Miriam Makeba

Not really my vibe. But cool to listen to a new genre of music! Also love the album cover the colours r beautiful.

Fun album! More of this and less 300 albums by the same 50 British artists no one has heard of please! 8/10

I love how the description makes it seem like people in the US had no idea there was music in Africa until this album came out. Not that I don’t believe it! “World Music” has always been a sad and hilarious label. There’s the US, the UK, and then “The World”. Anyway, the record is pretty cool.

What a voice!

Awesome, beautiful, fun

Only knew Pata Pata before (the BBC Soul Music on that song is really worth listening to). Glad to expand. Wonderful music. Although would love a version without the crying laughter on One More Dance. That takes it down a whole star.

What a joy. How can someone from such a tough, challenging hard environment sound so calm and beautiful

This is the shit I signed up for. Great great stuff from 1960.

I listened to this record for the first time thanks to the 1001 albums generator site and it really surprised me.

This is an easy 4+ if I was into this kind of music. Beautiful voice. Certainly influential given this album was 1960. Glad I got to hear it and know who she is. Just not something I’d ever buy or listen to regularly, so 3.5

Beautiful voice

This is a great album. Mbube is my favorite so far. It sounds like “the lion sleeps tonight”. I’ve always loved this pulse. Great rhythm and feel. Miriam is a great vocalist. I prefer the songs not sung in English. They feel more expressive. One more Dance is hilarious. How she kept her composure is beyond me. 😂

Great voice but ok music

This is great! I will check out more from this artist.

This is what it's all about. What a voice

Angelical y religioso

Fucking Javier Bardem cracking up on this one

Had no idea what to expect. Saw it was recorded in 1960. Certainly had that era of fun, motown sounding pop vibe to it. But it's South African and mostly in Zulu, so no idea about the lyrics. The 6th song has pretty, subtle jazzy guitar under her vocals, that was nice. Then the next song was quite clearly ended up becoming "When the Lion Sleeps Tonight", apparently and old Zulu song. That's cool. Her version of House of the Rising Sun was rad. Predates the animal's version too.

Pretty cool

When the first track, The Retreat Song, started playing, I was hoping it was another great find from Africa like when I first heard Ali Farke Toure. But this was no Savane. Still a great album though. Miriam Makeba's voice is incredible, and some of the songs are wonderful. The Click Song was fun to hear, don't often listen to music with clicks in it. Mbube had a nice vibe. The Naughty Little Flee was a lot of fun. She did a sweet rendition of House Of The Rising Sun. One More Dance was a real letdown, it seemed like a fun humorous song, but the male singer laughing throughout the entire track just killed it. All in all, a great album, just short of hitting that 5. Best song: The Naughty Little Flea

3.5/5

uyimbube, uyimbube, uyimbube, uyimbube

This was nice - very much sounded like a record over 60 years old but something a little different with a delightfully sunny in sound

What an astonishing surprise this was A wonderful voice A joyous sound

My new favorite version of House Of the Rising Son.

a little bit repetitive and boring and the laughing on 'one more dance' was distracting but I did enjoy it especially her voice

++: The Retreat Song, The Click Song, Umhome, Olilili, Lakutshn, Ilanga, Mbube, The Naughty Little Flea, Nomeva, House of the Rising Sun, Iya Guduza +: Suliram, Where Does It Lead?, Saduva, One More Dance 9,0/10

Miriam Makeba was instrumental in bringing African music to the international eye. What an incredibly beautiful voice and person.

She has an amazing delicate yet powerful voice. Mbube has some interesting history, and the take on this album is great.

Miriam Makeba has a great voice and great style. This is the kind of new discovery I was hoping to find in this list. I may not return to it often, but this was enjoyable

What an interesting, creative and beautiful album. Thus is exactly why I follow this list, to find albums like this. Her voice is gorgeous. 5/5

Definitely another great discovery.

What a voice this woman had. The album sounds dated, no doubt about it, but the songs with african tribal influences are incredible and followed by perfect instrumentation. A beautiful experience. A strong 4/5

Favorite Track: Mbube

There's more information about this album on the cover than on its wikipedia entry. Guess I'll have to actually listen and judge for myself. FINE. Oh it’s quite eclectic. There’s a mix of covers and originals, English and African languages, acapella and accompaniment (though always tasteful and charmingly understated). There are spiritual, almost Christmassy sounding hymns alongside dark laments and quirky novelty numbers - all tied together by a soothing vocal. I found most of the styles enjoyable to be honest.

I didn't understand a word, but enjoyed it never the less.

Not my cup of tea

Miriam Makeba's debut album of the same name offers a colorful selection of songs that are more or less based on traditional songs and are kept in a style that was contemporary for 1960. From Wikipedia and contemporary reviews, I gather that this album was the starting point for a broad international awareness of African pop music. Against this backdrop, it is a highly entertaining milestone in both world music and music history.

She has a lovely voice. She's like the Harry Belafonte of South Africa. This woman is the caged bird signing. The introduction to The Click Song is less annoying than most speaking interludes. However, I seriously doubt this song was sung in the villages sounding anything like this version. This is literally Lady Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Mbube is clearly the song they turned into The Lion Sleeps Tonight and is definitely the superior song. This is an album very much of its time. Everyone in the 60s covered House of the Rising Sun and this is not one of the better versions but her voice is beautiful. The man laughing during One More Dance ruins the song.

Interesting and beautifully recorded

Very nice. I felt the music style really highlighted her amazing voice.

Not my bag. Slightly interesting version of the song known as The Lion Sleep's Tonight but otherwise I found this entirely forgettable other than a remarkably mean-spirited duet toward the end that I hope to never hear again.

It's pretty cool to read that Miriam Makeba was able to use a film role in "Come Back, Africa", the 1959 South African "jazz opera" "King Kong", and an association with Harry Belafonte to escape South Africa's apartheid and to get a shot at a solo musical career. But I'm not all that sure this album is a particularly good showcase of her talents or her story aside from the novelty/world music factor; and of course her version of "Mbube", which would become "The lion sleeps tonight" with The Tokens in 1961. It's well-recorded and produced,in any case, and nice to read that she had a strong and long musical and activist career as "Mama Africa" long after this album.

Enjoyed this but I wonder if there are better albums for her. This felt a little like a greatest hits album. Also, I can't stop hearing that Jain song Makeba in my head now.

She has a really beautiful voice. The earlier songs I really enjoyed, I feel they were better for her voice and really showcased her well. I get wanting to add the songs in English but I feel like they weren't as interesting or enjoyable. (what was the laughing in One More Dance). I really like The Click Song. Her voice and the music had enough emotion that even without knowing the meaning I could feel the energy.

This was a beautiful album and she was a remarkable person with an incredibly inspiring life. It's wild to have never heard of her after reading what an impact she made on African music and on the issues she was an activist and spokesperson for. Yet another album that makes me grateful for this project.

Top Track: Holilili / Mbube

Ça s'écoute une fois en fond, mais pas deux.

Awesome piece of music and she did it all before the Lion King which is infused with her sounds and Ladysmith Black Mombasa. Many of the rifts used by Peter Seeger and early folk heroes were predated by this wonderful forerunner who put Afrobeat on the map. Outstanding.

This is fine. Not my cup of tea, but interesting to listen to. 2/5 because it's not my jam.

Honestly, there's nothing really bad about this album. It's just that after a couple of listens I couldn't find myself being interested with the music. Sure, the singing is nice and the atmosphere adds warmth and depth but I just wished that I cared for this just tad bit more (Mr. Music Elitist over here). That dude laughing on that one track shaped and butchered the song. OK album. 2.55/5

Thoroughly enjoyed this album

On a purely musical basis I don't love this and don't think I'd listen again. It's very much of It's time and has quite corny arrangements in places. Better when singing the ballads and allowing that beautiful voice to sing through rather than the dodgy 60s lounge style arrangement. 2/5...

we loved it. Good melody amazing vocal performance. Very diverse and interesting album. Love the first 4-5 songs. And the rest is also very good. Will definitely come back.

what an awesome album. really, really enjoyed it. I don't think I have ever listened to a full album of Xhosa inspired music, and this was a real treat. from my view, I have Miriam Makeba up there with the likes of Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. Absolute talent, and really knows how to make their music count. if anyone has no read her wikipedia page, i highly suggest giving it a read through. she lived an incredibly fascinating life, and was by all accounts a great person.

Loved the mixture of traditional South African songs and English language tracks. A short, fun listen. I’m interested to see if we have any more of her albums, would love to see what her music later in her career develops into.

This is what the list is for! Amazing voice and I love hearing albums from other cultures. "Mbube" was a fun surprise, and I really want to learn how to sing "The Click Song". 4/5 album. 5/5 pick for the list.

Interesting in parts and naughty little flea is a lovely song. Charming album but a bit of a grind if you aren't taken with her voice.

Did not expect to enjoy south african music. It was really awesome. Reminded me of Lion King

Nichts für mich

Pure and elegant, reaching back to a different time.

If nothing else, it gives me "The Lion King" vibes. Every song seems like an epic introduction to a song that never really begins. I just wish there was more to each song. Favorite Track: "Mbube".

Very nice, relaxing, chill South African traditional music with Makeba's beautiful singing.

Miriam Makeba

Idk. Not my thing

Pfff hoe moet ik dit album gaan beoordelen? Ik vind Miriam een goede stem hebben, qua muziek hoor je ook absoluut de Afrikaanse invloeden die gewoon lekker klinken. Maar is dit een album dat ik opnieuw en opnieuw ga luisteren? Nee, dat toch niet. Het is een album waarvan ik blij ben dat ik het heb gehoord, het is een verrijking ook voor de lijst. Als in weer eens iets anders, maar uiteindelijk is dit voor mij geen wereldschokkende ontdekking geweest. Wel echt tof om te horen! Ook wel leuk dat ze een aantal covers op het album heeft staan. Maakt het echt iets meer een crossover album, als dat ergens op slaat. FAVO: Mbube, House of the rising sun

Dad- 8 Mom- 9.5 Mike- NA Lori- 7.5 Michael- 9.5 Miles- NA Cole- NA Avg-8.63

Was nice to listen to something different. She sounds so joyful. 4/5

An album of songs I would not search out but glad I got to listen. A talented woman who lived an important life.

solid stuff 7/10

I can appreciate it for what it is, but it wasn’t a particularly enjoyable listen.

5 stars

This was a revelation. Loved every second of this.

Solid album

Sounded like the Lion King

Very nice

The Click Song stands out above the rest. It’s pleasing music that’s for sure. Not my cup of tea It borders on being a possible Lion King soundtrack The vocals sound distorted at times which may just have been the recording back in those days. I don’t know, I wouldn’t listen to her again but I wasn’t completely turned off by the music.

An example of not my type of music, but I am sure others love it

At a glance I thought this was old school soul or something. It's African traditional. Really loving this sound man! this came out in 2012 but it has an older sound. Like 40s or 50s. Fuckin beautiful! Okay, this album super surprised me. It was SO good!! in fact there were a couple tracks that actually made me teary. One because it reminded of Cri-Cri's style. That one was The Naughty Little Flea. The other was One More Dance that was just so damn cute. Also she fucking covered House of the Rising Sun that was such a pretty cover. 5 big stars for you Miriam

the debut album of south african singer, actress and activist miriam makeba. her music introduced the western world to african culture, with even nelson mandela expressing great praise for her after her death. it's a perfect window to the music of africa, lyrical songs, love songs, wedding songs, lullabies, and other stories in xhosa, zulu, swahili and even some english. makeba's voice is warm, engaging and straightforward... she really wanted to put a name for herself in the music world, and this album absolutely showcases her talent. it says a lot about music, even with the language barrier it's so human. it's so raw, human... and it's so pleasant to listen to.

WOW!!!

I’m a sucker for a woman with a beautiful voice. I also love the sounds of African music. The laughter in the dead husband song almost took me out of it, but otherwise this was a near-perfect listen.

Not bad. Not my thing, but I appreciate it. Mbube is familiar, yet new.

Failure of numeric rating systems as I enjoyed this a lot more than most of my 3 star albums but not as much as most of my 4 star albums. But yeah this is some great stuff

Some wonderful vocal work and some fantastic songs. It does come across as a bit twee at times, but that's somewhat inevitable given the age of the album and the genre. Not something I'll go back to, but it's definitely very good.

Linda voz, e uma linda história por trás da artista e da produção do disco. Mas a musicalidade em si não me atiçou em nada. Não é meu estilo de música e me encontrei vagando pelos confins dos meus pensamentos, deixando a música sozinha no fundo do meu plano de atenção. Mas apesar disso, ela é uma ótima cantora e entendo seu posicionamento aqui na lista.

osuu sieluun.. laaaaaa lalalaaaa. mbd *klik* samanananmenenemnama *klik* lalalalaa... kirjavaa touhua ei voi muuta sanoa. kirja aafrikka kulttuuri kirjava ja värikäs värikkyys näkyy tässä ja kijavuus myös... jalkaparka se alkaa sipsuuttaan anna muusikkin viedä jalat eikövain? vai eikö? janoni nyt tarpeeksi tästä. ja homma loppuun oli kiva oli kivaa nyt hiljaaa. tarvitaan hiljaisuutta niin tämä ei jatku enään. kokoajan tarvi äänennellä kokoajan tarvi riehua juhlia ja mellakoida, eikö yksinkertainen hiljaisuus kelpaa kenekllekkään nykyaina. vaikea ymmärtää näitä ajatusjunia eteenpäin mennään mutta minne. klick song

Not a fan

Not for me

Wow, what an amazing voice

Christ the generetor is on fire. The Afro-Cuban album “Kenya” yesterday and today it’s straight to Africa with Miriam Makeba. As said yesterday; this is what the generator is for. Lovely album. “One More Dance” is a very weird song though… 4/5

Mag ich.

Great vocal, poor quality recording. I'm familiar with Miriam Makeba through Pata Pata and the Click Song. I feel like this list would be more accurate/interesting with more foreign language artists. It's a nice listen and deserves its place on the list. 3.5/5. Raising to a 4.

Beautiful melodies. Didn’t keep my attention for long.

She has a really awesome voice that kinda gets kneecapped by recording quality. Wish the instruments were more prevalent, I liked the flute parts a lot. Enjoyed the back scratching flea song

I couldn’t stop listening. Literally replayed at least 5x. Loved it.

She got a purdy voice

Imma sucker for a choir and a hater for a cover

Loved this - great songs, super funky and soulful. A big tick in my books and the kind of thing it’s fun to discover.

Beautiful mix of jazz, Latin grooves, protest music and South African folk. Love her voice. Amazing to feel like you’re protesting the world’s injustices while laying on the beach and drinking cocktails.

Beautiful. What an incredible talent Ms. Makeba was. I wish I knew more about apartheid, and African history in general. Obviously this isn’t an album I’ll return to every day, but it’s masterful and emotional and perfect for what it is. Side note: I love on an older record like this hearing her clip the mic when she sings most passionately. Nothing like it. Fave songs: Whole album, maybe not One More Dance — the fuck?

I'll always enjoy some international folk music. fun listen all the way through. There is a world beyond our day to day lives and listening to music like this is crucial to keep us connected to each other.

This was a fun listen!

Really pleasant vocals, but not something I'd return to.

A weema wop, a eema wop… African music has always been such a deep well of inspiration, and it’s easy to see why. There’s so much rhythm, joy, and spirit in it that countless musicians have drawn from it, with them sometimes paying homage, sometimes outright ripping off. You can hear echoes of Makeba’s melodies and traditional African sounds throughout Western music, from “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” to Elton John’s The Lion King soundtrack, which wears its African influences proudly. This album captures that essence beautifully. It’s vibrant, alive, and full of energy - the kind of record that reminds you why so many artists look to Africa for musical soul and inspiration.

A man has died, why is Charles Colman laughing?

Little too old school for me

Sweet, brave. Love it. Idk, i recognize 'sulleram', it's indonesian traditional song?

Artiste inconnue. L'album présente un mélange de World music et de Blues / Jazz suivant les morceaux ... malheureusement pour moi 100 % basé sur le chant, sans chorus pour agrémenter un accompagnement très limité. Heureusement l'album est court, et pas désagréable. Pas de seconde écoute pour moi. =>2/5

Not my Kind of music.

Another artist I may never have heard of not for this, and what a damn shame. What an incredible voice - the control and dynamics - remarkable and beautiful. “Suliram” in particular was so simply perfect in headphones. I’ll be searching out more. Could have done without “One More Dance”, especially at the end of the album, didn’t really share the humor and Coleman’s laugh annoyed me.

Great album of traditional South African folk songs and dances. She has a powerful voice and loved songs like "The Click Song" and I now feel that every wedding reception should include it. The only song I hated was the duet "One More Dance" and it wasn't her fault, it was the duet partner laughing through the whole song. It was distracting and incredibly annoying. Overall, this was a really enjoyable and culturally rich experience.

That voice! Absolutely gorgeous. I'm somewhat skeptical of the term Afropop, since Africa is a whole damn continent, but I've always loved that genre and most of the music I've heard out of West and especially Southern Africa. Such a warm, breezy quality to it, and this record perfectly encapsulates that style with some American flourishes. Don't know how anyone can walk away from this one not in a better mood than when they went in

Wow - this is incredibly endearing. Any listener has surely walked away feeling charmed.

Great singer. Never heard proto-South African music before. You can hear the beginning of the super melodic guitar lines to come. One More Dance laughing guy is as annoying as everyone says.

Found myself enjoying this one a lot. It was great to get a slice of Makeba's culture, and hear some representation of South African music and language in her songs. Overall- 3.5 to 4 / 5

Digging it

Good songs

I enjoyed this album as much as one can enjoy a 65 year old album sung mostly in another language. The Click Song was fun, The Naughty Little Flea was probably my favourite track on the album. I could have done without the weird dude laughing throughout One More Dance though. Definitely a weird choice.

I really enjoyed my time with this album. I thought it was so unique and very fun all the way through.

Another interesting selection. Simple but a good vibe, nice rhythms and good to hear the mix of African and western music.

Really enjoyed this album would listen again

Sweet

2/5

Really enjoyed this

I loved when that guy was laughing

i always thought she was really interesting as like the first african musician to gain widespread recognition globally... and so cool that she was married to kwame ture... she has a really awesome story and i liked the album too!! its always in dollar bins nowadays but supa solid

When she's singing actual South African music, this is fantastic, I mean, it's Miriam Makeba. The rest of the time, sadly, it's an array of questionable covers of standards and novelty songs that just screams "released in 1960". It's no Welela, that's for sure.

I’m torn on this one. I love Miriam, but so much of this is done to a lounge music beat or just a straight up novelty song. One More Dance made me want to throw something at the TV.

Could not find.

Not for me but by no means bad.

It was an interesting change compared to the other albums, just not my genre though. I do question why you would put a song consisting of the male singer constantly laughing on your official album. I know that at least 3 of the songs are not hers originally.

Como é para ser, soa demasiado exótico para mim e não é o tipo de música que atrai minha atenção. Nunca tive interesse em experiências com música étnica/ folclórica. Meus ouvidos adestrados na música ocidental não conseguem desfrutar do que ela tem a oferecer.

Matriz das músicas do Rei Leão: apumbauê, apumbauê, apumbauê...mais pra frente o sucesso d foi "Tá com pulga na cueca, táqui, patapata". Pela importância 4 estrelas

Once again, when facing non-western music, I’m standing left as the uncultured ignorant. I simply don’t like the music. I can appreciate her vocal prowess, even if I dislike her shrilling highs. I also appreciate hearing what later became «The Lion Sleeps Tonight», and prefer this version. Other highlights include the chorus of the opener and the fascinating Click Song. However, I dislike most of the songs, particularly the Flea Song and the laughing duet.

I can certainly appreciate the beauty of the percussion rhythms. She has a very nice voice for the style. That being said, it's so far outside my wheelhouse that I wouldn't rate it very high.

Fun to hear an album of world music. Hearing a pre-English version of The Lion Sleeps Tonight was super cool. I liked it. Kids said it reminded them of Disneyland Adventureland music

A really lovely album.

The naughy flea song is a banger, fight me.

вообще не моя музыка, но тетя поет очень красиво и интересно! а песни с кликами ваще бомба

Nice!

Incredible vocals

What a refreshing album, a powerful and beautiful voice. All that's great about African music, which after all is at the roots of all rhythmic music.

Very interesting. Enjoyed listening to it Standout songs: The Click Song Mbube

- ganz moody und kurzweilig eigentlich, lief gut im Hintergrund, ohne zu stören, aber auch ohne groß herauszustechen 3 – War okay / Interessant 👌 Solides Album, einige gute Momente oder Ideen. Vielleicht nichts, was ich nochmal hören würde, aber spannend zu kennen.

Hard to have a bad time with this.

Lite småtrevligt. Sjunger fint. Kul med Lejonkungen-låten.

Hon har en bra röst och det är hyfsat kul och trevlig lyssning, men för mig lyfter det inte till några astronomiska höjder.

Really super duper enjoyed this. I wiggled my butt in particular to Mbube. I don't care if it's a cover or an original, it lit me up.

Beautiful vocals.

6 / 10 - Quite an interesting listen, and something I'd never go for out of my own fruition, still I found it a bit slow in parts, but still a good album overall

I was expecting to hate this, really but enjoyed it, probs not gonna be a regular listen, but enjoyed my time with it. The start gave me Civ 5 vibes, but wasn't limited to African style songs

Enjoyed it more than I expected. Highlights were suliram, discovery the source of the wimbaway and the guy just dying laughing in one more dance. Wouldn't listen again but it was a fun ride

I wanted to like it, I really did. Just sounded the same

Different words with classic sounds. Interesting.

Honestly extremely lovely. Incredible voice for the time and a fun and varied album. There are barely any, if any at all, bad songs on this album and multiple greats. The clicking song is great fun, but also slower softer songs go great. Not at all what I expected, but I loved it

What’s so funny in One More Dance? This one was ok. Not really my thing, but I’m glad I heard it. Favorites were The Click Song, Mbube, and Iya Guduza.

This was an absolute treat. What an incredible voice. Favourite tracks: The Retreat Song, Suliram, The Click Song, Holilili (haunting harmonies), Lakutshon' Llanga, The Naughty Little Flea, One More Dance (I don't know what's going on with the dude, but his cracking up is hilarious).

Miriam Makeba – Miriam Makeba (1960) | Afro-Pop / World / Vocal Jazz | Avg: 5.31 | Favorite Song: “Mbube” There’s no denying that Miriam Makeba is a culturally significant album — Makeba’s voice is stunning, and her presence is undeniable. However, as a full listen, this one didn’t fully resonate with me. “Mbube” was the standout track. It’s haunting at first, but then commands with her strong voice and great supporting background vocals, making it the most emotionally powerful song here. That track alone hints at the strength and uniqueness she would come to embody, especially inspiring “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” just a year later, but the rest of the album feels uneven in comparison. Much of the record comes off more as a showcase than a cohesive artistic statement. The arrangements are simple, the pacing sometimes drags, and some songs seem more like curiosities than deeply engaging pieces. From a reviewer’s perspective, it’s easy to appreciate Makeba’s vocal control and the cultural importance of her debut — but purely from a musical standpoint, it’s not something I’d revisit often. It feels more like a historical entry point than a defining listening experience.

Cover 6 I like African music like Baba Maal. This is right there with it. Solid album.

The kind of discovery I like from this project. Soulful music sung in some of the languages spoken in South Africa

First impression pre listen: The African albums on this list have so far been pretty good, so I'm kinda expecting this on to be good as well. It's a bit of an early one so I'm a bit worried about how it might have aged. The Wikipedia article makes the artist sound interesting at least. Individual track notes: The Retreat Song Very unique sounding. Powerful opening. I quite like the flute in the background. The male backing vocals work well as a contrast. Her voice is very good. Good. 4/5 Suliram Very pleasant. Great voice. Has a bit of a Disney vibe to it. Simple but effective. 4/5 The Click Song This has to be the first song I've ever heard which utilizes "click" sounds. Has a festive spirit to it. I like the rhythmic elements. Decent. 3.5/5 Unhome Has a traditional feeling to it. Very sparse. Sounds authentic and real. Decent. 3.5/5 Olilili It's sung in a pretty way I suppose. The background choir adds a spiritual element to it which is pretty cool. Good. 4/5 Lakutshn, llanga Pleasant and loungy. Has a soothing, safe atmosphere over it. There's some sentimentality or nostalgia there as well. Decent. 3.5/5 Mbube Is this what I think it is? Really fun to hear an "untainted" version. That sounded great. Full of life and drama. Love the range and dynamism in her voice. Great. 4.5/5 The Naughty Little Flea It's cute I suppose. Feels a bit standard for the time. Fine. 3/5 Where Does It Lead? Haunting and powerful. Strong vocal performance. Decent. 3.5/5 Nomeva Festive and positive sounding. Has a great atmosphere. Good. 4/5 House of the Rising Sun I've heard many versions of this song. The vocals here makes it haunting and believable. Decent. 3.5/5 Saduva Don't got much to say about this one other than I like it. More of the same I suppose. Decent. 3.5/5 One More Dance Don't love the duet aspect of the song. The laughing is pretty obnoxious. Just a weird song in general. I don't really feel like the duo has much chemistry. Dislike. 2/5 Iya Guduza Fun snd melodic. Shows its age with the recording quality. The fuzziness is a bit distracting here. Fine. 3/5 Final Review: I don't know where to start, nor how I'm gonna rate this. This falls far outside my wheelhouse. As far removed as this is from the culture I'm from, it feels strangely relatable. The more "traditional"' songs on here have a sort of universal human atmosphere to them, that it's almost impossible not to be caught within their infectiousness. There's just this exquisite energy to it which feels very real and almost "handcrafted" in a way. It has this sort of timelessness to it which just makes it feel so alive. This comes from the performances of course. Miriam has an astoundingly beautiful voice, and the supporting band really knows how to work well with it. It turns what to me is an unintelligable language into something I might still not understand, but still feel. This control and passion is what sets it apart. And while I don't have much to say about the content of many of these songs, it still occasionally hit me emotionally. I would say there are a few moments here and there that don't live up to the rest of the album, but I can overlook those. It's a memorable and different experience. A reminder that music is for everyone. 4/5

African folk music is underrated.

Favorite Track: The Click Song

A genuinely enriching and engaging cultural experience

I am racist.

BEST SONGS: - The Click Song - Umhome - Mbube

I'm always excited when this list introduces me to things I was totally unaware of before, such as Miriam Makeba's wonderful voice and these amazing songs. Who ever could have guessed that there was so much more to music than just British rock? Favorite track: "Mbube"

Bien

When this first started playing I immediately fell in love with her voice and that joy remained through the first couple of songs. I enjoyed it a little less when she switched to singing in English, the other languages were so much more dynamic and really displayed the richness of her voice. I really enjoyed reading about Miriam while listening, what a tremendously interesting life she lived and she obviously had the talent to have such a successful career. This is a really great album hampered only by a few less than stellar song choices that detracted from my overall enjoyment.

The fact that this album got a release in 1960 on a major label astounds me. A female African vocalist singing in a different language does NOT strike me as a profile that would attract a lot of labels in the late 50's and early 60's. Clearly RCA thought differently and signed her and supported her. I'm dying to know that story and how she got this deal. I'm really glad she did though. While I didn't love the album as much as others, it was a good listen. Makeba has a great voice, very listenable and full of energy. The backing vocalists also work well with her voice, and they come together to form one voice at times. I do think the album as a whole suffers from the era in which it was produced. It feels like it was produced to be a jazz album, with elements and some cliches familiar to that genre. That, plus what was considered standard at the time for album like this (the way the backing vocals were recorded sounds all too familiar, like something I've heard a thousand times in other pieces from the era). The tracks that are sung in African languages (there were three present, apparently) feel shoehorned into an American, western aesthetic, leaving me wondering if that was some sort of compromise she had to make or if that's what she wanted. I can't imagine she had too much control or say in those matters. This was a wonderful listen. It's the birth of a legend's career, the coming out of an artist who somehow got a record deal with RCA at a time where racial discrimination was still firmly part of American culture. I'll need to read about her story, because I can only imagine it's interesting. Three stars. Standout Tracks: Mbube, Where Does it Lead, House of the Rising Sun

Æ kan godt skjønne at det her e en moderne klassiker, kulturhistorisk fascineranes e det også (ka e greia med latteren på «One More Dance»?), æ tror det mangle litt på å være interessant for mæ per nu.

7/3/25. Definitely unique to my ear, liked the variance of calm and energetic songs. I should listen a couple more times to get a true feel.

Not my thing

Never heard it before, interesting album, like it

Not everything works but her voice is brilliant and some of the songs here are incredibly moving.

This was a very pleasant listen

Great album. Her voice is so smooth.

Not my kind of music but the version od House Of The Rising Sun worthed the trip. 3 stars

Fantastic album. Fantastic voice. I'm not familiar with Miriam Makeba. So far all the world music selections have been spot on. And this one was no exception. Easy 5 stars.

No really my vibe, but really loved the powerfull voice !

Top notch! Loved it. Heard it for the first time.

Today, my family told me that my dog can no longer hear. I haven't seen him in four years since I left home. I don't know the exact lyrics to The Retreat Song, but as I listened, I imagined my dog napping peacefully in his quiet world. It breaks my heart to know that the next time I see him, he won't hear my voice. But there is comfort knowing that he can drift into deep, gentle sleep, undisturbed, in silence.

first listen this record did things to me man, never heard African music in a western 60s style

Good album and she has a wonderful voice, need to figure out what the hell was going on with the song with the dude laughing that was cwazy

Gorgeous singing.

I actually loved this.

3- Stars (7/15)

At least she has a nice singing voice. The music didn't do a whole lot for me. There must be a story behind the laughing man in One More Dance. It seems kind of dark.

Ein Album das nicht meine Musik ist aber mit viel Emotionen und Veränderungswillen. „House of Rising Sun“ ist eine Gänsehautinterpretation.

Lovely voice, lovely rhythms from South Africa

Raro de cojones. No es mi estilo para nada. Muy folclórico Africano

Weirdly really liked this, but keeping at a 3 just because I don't see myself throwing this on again.

What is happening in that laughing song

This is the 140th album I’m rating. Another world album. So far these have been pretty good, and I've liked them a lot more than the UK and US albums so hopefully this will keep up that world streak. Adding to my Playlist - The Retreat Song, Suliram (Indonesian Lullaby), The Click Song, Umhome, Olilili, Lakutshn, Ilanga, Mbube, The Naughty Little Flea, Where Does it Lead?, Nomeva, House of the Rising Sun, Saduva, and Iya Gaduza. Not Adding to my Playlist - One More Dance. The Click Song - This is really really good. Stuff like this makes me wish the list had more music from non-English speaking countries. House of the Rising Sun - I like this version. Very interesting and a lot more interesting than the one by The Animals. One More Dance - I hate that guy. All in all I liked 13/14 songs. Not a perfect album but this is pretty good. Listening to music from other cultures is always interesting. I wonder where all of the Asian albums are though. I've only seen African albums, and I'm pretty sure there aren't any Chinese albums. I don't think there are any Japanese albums either. When are they coming up?

I love days when the generator gives me something I would never have heard of. Awesome sound and some great covers. Amazing this was the soundtrack to the apartheid struggle in South Africa. Solidarity with those around the world still fighting oppression.

Listened to this with Chloe, driving back from Paradise Valley. We loved it! The Lion king song was unexpected and I enjoyed the Click Song. Never would have listened to Afropop if it wasn’t for this project. Yay!

This album is low-key phenomenal. An interesting and varied album that I NEVER would have listened to without this project.

Stuff like this is what keeps me going with this project. I’d heard Miriam Makena’s incredible voice before, but I didn’t know her name and hadn’t listened to an entire album. This is brilliant, playful, happy music sung by a phenomenal talent (the backup singers are amazing, too). I love this so much and I will be listening to it for days.

Fantastic voice, great rhythms but not my thing

She has a voice?

Holy smokes, what a voice. Warm, vibrant, and beautifully executed by all musicians on deck. I'd like to check out more of Makeba's work. Reading up a bit on her, she sounds like an absolute titan.

Not really for me.

Did not like it

Maybe that's Mama Africa. Then I don't like Mama Africa. Maybe the music is very good, authentic and gives many people courage. But I still don't like it. Against the background of a list otherwise dominated by WASPs, I suspect this nomination is more for political reasons. And that's almost worse than the inability to think outside the box. 1/5

I love her voice!

Every song on here is essentially confined to three or four chords (I, ii, IV, V), meaning the harmonies and progressions are pretty limited. Coupled with the unchanging texture of solo vocal and light bass/drum accompaniment, there just isn't quite enough diversity in texture or overall sound to really justify making an entire 35-minute record from Makeba's material. The original release year of this record was 1960, so the precedent for diverse albums hadn't yet been set (by the likes of the Beatles), and I think that severely detracts from this album's appeal. Even if an artist's music is conceptually/culturally interesting or fresh, it needs to showcase more than one musical dimension. Otherwise, you could easily put out a single or EP rather than a full-length LP. Even at a relatively short length of 35 minutes, I felt this particular entry dragged on towards the tail end. The choir backing in Holilili, particularly the baritone voice, is really good. I also enjoy the freeform-rhythm nature of Mbube, something that isn't replicated in any other track. Plus, the iconic "wimoweh" in the backing vocals. Unfortunately, in this track (and many others) it becomes apparent that the sound is in need of remastering. Makeba's vocal frequently causes audio peaks that blot out other instruments and the listener's brain. The cover of the traditional House of the Rising Sun is fine but a bit musically inert. I feel that Makeba's version doesn't add terribly much, in contrast with the explosive Animals version. And what's going on in One More Dance? Some guy chuckling maniacally while informing Makeba of her husband's untimely death? I had to go back and check the lyrics. It really dates this already heavily-dated sound. Is this record really qualified to sit amongst the 1000 best albums of all time? (Questionable.) 2/5 Key tracks: The Retreat Song, Holilili, Mbube

I was surprised this was 1960, thought it was a bit later than that. Great. I liked her intros to songs, and it’s neat to think of the genesis of African musicians crossing over into western pop music. Will for sure come back to this one.

Didn’t know what to expect going into this as I haven’t really heard anything similar. There were a few decent songs on the album but overall I’d say it’s a 5/10 Had its moments but it just isn’t for me.

Oh that is so pleasant! Stand out songs: Retreat Song The Click Song The Naughty Little Flea

if this album didn't influence the Lion King than what are we even doing here?

Not something I'd revisit but it was nice listening to traditional African music

Not really my style.

3.75

This was really interesting, I don't know if it was in 4 Star territory, because I wasn't compelled to save multiple songs, nor do I feel the need to listen again, but it was refreshing and unique.

Not my thing

It's good, she has a nice voice. Probably won't listen again. Mid 3.

It’s weird hearing an earlier version of house in the rising sun, I knew it was a song lots covered but still

I felt that the English language standards on this dragged a bit and detracted from the overall experience.

Miriam Makeba was an important artist from the social and cultural perspectives (and later politically) for South Africa. For me, this album is a bit of a mixed bag, but she has a great vocal style - at times it does sound like she's in Harry Belafonte's orbit, which is probably not a bad thing. While this isn't really to my taste, it's an album I can appreciate being on this list.

Loved every second. I think I'll rate it a high 4, but this one deserves a 5 as well.

C’est pas mon style de musique mais c’est très beau !

Afrikkalaiset soundit, niissä on jotain duurisävytteistä joka tuo hyvän mielen. Originaali kielessä kuuluu kliksaukset ja klaksaukset. Osa englanniksi. Hyvä kuuntelu!

big 3

Beautiful!

Off the cuff remark: A fairly uplifting album, even in the Emavungwini (Down in the Dumps) perhaps the lyrics say otherwise, but vocals are a delight Standout Track: Umoya, on a first listen Revisit?: Yes. Look forward to it.

Splendid!

A true discovery. Loved this. Wish there were more albums of discovery on this list, instead of 6 albums from one singer/songwriter.

If there was any reason I felt like being judgy about this album right off the bat, it had nothing to do with Miriam Makeba herself. The day my group got this album, I briefly skimmed her Wikipedia page and she seemed like a wonderful and fascinating individual. I mean, I don't think one would get the nickname "Mama Africa" for nothing, y'know? So I have no beef with her. No, no, no, for me, it all came down to that quote on the cover. Like, question for the cover maker, and it's "Aw, yeah?" Did you really think you needed to pre-emptively sell me this artist with a blurb from TIME on the cover? Is this a book? Or some "Game Of The Year" release? I'm jus'— dang, I ain't never seen nothing like that before. And I wouldn't'a hated the album just because of it, but goodness me. And of course, I didn't. I mean, this is an album babble, right? Not an album **cover** babble. Let's get on point. 'Coz... I mean, the quote isn't wrong. Far from being wrong, actually. Miriam Makeba is a beautiful singer. And it's like, I already knew African-language vocals could be amazing based on the sporadic encounters I've had with it, but being filtered through her voice... Yeah. It's incredible. Her voice is so good, in fact, that it helps distract from the fact that there's not really a whole else going on with this album compositionally. Which, y'know, maybe sparse arrangements like this are just truer to South African music than it's not (I'm certainly a dumb Canadian who wouldn't know), and I'm not blaming the album for choosing to place so much focus on Miriam's voice, but I'unno. If I hadn't been paying as much attention as I had, I think it would've been easy for all of the songs to start running together. I mean, the album plays its full hand of tricks very early on, and besides the laughing on "One More Dance", there's usually not much variety. Heck, the speaker I was listening to this album on, it sounded like nearly the entire thing was a capella. This isn't even that big of a complaint; it's just a little "huh" is all. 'Coz otherwise, yeah, it's real good stuff. And, like... It's just so nice to get another piece of so-labelled "world" music from this list again. I mean, the last time my group got something labelled "world," it was that damn Koffi Olomide album — y'know, an hour straight of music for cruise ship commercials. Between that and the Jah Wobble album my group got early on, "world" has unfairly been placed as one of my bottom three genres. And so, y'know, it's really nice to get an album this good and remind myself that I **do** really like it whenever we get music from outside the usual stops in America and the UK, to focus in on specific cultural sounds like Indian classical and this. So, yeah. An amazing voice singing this language beautifully... Even if I would want a bit more instrumental variety, I can hardly complain too much. It's just great — I hafta agree with the quote. And of course, I do hope Mama Africa's been resting in peace.

Some lovely World Music. Solid 4 Stars.

I’m at a 4.5 that I’ll bump up to a 5. Miriam Makeba has a deeply fascinating life – just go read her Wikipedia page for a few minutes, because the circumstances that lead up to the release of this album feel like they would make for an incredible biopic. I don’t need to see Timothee Chalamet as Bob Dylan, I want to see someone play Miriam Makeba, and do it justice too. As far as the music itself goes, that sure feels like South African music, and a lovely showcase of it too. Peter Gabriel sort of gave a taste of this style a while back, but that has a much “bigger” feel by comparison (and several years of recording advancements, perhaps). This is trimmed down, and really hones in on her vocals as the basis, save for the intensity of the first track, which is a banger of an opener. Her vocals are fantastic throughout this whole thing, gliding on every track whilst having some stunningly strong moments. They do live up to the blurb on the cover art, though I do think this album does focus a little too much on her at times, instead of showcasing a bigger richness to the South African soundscape they’re going for. Instrumentally, I think this album does eventually stagnate into primarily a guitar/bass showcase, but when it’s showcasing a bigger range of instruments, it’s just a great, great listen. As a whole album, I think if you’re not vibing with this style within the first 5 tracks, it’s just not an album you’re gonna enjoy, because this album basically reveals all of its production tricks in those first 5. I will say this – because it reveals all of its tricks so early, even at just 35 minutes, this album does start to feel a little longer than that by around track 10 or 11. I’m not saying this should’ve been trimmed down at all, but I do think a bigger variety (or really, just a greater instrumental showcase past the first few tracks) would’ve helped the songs go by a bit faster. That’s basically why I’m at a 4.5, but I enjoyed this far too much to not bump it up. I’m really impressed by the overall clarity of these tracks; even if the version on Spotify is likely a remaster, to get that much out of these old recordings & give a proper space to let each instrument & vocalist shine (or laugh their ass off, in a weirdly psychotically charming way), then you’ve done something right. It’s a super fun album, and a well-needed dose of international flair that’s been missing from the list for a while now. Hence, the 4.5 bumped up to a 5. Good stuff, Miriam. Rest in peace.

A pleasant listen. One More Dance is pretty funny.

Nice easy listening. Good voice, some world as well as jazz influences.

This was a nice hidden gem and refreshingly not British! Good on you, list. It was a pleasant way to start my day

4.5

Wow this album really grew on me in just a day and a half. I went from not really vibing with it to thinking it’s the cutest and most adorable album I’ve heard in a while because it’s so honest and sincere. The slower songs lost me alittle cause I always struggle with slower songs. But there were so many songs that I saved off this album cause it’s just so charming in every way. The highlight for me being “The Naughty Little Flea”. The whole album has Disney soundtrack levels of production and cleanliness to it, it just sounds so welcoming. Honestly this album is just so endearing, I’m already looking for a copy on discogs.

Not what I expected but very enjoyable!

3.5/5

Really enjoyable listen. No substantive notes other than "I really liked it"

world, folk, 1960 -> 2

not for me

i had never heard this lady before but it was a lovely listen. She had a great voice and the arrangements were delightful.

While I had heard of Miriam Makeba, I had never taken the time to actually listen to her music until this album came up in the project yesterday. I knew her name, her reputation, and her role as a political figure, but not the sound of her voice or the emotional weight of her songs. Released after her exile from apartheid South Africa, Miriam Makeba is a culturally significant debut that introduced many listeners to African languages, rhythms, and traditions at a time when most Western audiences had never heard anything like it. The album blends South African folk, spirituals, and a few international selections with minimal instrumentation, keeping the focus squarely on Makeba’s voice. My favorite track was “Olilili,” a playful song about a nasty little flea. It’s catchy, weird, and full of charm. “The Click Song” and “Mbube” also stood out, the former for its unique vocal delivery and energy, the latter for its emotional weight and cultural legacy. That said, this isn’t an album I would revisit for pleasure. While it was enjoyable and interesting, it doesn’t fit my personal taste enough to land on any regular playlist. Its value lies more in its historical and cultural importance than in repeat listening. Still, I’m glad the project pushed me to hear it, because it holds an undeniable place in music history.

Great tracks

This was fascinating. Not something I’ll listen to regularly but swell to expand my horizons. This is powerful activist art.

She had a very nice voice but it wasn't my thing.

I had never heard of her before but I really liked it. I don't think it can be in my normal rotation, but is a good one-off. The first song gave off serious Lion King vibes.

What even </3

Why are there so many albums on here from Africa but there's like nothing from Asia? You have a few Indian artists and like one guy from Pakistan, but other than that there's nothing from Asia compared to how many albums I've gotten from Africa? Why is there nothing from East Asia? I don't get it! Whatever. This Miriam Makeba album is alright. I don't have a ton to say. It sounds nice. It seems they've got some good instruments in Africa. Miriam's singing is also pleasant. I think it's cool that this album shows off sounds that aren't in the English language, specifically that clicking sound that's highlighted in "The Click Song." That's not really a music thing though. That's more of a language thing. The album's nice and short. I think the writing's good. The album's good, but I'm not too invested in it myself. 3/5.

What a treat. Love Suliram and Lakutshon' Ilanga in particular; love the electric guitar on the latter and Where Does it Lead. Love the words of The Naughty Little Flea. Obsessed with Charles Colman cackling all over One More Dance. Hilarious song. Gorgeous soothing album overall (though I was absolutely jumpscared by the end of Nomeva and Saduva)

It's hard for me to review stuff like this. I've mentioned previously, I'm almost exclusively interested in the "auteur" aspect of music; I'm interested in the soup and how someone put it together, rather than the individual elements which went into making that soup. So when someone tells me "this is a really great guitarist / pianist / vocalist - whatever", in a sense you may as well be telling me this was a really fabulous potato that went into my soup. Becasue, for me, there are two insurmountable facts that arise from this: A) The soup can still be awful, in spite of the fabulous potato. And B) I just want to eat the soup, I don't want to admire and respect the potato in and of itself. While I am not at all ignorant to the cultural baggage that goes with this album - I get how influential it must have been, and still could be, and how in turn it shows western influence on South African traditions, and I get that she is an amazing singer - it's just not enough for me to make it a great album I would like to listen to in 2025. And I have to stick to my guns and evaluate it on that basis - when I award this one star, it is not because I do not understand or appreciate the artist, it is just that the end result is so far removed from what I listen to music for in the first place. So, yeah, great voice, great document of its time - but not an album which moves me at all.

Mama Africa!!!

It was okay. Not really my thing. She does have a good voice though.

It was ok, not one of my favorites but definitely it wasn't a waste of time

It’s fine. I would never put this on, as I don’t really know which occasion I could find where it fits in

Fine album, quite basic at times, but still enjoyable to listen to. The highlight of the album are the vocals for sure. They are front and center on all of the songs and are powerfull and clear, commanding the album with ease. The background music is somewhat simple, with easy going rhythm section, african and jazz melodies. Even though it's simple, it acompanies the vocals well and creates a pleasant atmosphere. With that being said, the album comes of as a bit monotonous and simplistic, with not much excitement.

1,5

Music to my ears. Low 4*, very pleasant listen.

Wasn't bad. She has a lovely voice but not my sort of thing overall. Nice to hear, but won't be in regular rotation.

It has its flaws but one thing I appreciate about this list is the inclusion of so many albums from non-English speaking countries. Its nice to leave my little bubble every now and then :) Favorite track: The Click Song 3.5/5

What a beautiful voice. Very unusual to hear a woman singing with men providing the background vocals.

This was good. Feels like some of these songs were sampled (which is probably true). Pay attention to the lyrics on the song “One More Dance” and how the story progresses. At first I thought it was dumb but the further into the song it went, the end result was quite hilarious.

A pleasant surprise for this album. I loved the vibe and the African rhythms

01) The Retreat Song - 8,5 02) Suliram - 7,5 03) The Click Song - 8,0 04) Umhome - 7,0 05) Olilili - 7,5 06) Lakutshn, Ilanga - 8,0 07) Mbube - 8,5 08) The Naughty Little Flea - 8,0 09) Where Does It Lead? - 7,5 10) Nomeva - 8,0 11) House of the Rising Sun - 7,5 12) Saduva - 8,0 13) One More Dance - 8,0 14) Iya Guduza - 8,0 TOTAL: 7,86 (79/100) Current ranking: 195/531

So raw and emotional, unfortunately not my style

3.5

delightful. fills your heart

who knew african music was so good

You don’t need to understand a vocalist’s words to understand the emotion they are portraying. That is why we don’t mind when Eddie Vedder mumbles. And it’s also why this is one delightful album.

From “Mbube” to the end I was hooked on the beauty of Makeba’s voice and the humor or seriousness of each song. Simply mesmerizing.

Pleasant enough. Lovely voice. 3.5*

The African songs on here work better than the Western ones (and what's with the laughing guy?). But that version of Mbube is amazing.

2.5

no really my type of music

It's okay I guess 3

Very cool and unexpected, enjoyed this one!

Loved it so much. Would listen again.

This album was just simply wonderful. I love Miriam's voice. This, again, isn't the type of music I normally seek out, but just had a blast listening to it while cooking.

Fun AfroPop/ World Music type stuff, lovely voice not something I would play all the time but once in a while it really hits the spot.

Much more of these out-of-left-field seeming albums please, less 90s navel-gazing

I don’t know much about Miriam Makeba but I have to assume that a black South African woman who managed to carve out an international career in 1960 was a total badass. She also has a great voice.

We started off enjoying this quite strongly but there were some musical theatre elements - e.g. One More Dance - that we didn't enjoyed as much and felt removed from the cohesion of the album as a whole. Overall, it was ok but we wouldn't listen again.

Couldn’t understand it - not in English. The one song I could understand felt like a children’s song. Gave up after that

Great album!

That was fun, I gotta see which ones were covers and origionals covered by others.

Interesting, yet ultimately forgettable album.

Beautiful voice, great vibe music for the house

This is another one of those albums I probably wouldn’t have come across on my own. It was a good mix of traditional African music, folk, and jazz. Basically world music blended with Western culture. While it was a cool album to listen to, I have to admit it’s more of a one-time listen for me. This particular style just doesn’t connect with me as strongly as others do, but it was definitely worth checking out at least once.

What a voice. Songs are mainly in various African languages and include "Mbube" which is better known as "The Lion Sleeps Tonight". Some beautiful songs including "Nomeva" and her versions of "Where Does It Lead?" and "House of the Rising Sun".

Nicht ganz so meins, aber gut gemacht.

that second to last song was a but too much…..

Fine. If I heard this playing as background music in a restaurant i would enjoy it enough to think “this is nice” but not enough to find out what was playing.

Pretty much fantastic. Surprised Pata Pata wasn’t on this, but it wasn’t needed. I will take as much of this as you’ve got

This was pleasant.

Allez, on continue le périple au cœur de cette bible musicale qu'est le "1001 Albums". Et aujourd'hui, on tombe sur une artiste dont, je dois l'avouer honteusement, je ne connaissais que le surnom : Miriam Makeba, alias "Mama Africa". Son premier album éponyme, sorti en 1960, figurait sur ma liste, et franchement, avant ça, c'était le désert musical dans ma tête concernant cette dame. Une lacune, apparemment, car ce disque est souvent présenté comme une pierre angulaire, un pont jeté entre les continents. Et il faut reconnaître que dès les premières notes, on est saisi par une certaine douceur, une élégance qui tranche avec pas mal de productions de l'époque. On est en 1960, les yéyés commencent à peine à agiter leurs Hula Hoops en France, Elvis est revenu de l'armée et remet le cuir, et pendant ce temps, Miriam Makeba, fraîchement exilée d'Afrique du Sud à cause de ce putain d'apartheid, balance aux oreilles occidentales un mélange inédit. Une fusion assez bluffante pour l'époque. On sent les racines sud-africaines, les mélodies traditionnelles Xhosa, Zoulou, Sotho… Mais tout ça est enrobé dans des arrangements qui lorgnent clairement vers le jazz cool et vocal qui cartonnait alors aux States, avec déjà des petites touches qui annoncent ce qu'on appellera plus tard l'afropop. C'est là que réside la force et, peut-être pour mes oreilles de vieux rockeur blasé, la petite faiblesse du disque. La force, c'est cette accessibilité incroyable. Makeba et ses producteurs (dont Harry Belafonte, excusez du peu) ont réussi à rendre ces sonorités africaines digestes pour un public qui n'avait probablement jamais rien entendu de tel. La voix de Miriam est une pure merveille : claire, juste, pleine d'une émotion contenue mais palpable. Les fameux "clics" de la langue Xhosa sur des titres comme "The Click Song", ça a dû faire un effet bœuf à l'époque, un truc totalement exotique et fascinant. Et puis, il y a ce fameux "Mbube", et il est impossible de ne pas reconnaître la mélodie qui deviendra, via The Tokens, le tube planétaire "The Lion Sleeps Tonight". Rien que pour ça, l'album a marqué des points et prouve son influence souterraine sur la pop culture. Et franchement, ça a remarquablement bien vieilli, plus de 60 ans au compteur, et ça s'écoute sans aucune difficulté. La production est soignée, les arrangements sont fins, jamais envahissants. Pas de sons datés, pas de tics de production embarrassants. C'est classe, tout simplement. Une belle découverte, indéniablement. Alors pourquoi seulement un 3/5, me demanderez-vous ? Eh bien, parce que si l'album est historiquement important, s'il est plaisant à écouter, il lui manque ce petit grain de folie, cette rugosité, cette tension qui me fait vibrer dans mes groupes fétiches. C'est… lisse, presque trop poli, parfois. C'est là qu'intervient ma subjectivité de mec né en 1970, qui a usé ses fonds de culotte dans les bacs à vinyles indie et sur les ondes radios. Cet album, c'est une magnifique pièce de musée, parfaitement conservée, qui témoigne d'une époque et d'une ouverture culturelle naissante. Mais ça ne me prend pas aux tripes, ça ne me donne pas envie de hurler avec la chanteuse. C'est une écoute agréable, instructive, mais qui ne laisse pas une marque indélébile dans mon panthéon personnel. C'est plus une introduction douce à la "world music" qu'une œuvre qui te retourne comme une crêpe. Cependant, ne nous y trompons pas. Un 3/5, dans le grand schéma du 1001 Albums, ça reste une note plus qu'honorable. Ça signifie que l'album mérite sa place, qu'il faut l'écouter au moins une fois pour comprendre d'où viennent certains courants musicaux. Ce n'est juste pas un disque que je vais user jusqu'à la corde, mais respect éternel à Mama Africa pour avoir ouvert la voie avec autant de grâce.

Altijd sympathiek, een potje wereldmuziek. Een vrij vroeg voorbeeld zelfs, al werd het gewoon in Amerika opgenomen, lees ik. Het zal voor veel mensen een eye-opener geweest zijn, deze Afrikaanse klanken. De Engelstalige nummers halen het niveau van de overige niet, dat duet met dat stomme gelag is zelfs bloedirritant. De begeleiding is minimaal, de stem en de muziek hebben de hoofdrol. Goed gedaan al met al.

Typische Afrikaanse zang. Het luistert vrij makkelijk weg. Vooral als het wat vrolijker klinkt. Altijd lastig om wat te vinden van een genre waarvan je weinig vergelijkingsmateriaal kent. En de vraag die ik mijzelf normaal stel om te bepalen of het een 4 is, kan ik eigenlijk ook niet gebruiken. Want zal ik het nog eens opzetten? Nee. Maar dat zegt meer over mijn muzikale comfortzone dan over de kwaliteit. Maar misschien moet ik vooral wegen dat het wel een prestatie is als de muziek ook voor mijn ongeoefende oor makkelijk wegluistert.

Ik was even bang dat dit een Afrikaanse Astrud zou gaan worden, maar het valt me alles mee. Het is natuurlijk verschrikkelijk gedateerd, dus het is niet iets dat ik ooit uit vrije wil nog eens op ga zetten, maar ze kan goed zingen en afgezien van de klikgeluidjes en de dronken opa die op het een na laatste nummer meedoet, zitten er verder geen gekke of storende geluiden in. Het zit tussen een 2 en een 3 in.

Been a while, so I guess I was due a 1 star album. Oh this was so awful! I hated the "clicking" sounds, to the point where they made me feel like vomiting. I can't think of anything good to say about this album, it just kept getting worse and worse the longer I listened to it. Inane songs about fleas, songs like you might find on a children's music album from the 1950s, more of the obnoxious clicking sounds. Truly awful, and almost painful to endure. The "laughing track" right near the end is the stuff of nightmares!

Wunderschön!