't grabbing me and I got distracted then part way through I realised I was really enjoying it in the background so when it finished I have it another go from the start. Later I was telling my wife about it and she thought it sounded interesting so we listened to it together.

Wow, I'd never heard of Miriam Makeba, but this is really great stuff. Nice mix of '60s jazz and traditional African music. Some very catchy tunes on here. My favorites are "The Click Song" and "Iya Guduza".

Such a powerful voice, so dynamic in expression and control as she goes from belting with such intensity to a smooth soft delivery in a matter of seconds, quite impressive. The first thing I thought about stylistically was Harry Belafonte, then a short search and I see they’ve collaborated together on many occasions. I should know a lot more about Miriam Makeba, I’m ashamed to say I don’t, especially as I read of all her accomplishments and struggles. As I listen to her sing I’m reminded of the power of music and performance over lyrics, even the songs that I don’t know the language I’m still moved and understand the emotions being conveyed for the most part thanks to Miriam’s insane vocal abilities. For me this is a perfect end of the day wind down album. I give it a solid 4.

I was excited to see this album today. Of course I know about the legendary Miriam Makeba but never sat down to listen to an album front to back. The tracks were mostly traditional songs; I was somewhat familiar with a few, but with most I was not. Since presumably she didn't write these songs, I won't evaluate the songs themselves as works of art, only her vocal performance of them, and the production. I find no fault with either. I feel this album’s aim was to simply showcase the voice of a gifted singer. The instrumentation and production simply had to give her a platform and not get in her way, let her do her thing and shine. Compared to some of the other albums on this list using a lot of ambitious songwriting and sonic experimentation, this is was a simpler goal to achieve (though no less worthwhile) and I think they did achieve it. The instrumentation was so spare, sometimes non-existent, and the recording was so simple and clear, giving Miriam nowhere to hide, not that she needed to, showing easy virtuosity with her beautiful, dynamic voice. I can't remember the last time I listened to an a cappella recording, and I found it to be an interesting and rewarding experience, just experiencing the excellency of a lovely human voice singing a traditional song. I often like to ponder musical family trees, and how various musical influences get passed down through time. I thought it was neat to hear so many shades of American music in some of these songs, like some of the melodies sounded so bluesy, or some of the arrangements evoked doo-wop style, stuff like the Four Seasons. American music clearly owes so much to African music. Miriam is one of those generational and cultural icons, like Edith Piaf, who both represent and transcend their time and place. My kids enjoyed listening to this with me and I could see having this type of music on as a pleasant backdrop for daily life.

This one I'm probably going to be pretty biased on. The first time I listened to this album I was about 6 years old. I was a child in Trinidad always looking through my parents music cassettes and vinyls. Among the names I would come across were Neil Diamond, Charlie Pride, Oscar De Leon, Abba, Roger Whittiker, Stevie Wonder large assortments.of classical music like Berlioz, Brahms, and Chopin and in there in the mix was Miriam Makeba. I grew up hearing her voice on vinyl a lot. The house would fill up with her voice. I was really glad to see her pop up on here as I have not listened to her music in quite some time. My dad.was a huge fan of hers, I can imagine not just because of her incredible voice but probably because of her background of digging her heals in against apartheid. Most of the songs on here brought back nostalgia. I can't tell you how many times I listened to the 'Click Song' and tried so hard to imitate the Xhosa language and get the click sound on the right word or vowel. It was impossible! I don't think there was really a miss on any of the songs. Listening to this stuff as an adult I am amazed at how powerful Miriam's voice is, it cuts through like an axe then at the same time she can restrain herself to sing quietly but still with a great tone. I remember laughing really hard at the One More Dance song because of the guy laughing in the song. The Retreat Song may actually be one of my favorites along with The Click Song. With it being released in 1960 I imagine this had to have been the first time many people throughout the world would have been exposed to indigenous South African language and culture. A great album.

No lo volvería a escuchar solo, pero me gustó bastante. Le pongo un 4 y le doy la última estrella por el cool african bonus.

Wonderful find on here.

Mama Africa at her very best. What a voice!

Wow. Incredible from front to back. Damn near a religious experience. This captures so many different sounds and sounds truly timeless. I feel touched by this album

I learned about this one because of that craptastic Makeba song that was all over the internet last summer but this is a great one. Her life as an anti apartheid activist in South Africa is in itself incredible but as a singer she’s untouchable. First song hits out of nowhere and immediately you feel the power of her voice. What struck me right away was the non-drum percussive sounds that accompany her impressive vocals. The second track flips to a gentle lullaby which is just as good as the punchier track before it. I don’t speak Afrikaans but the music is beautiful enough to make me tear up. The Click Song starts with her introducing the story of the song and it’s like listening to your favorite teacher. The album is short with 14 tracks, but I think this is her debut so the songs are also short to fit them onto a vinyl record. Old ass RCA Victor shit lol. The production is very good for something that came out in 1960! Seriously just stop what you’re doing and treat yourself to this record and learn about her life. It’s absolutely gorgeous.

Well, this is nice. Soothing. Peaceful. I don't know the language in some of the songs, but I'd hope Miriam wouldn't pull one over on me and sing about kicking rabbits or anything nefarious like that. Rabbits are cute, they don't deserve that. I'm not saying something's intrinsic cuteness is tied to whether it's kickable or not, because snakes freak me out, I wouldn't call them cute by and large, but I wouldn't want one to be kicked, either. This has some good beats, but, again, don't beat up animals. Unless it's a life or death thing. But even then, a bear wants to kill me, who am I to stop a bear? If I don't have my bear repellent on me, that's my fault and I'm just not fit to survive.

This is great! I love almost all music I've heard that originates from Africa. Miriam mixes traditional Afro beats with western jazz and pop to create something (at the time) wholly unique. Her voice is beautiful across all tracks. Even her rendition of House of the Rising Sun (a song I absolutely HATE!) is an incredible and moving interpretation. I can see why she is well known for making "world" music more accessible to the US.

I was transported.

Awesome 60's singer! Loved the origin of Lion sings tonight, beautiful sound, top notch.

Not my cup of tea but that bass was great

This is what heaven sounds like.

Absolutely love this. It's just gorgeous in places, fun in others. Just makes me smile and feel warm. I know her a little from her Collab album with Harry Belafonte, which is also well worth checking out. An interesting life for sure, always an activist, married Stokely Carmichael of the black panthers, was also briefly married to Hugh Masakela another great South African musician. Tbh I want to hear 1001 albums from the 50s and 60s as it seems to force the editor into more interesting choices.

This is one that grows on you. Multiple listens, surely, unlock new subtleties, reveal nuances.

This is an excellent album by an artist I have never heard of before. THIS is what this list is for, not endless promotion of mediocre british musicians. 5/5

Love this album! Had heard a couple of her songs before, but not a whole album. The flow is perfect!

Beautiful vocals, a unique and effective variety of song styles, and an amazing artist history to go with it. If you are unfamiliar with Miriam Makeba do yourself a favor and read up on her career and life in general.

BANGER BANGER BANGER BANGER BANGER

I don't know what she's singing, but Miriam Makeba's eponymous album is sad, happy, kind and patient. I don't toss the word beautiful around too much, but there is no better way to describe the tune of this songbird. 5/5.

Not for me

Enjoyed listening to the entire album during my office hour!

This is absolutely exceptional. My first five star that I had never heard beforehand. What an amazing voice. Jesus.

New favorite that led me down an entire genre I knew nothing about. It was fun, eye opening, and wow she can sing. No skips, and a few repeats.

This is a really cool album, and many of the songs are in African dialects, rather than English. "The Click Song" is really fun Also enjoyed Mbube, which is the original "Lion Sleeps Tonight," and a fantastic cover of "House of the Rising Sun."

Wow. Albums like this are what make me glad to be participating in this list. This felt like a real discovery for me. I loved this album. It’s so full of heart and is just beautiful. Also, One More Dance is hilarious.

Cultural significance 5

5/5. I'm usually disconnected from albums that are not in English, just due to nature of understanding, but I don't need to know what Makeba is saying to feel that emotion and power from her vocals. Instrumentation is simple, to let her shine. The songs in English are dark and brooding mostly, despite the lyrical content. The uplifting non-English songs are beautiful and calming, I feel welcome in her voice, I don't know how to describe it.

Doesn't have my favorite song of hers, Pata-Pata, but I really like this kind of music.

Absolutely a gem. What a cool person and her music is lovely!

Listening to this while commuting in a dense and freezing Seattle fog was surreal. And anything that establishes Timon and Pumba as frauds halfway through the record gets an automatic five stars from me.

Amazing.

Beautiful!

Tykkäsin. Ei välttämättä lenkille, mutta muuten ehdottomasti kuuntelulistalle.

Glorious

Kinda loved it. Would listen to this album more

Absolutely stunning. She has such power and control and her emotive range is so freaking wide. Didn't take notes on individual tracks but just really enjoyed relaxing into her voice.

What an incredible album! I really wish the Europeans weren't such dickheads to Africa so that their music and culture could flourish a lot more, it's so unique and beautiful. The rhythms are so fun it feels like it was made to be danced to. And to me the harmonies sound very spiritual, not sure if they're meant to be or if that's just how I perceive them based on my cultural experiences but either way they're fire.

Beautiful. Had me hooked from the start.

Mais uma opção extremamente interessante para escutar música africana. Vocal envolvente e instrumental magnético.

so far im loving it the vocals of makeba wow

I admit I'm probably rushing to a 5 because something different, but I really enjoyed this start to finish. Sounds great all round.

The best kind of throw back.

Lovely album and if nothing else took me down a fascinating rabbit hole on "Mbube/The Lion Sleeps Tonight"

I was anticipating this one. This project has revealed a fondness for African music I was not aware that I carried, and this project only solidified my love for Paul Simon. So imagine my delight upon finding an African musician who has toured with Simon! I was immediately captivated. Makeba's voice is delightful, powerful, and passionate. There's a quiet intimacy, but unlike many other albums with sparse use of instruments, this doesn't feel cold, but warm. So very warm. There's many other albums that feel more impressive on a technical scale, larger in scope, but Makeba's voice quite literally carries you through fourteen lovely little songs. It helps that this album isn't a beefy one. Many of these songs are short and sweet, breezing from one to the next onto its conclusion. When I opened this album, I intended to save it for later, only for me to realise that my plan had failed seven songs in.

Wonderful voice, wholesome vibes album, and beautiful languages. I don’t think I ever would’ve listened to this if not for this gen, and I’m so glad I got the chance to.

Miriam Makeba was incredibly influential in the spheres of music and social activism. Her music walks the line between South African and Western forms without truly fitting into either. She is happy to sing in Xhosa or Zulu with western backing band creating a more overtly African music than later western musicians who were influenced by African music would go on to do. This is appealing because here, the control is being given to the African musician instead of the western musician. Makeba's voice is smooth, controlled, and expressive. This was truly a great album to be exposed to.

really cool!!!

This is the kind of thing I had hoped this entire list would be like! This was great. Wish I spoke the language but the wiki was helpful context.

A wonderful vocal texture. Its basically a world jazz vocal album, and her voice just sounds great. Where Does It Lead kills. House of The Rising Sun is a great cover. The laughing on One More Dance is charming, and her voice soars. What a fabulous album.

I thought this might have been a bit too much to start with, but it's just right. Still sounds fresh and exciting even though it's over 60 years old.

Beautiful voice.

Rating benefitted from it being a Friday album, but I kept coming back and listening throughout the weekend. Amazing covers and humorous songs mixed with beautiful music.

Absolutely magical album. My first 5/5

This was probably the most interesting thing i got so far, and i absolutely loved it

This is not an album I would have come across any other way, but I'm SO GLAD I did. Her voice is so beautiful and is incredibly comforting and soothing. It didn't matter if she was singing in English or other languages, upbeat or more serious - each song captured me in a way I was not expecting. I don't feel this way about many albums, but I didn't want it to end!

like it

Probably wouldn't end up in my collection but I can see why it's part of this collection. Makeba has a powerful and beautiful voice that reminds me of Nina Simone. A wonderful world music album.

Sensational. Xhosa is such a beautiful language.

A beautiful voice and a huge force for change in South Africa at the height of apartheid.

a perfect summer album personal favourites: [Where Does It Lead?] [Olilili] [House of the Rising Sun] [Lakutshn, Ilanga]

Amazing, like judy garland

A beautiful album to say the least. The vocals are effortlessly gorgeous with equally amazing music to accompany them. Favourite songs: The Retreat Song, Lakutshn Ilanga, and House of the Rising Sun. I love her voice — it is so smooth and claming and sets the mood of the album perfectly.

VERY good I really loved this

canzoni molto belle, voce perfetta, canzoni diverse e che trasmetotno emozioni bello

Beautiful

What a voice! This album is such a treat to listen to. Beautiful melodies, great musicianship, and perfect singing. I’ll listen to this again for sure and more of Miriam Makeba’s albums.