Reviews (page 7 of 8)
Lite afrikansk melodiradio till kaffet? Riktigt bra röst.
Not for me...
Enjoyed listening to her sing the African songs, but did not like the English as much.
Good singer.
So beautiful. I love this.
Good for what it is. However, South African tribal music is not normally my first go to when I want to listen to music
Extra star because Lion King
Klinkt ongeveer 10 jaar ouder dan het is. Het is allemaal wel oke, maar ik sta er toch niet echt om te springen. Van mij had de muziek ook iets meer naar voren komen, deze staat voor mij te zacht tegenover de relatief schelle zang. Hoogtepunt is dat de overgrootouders van Timon en Pumbaa halverwege even langskomen. Absoluut dieptepunt is die lachende dwaas op het één na laatste nummer.
LoFi beats track 6
Beautiful voice, but was not really my jam.
This one didn't grab me, never really broke above the surface and demanded my attention. Makeba's voice is great, but this vocal-focused fare with generic instrumentals has never been my fare.
Great to have such an early entry from the non-western part of the world. Miriam Makeba's voice was incredibly powerful, and on her debut stuff like 'The Click Song' and 'Mbube' are wonderful. Things are a bit less impressive on the more western-influenced covers like 'House of the Rising Sun'. And then I don't know what the fuck is going on on 'One More Dance', but I do not like it.
Really excited to see an African album from the 60’s on this list. Miriam Makeba is a great singer and her incorporation of Xhosa musical traditions brings this debut album to life. But what the fuck is “One More Dance”? This train wreck of a song almost makes the entire album collapse. It’s one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever listened to. Who in their right mind allowed that to happen!?
Vreemd, maar wel verfrissend om eens echt wat anders te horen.
Niet onaangenaam, maar ook niet mijn kop thee
Totaal buiten mijn dichtgenaaide muziekspectrum, maar het was bijzonder mooi!
Mooi. Het leek soms wel fado, terwijl het Zuid-Afrikaans was.
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.
Really cool vocal work. Unlikely I’ll listen to it again but glad I heard it.
This is ok. Some of the South African some are very interesting, but the English tracks seem like they're out of place.
She is a good singer, but I have absolutely no context for this album so it's hard for me to give it a fair review. The background singers are called the "Belafonte singers", so maybe this was intentionally given to us today. I'd rather hear an album by Harry Belafonte instead and am hoping he iso n this list somewhere.
No thanks
I’m typically a little more forgiving of more worldly music but this fucking sucks. I don’t care what year, what country, this was lame as fuck and gimmicky bullshit is the worst. One More Dance is the most gimmicky dumb assed song I’ve heard in awhile, I hate his laugh, I hate his voice. I was gonna give this 2 but you know what, this sucked, it actually made me so annoyed it’s getting a two to join that loser Eminem
The opening track was fantastic! What an interesting genre I wouldn’t listen to normally. And I loved the song Mbube. The arrangements on everything really show the skill of everyone involved creating this.
Good stuff
Again, not terrible just not jiving with this music. Great vocals though. I’ll give this a 2 and have no playlist adds.
A lovely voice, very nice cover of House of the Rising Sun. Great 1960s vibes, wouldn't switch it off.
Prima, maar niet super boeiend. Paar leuke nummers, verder een beetje rommelige verzameling.
Impressive voice, aber echt net meins
Such a beautiful voice
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.
Not what I usually listen to but this kinda slaps
Enjoyed this. Except the song with laughing. Laughing in music is always a little creepy.
A weem ba wep 3.5/5
Ahhhhh woombawwh awoombawah awoombawahhh. Unique album. Short and sweet.
It's different from what I usually listen to, but I though it was average.
Streit
osea no escucharía esto pero me alegra saber que existe! 6.5/10
Timeless
Bill
Lovely album! Definitely can see myself returning to it many more times
Hurja chill, stark 4
I’m just not for me.
It was OK. I didn't really get into it or understand what she was singing. Parts of it sounded familiar. I have no desire to revisit this.
Aika kansanlaulukeskeinen. Oon enemmän afrofunkin diggari. Ei huono mutta ei myöskään purassut. 2/5
Arvostan isosti ja ansaitsee paikkansa listalla, mutta valehtelisin, jos väittäisin saaneeni isompaa nautintoa tästä levystä.
Ah taas tätä mitä listalta kaipaankin -- toki Mama Africaa olin toki jo ennen kuunnellutkin. Kunnon naurava kulkuri-biisi kyl lopussa :D 4/5
Miriam Makeba was a new artist for me. The mood of this album drew me in, and Makeba has a great voice. For a debut album, Makeba sounds very in control of her medium as an entertainer. This album sounds like it fits in with music from other entertainers the 60s, and reminded me of some of my mom's records that I used to play. The RCA Victor logo on the album cover felt appropriate and nostalgic. At the same time, there were new sounds (e.g. "The Click Song") and many tracks that displayed their South African roots. This mix of familiar and novel can be found in tracks like "Mbuba" (by Solomon Linda), which is easily identified as what was adopted into "Wimoweh (The Lion Sleeps Tonight)" or Makeba's cover of "The House of the Rising Sun". This album was an easy listen. I might revisit this album just to see what I may have missed.
Pas transcendant pas mauvais
PREFS : The Retreat Song, The Click Song, Lakutshn, Ilanga, Mbube, Where Does It Lead, Home of the Rising Sun, Saduva MOINS PREF : One More Dance
Meh
1960 South African 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.
cool, but not my cup of tea
She has a beautiful voice. I preferred the upbeat songs to the more ballady ones, but it was fun to hear something so different from everything else I’ve had from this list and what I’d normally listen to.
Beautiful voice.
like i dunno world music just aint my thing boss
Really enjoyed the click song and Mbube Loved the slow guitar in Lakutshn, llanga Vocals were amazing, super fresh and was pleasant on the ears 3/5
Well, it was different, at least. Not super interesting but beautiful in its own way. I didn't hate it.
Foreign language very African. Simple music. Pleasant but not my cup of tea.
funny
I liked this and am completely ill-equipped to tackle, linguistically or musically. Her voice and what she does to it is beautiful.
good voice nice tunes not hugely memorable
This was pretty interesting. Not something I would necessarily listen to repeatedly but pretty cool.
yup
This was amazing, loved it
It rattles along quite nicely but lacks the punch to be a big hitter
I really enjoyed this album, her voice is amazing and it's great to hear some different beats and languages.
Albums like this are why I still do this. The exposure to incredible music i may have never found elsewhere. This album is beautiful and gave me much needed exposure to the beauty of African language in music
Ooh "Mbube" is wonderful! (Of course, I know it from "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" as featured in "The Lion King.") It's a beautiful song full of life and joy. I love the climax that it builds to with all the layered vocals. This is a delightful jazz vocal album of African folk music with some Western influences here and there (sometimes I hear a little doo-wop, and there's a cover of "The House of the Rising Sun"). Miriam Makeba has a great voice -- she's gentle and jazzy but has some belting power too. Oh man, I love "One More Dance." Is the laughing planned? Or could he just not control himself? His laughter is so infectious. I was cracking up.
How about that "The Click Song"? Absolutely beautiful. The little background info before the song started was really great to let other people know more about the song and why they sing it. A little logistical adjustment I would prefer though would be to make that spoken section a separate track on the album right before this song so that you get "just" the music every time you go to listen to the song. Really stunning vocal performances. I think the basses underneath her (specifically nice on "Holilili") are just as sonorous as a sound as her voice. Highlights for me were: "The Click Song" "Holilili" "Mbube" (which is a cover but was also taken and "repurposed" into "The Lion Sleeps Tonight") "Where Does It Lead" which is a fantastic emotionally grey piece of music. "Saduva" This is such a nice album and one of those ones that reinforces how wonderful and fun music is.
Nope
The vocals are really pleasing on this. This is my first introduction to African style music. Pleasantly surprised. Shall definitely revisit sometime.
Leuk, maar niks aparts. 3
not that memorable
La chanson avec Charles Coleman est tout simplement insupportable, à cause de ses rires. Le reste était agréable, j'ai aimé la voix, j'ai aimé sentir comment elle a influencé la musique américaine.
i don't normally enjoy music like this but this had me shaking my rump a lil. its not easy to make me shake my rump
Not a fan...
Just not for me at all. Not a fan of any part of this album from the singing, to the style, to the instruments. I feel worse for having listened to it, and don't think my bar for music goes any lower than this. 0/10
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.
A great, fun, varied album
The album is not on my personal style of music, but as a new discovery was okay. The highlight is the music "Mbube" , for the cultural importance and for being used in The Lion King (not the same version)
Beautiful voice, love this
Absolutely magical album. My first 5/5
This was probably the most interesting thing i got so far, and i absolutely loved it
It's fine
Ok
Standouts: The Naughty Little Flea, One More Dance. 3/5
8/10 what a voice! Have to take points off bc some of the song selections just weren’t great
4/10. A few of the songs in English on here were kind of torturous to listen to, and really dragged down the album as a whole.
It’s pleasant but not something I’d listen to often. 6/10
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!
What a wonderful warm hearted honest album, Miriam Makeba makes it feel like she's sitting right next to you and singing just for you. The album has a wonderful range of different sounds and languages that give it a brilliant amount of variety and held my attention throughout and it leaves you with that impression that she knew exactly what she wanted to make from the very start.
Was there any Greenwich Village cafe basket house artist who didn't play House of the Rising Sun? If only Van Ronk had claimed the arrangement he might have retired earlier and done us all a favour. But no it took the evil cunning of Alan Price and Michael Jeffrey to pull that scam. There's nothing going on here of any note. She had a fascinating life I'll give her that.
Lovely, and I’m very glad it’s on the list, but not an album I’d race to pull out again. (Although I am inspired to listen to some of her later work)
This is an important record - it was her debut effort & she was such an influential South African performer, who strutted the world stage with great dignity & to great success. But it’s not her best work. Still, it introduced The Click Song, which was so famous when I was ten years old. With Mbube (on which she used the Chad Mitchell Trio, who would soon launch John Denver’s career) she showed a different take on the song westerners knew as Wimoweh or The Lion Sleeps Tonight. She recorded House Of The Rising Sun the year before Dylan got his hands on it. It’s of it’s time & well worth a listen.
I was not at all familiar with Miriam Makeba's early career. A somewhat strange assortment of material, but I guess this is the concept of "world music" just starting out. I think we could have lived without the novelty songs like "The Naughty Little Flea" or "One More Dance" (especially with that horrible laughing all the way through), but the variety of material (however relevant) shows that she could sing _anything_. What a voice! I could happily listen to her sing the phonebook. The tracks closer to her South African background are the strongest tracks ont he album (The Retreat Song, The Click Song, Mbube, Umhome, Olilili, Nomeva, etc), but even with material from elsewhere, she is controlled, dynamic, and powerful. She has a confident projection in whatever genre she is singing. Enjoyed.
Not my style, but it's good. The singing is very much up front and the instruments are very much in the background. She's a very good singer and the harmonies are great, so it works. Favorite song: Where Does It Lead
50's island stuff. Dr. No soundtrack kind of stuff. Tiki party?
Not my thing, good voice though
Hmm, this one is kind of tough to rate. The songs were nice and pleasant, but I never really felt as though I was getting into them most of the time, and there were small things throughout the album that were annoying more than anything, such as Charles Coleman's laughing throughout the whole song, or when Makeba's singing was muffled by herself via saying certain syllables. I really can't ignore the impressive vocals, however, and I didn't outright dislike anything, so I think it'll go in the middle with a three.
Doesn't sound bad at all, but it's just not my style of music. Especially the instrumentation just sounds too sparse for me. Nice for the background, but can't really get into it deeply.
like it
Pretty fascinating album I would have probably never listened to. Two songs especially stood out to me: The Click Song & One More Dance. The first one because it had really catchy rhythm and the other one because it just felt really weird to have a guy laughing with those lyrics. The cover of House of Rising Sun was a bit too mellow for me.
Beautiful world music with a very nice, chill, light-hearted vibe. Some songs are real gems
no me convence. Incluso me resulto un poco agoviante para los oidos 5/10
Really nice relaxing tone to her voice, enjoyed listening to the album even though nothing like my style of music, but unlikely to listen again
Meh, not as bad as I thought it might be
Before today, I've never heard of Miriam Makeba. She was a South African jazz singer, similar to Nina Simone or Billie Holiday. A lot of her music is sung in her native language, with a few in English. One song in particular called One More Dance was sung with Charles Colman. This song was about a wife sleeping around on her husband while he dies at home. The whole song features Charles laughing while singing, which is a bit odd. The most amusing lyric he said was " Darling go home, your husband is dead".... And then burst out laughing..... Lol. Miriam's voice is beautiful, and her version of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" called Mbube is fantastic! There is a lot of sing, and repeat type vocalizations that took place throughout. Miriam was important in bringing afropop to the world stage. Overall, a great album, and not one I would have ever discovered on my own. These albums are what this generator is all about. Favourite songs: The Naughty Little Flea, Mbube, The Click Song, Lakutshon' Ilanga, Holilili, House of the Rising Sun Least favourite songs: Where Does it Lead 4/5
This is certainly a different and interesting album. The click song really stood out among the rest as I've never heard anything like it in music before. The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Mbube) was surprising. She's got a great singing voice and some of the songs actually were actually impactful like "Where Does It Lead?". "One More Dance" is just strange. Why is he struggling to hold back his laughter? I'll probably wont revisit this again even though it had some good moments.
It's so nice to get a break from Brit rock. I enjoyed listening to this. Miriam has a great voice and this was a pleasant selection of songs. The incontrollable laughter from her duet partner on "One More Dance" made me laugh, too.
Mbube is seriously kicking in some Lion King Vibes to me!! I enjoyed some of the songs! I dont think this is something I'd listen to normally but it was an enjoyable listen.
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.
Wow...Makeba's style reminds me of Edith Piaf, in that her soulful expressions drew me in and gave me goosebumps, even though I rarely understood a word. Lovely. Just lovely.
There's a passion in her voice that I like. Also shout out to what appears to be the inspiration for some Lion King songs?
Cool record from a culture who’s music I need to pay more attention to. Really all cultures who don’t play mostly English-speaking music. Very beautiful voice and downbeat instrumentation. Gonna need more relistens for sure
By turns, fun, moving, entertaining, stirring. What a voice. What a life.
I'm guessing I'm not the only one who'd heard "The Click Song" before this, but the rest of the album was new to me. Not something I'd ever throw on myself, but I wouldn't mind if it was playing.
I don't like world music. Sure, she's got a lovely voice, but this isn't enjoyable.
Miriam Makeba has a beautiful voice. It's just not really my style.
Fantastic african vibes. The click song was a favourite.
Undoubtedly a great singer, but I can't hear anything on this album that stands comparison with Pata Pata. It's the sort of album that you feel you ought to listen to and like, but am finding it hard work and now want to listen to something entirely different
So this is a change of pace. I've never heard of this artist or album, unlike the first two which I know really well. Funnily enough, the first two were VMP Essentials and after listening to this, I'm surprised this hasn't been a VMP Classics pick. It seems right up their alley. With that being said, if it was a Classics pick, it would be more along the lines of those I listen to once and never reach for again. As others have commented, the material is a little all over the map between African and more Western Jazz standards. The strongest material is the more African material that is unique and shows off her chops, but there's just not enough of it. Some of the other tunes on this like The Naughty Little Flea and One More Dance are dated and I don't need to ever hear again. She's a talented artist for sure, but I just don't find this album all that strong.
Enjoyed the album and the history, but I do think the history of Miriam and where this album takes her outweighs the album itself. Taken on its own merits it seemed a product of the time (outside of the context of history).
A few incredible songs that highlight her voice. But the album is peppered with too many English songs that lack the fire she otherwise has in her performances.
I have never heard of Miriam Makeba before today, and I was really enjoying the first half of this album, but I think the tracks in Xhosa are a lot better than the ones in English. I'd probably put this one as a 3 but I'll have to dig deeper on her as I was really liking a few of the tracks.
There's still a number of non-English musical genres I'm still unaccustomed to, including African music & the work of Miriam Makeba, so this was a really insightful listen and Miriam herself is a great singer, even if the music itself didn't really hold my interest outside of a few songs. 3/5 fav: The Click Song worst: One More Dance
Very excited. Never heard of this artist, always up for some international music. The singing is beautiful on this album. As are the melodies. I hope to spend lots of time with it. The English songs are not as successful as the ones in her native language but a good listen all the way around.
Beautiful voice, her life is an incredible story worth reading about. It's hard to get into though, different cultures, languages, experiences, but I do appreciate the skill and craft of the songs. 3 stars.
Makeba's songs are better than the ones written by other folks. I want to punch The Naughty Little Flea in the face. Not the flea, just the song. There are other songs that are equally cloying. House of the Rising Sun and Mbube are important bits of cultural DNA, but Iya Guduza is the real banger.
Interesting hearing songs from South Africa but not massively my kinda music
Not for me ! 2*
Another one that I found hard to actually track down as a full album but got the general gist. It was fine but I wouldn't go out of my way...
Not my cup of tea
What a voice! Songs from brilliant to corny, but her voice makes it 4 stars
Pleasant. But no something I would choose to listen to.
No idea what was being said but I still enjoyed the music, I've saved a few into a world playlist, don't think I'll listen to it as a whole again but I had fun listening. Favourite track The click song.
Beautiful haunting voice Found out about her. Fascinating woman.more research and listening needed. Just beautiful.
Gefühlvolles Album - aber absolut nicht meine Musikrichtung.
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.
Sensational. Xhosa is such a beautiful language.
Really worthwhile album. Starts off with an incredibly powerful and sustained note that lets you know what you’re in for. I was let down a little by the cover of “House of the Rising Sun” and was very disturbed by “One More Dance”, but otherwise pleasantly surprised since I probably would not have found this on my own.
no va una mierda
Very different from the standard this website got me used to, but, alas, somewhat boring and dated.
"Miriam Makeba" is the self-tiltled debut album by South African singer, songwriter, actress and civil rights activist Miriam Makeba. The music style is classified as Afropop, jazz and world music. I'd also add calypso/carribbean (which actually is orginally based in Western Africa). Along with her incredible voice and range, the variety of style is a strength of this album. In 1959, Miriam sang the lead-female role in the Brodway-inspired South African jazz opera "King Kong." That helped her get signed to RCA Victor and record this album. Despite critical acclaim, this album commercially did poorly; her career would, thankfully, flourish in the mid to late 60's. About half the songs are sung in her native Xhosa language. Miriam's strong vocals begin "The Retreat Song." Just a guitar and great backing vocals by the Belafonte Folk Singers. A more South African sounding song Miriam wrote sung in Xhosa. "The Click Song" is a traditional song of the Xhosa people sung at weddings to bring good fortune. Another distinctive South African sounding song, again with great lead and backing vocals. I did like the clicking sounds imitating the darkling beetles which the song is named after. Another great cover song is her version of the 1939 Solomon Linda "Mbube." I'm like I've heard this before. Yes, it's what "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" was based. The Chad Mitchell Trio joins adding to a very busy and fun song. The album starts to incorporate more styles in the second half. She sings "The Naughty Little Flea" in English. The style is more in Calypso Carribbean. The Belafonte Folk Singers add to the backing vocals again. We have a flute too. Another cover in "The House of the Rising Sun." Miriam really goes slow, soft, jazzy, piano bar here. An interesting version. Towards the ends, she teams up with Charles Carl Carter (I believe) in "One More Dance" which I'd call a comedy song. Let's have one more dance before I go home to my old, dead husband. I like it. This is a beautiful sounding album with Miriam and all her backing vocal collaborators. It's not hard to see why she became successful. This was a fun album to listen to a Monday morning.
A beautiful voice and a huge force for change in South Africa at the height of apartheid.
A little bit too old-fashioned. Would not listen again
I enjoyed her sound She has a great voice and it was a nice change from the recent albums.
Good sound overall
Miriam Makeba is a jazz singer from South Africa. Makeba is specifically singing Marabi, a form of jazz from Southern Africa that takes from the traditional music of the region. Makeba would make music in the United States after political tensions from the apartheid caused her passport to be cancelled. Unable to return to her home country, she would continue to make music in tandem with her political activism, as Makeba was fiercely against the apartheid. Thanks to her popularity from her music, she was able to raise awareness on the political issues in South Africa. This would be a cause that she would champion for years, all the way up to the 90's when Mandela was released from prison, negotiated the end of apartheid, and eventually became President of South Africa. Historically rich, but what of the music? It's incredible, for the most part. The more traditional-sounding songs, particularly the ones sung in Xhosa and Zulu, are endlessly interesting. The greatest thing this album as to offer, aside from Makeba's wonderful voice, is the unique showcase of culture. To learn and appreciate the music from another part of the world is exciting and enriching, and there's quit e a bit here to enjoy. However, perhaps to make it more appealing to a western audience, there are some English-language songs that aren't quite as interesting. The Naughty Little Flea and One More Dance don't quite fit, in my opinion. However, her rendition of House of the Rising Sun is incredible. A great album that is held back by weak points, I think that Miriam Makeba's album is a lovely experience nonetheless.
Makeba saa aina hyvälle tuulelle! Kauhean miellyttävä lauluääni minusta. Levyn loppu kyllä vähän lopahtaa, se naureskelubiisi on liikaa.
Kuulostaa ihan miellyttävältä, mutta tässä on tarkoituksena esitellä laulajaa, ei kappaleita.
a perfect summer album personal favourites: [Where Does It Lead?] [Olilili] [House of the Rising Sun] [Lakutshn, Ilanga]
Well made for the time and genre, but not for me. 2/5
Good, not sure if revisit. The click song is incredible. Also, Mbube
Pata Pata kenne ich noch aus Schulzeiten...
Warm and joyful. A delight.
Who knew that this contained the original catchy song that would later be featured in The Lion King film? Overall, the music is tribal at times with aggressive beats and background ensembles providing pivotal highs and near ominous lows a la a capella. The real kicker here is that Miriam's lead vocal is a literal lead as she and the BGVs complement each other in a remarkably pleasing way. Admittedly, this is way outside the personal cultural atmosphere but it was a welcome journey. Miriam's vocals were strong, delivered with passion, and more incredibly her pitch was near perfect too. While the style is certainly unique to Africa in general, the hope is that this review can encourage anyone to give this an open minded listen.
Loved
I wasn't super into it but it's not bad. The singing is really nice.
Switched to Bladee
Interesting enough
Det är på grund av sånt här jag vill hålla på med detta projekt. så mysigt!
Amazing, like judy garland
You can’t tell me this didn’t bop. Didn’t understand most of what ahe said. Loved it. 4/5
Would listen again. Really liked this album even though I didn’t understand most of the songs it’s a lovely listen
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.
Enjoyable. She has a great voice and it was interesting hearing where The Lion Sleeps Tonight came from.
I kinda enjoyed this.. the stands out were the Click Song, and Mbube and Naughty Little Flea. Just a really nice laid back listen for the most part.
i couldnt get into this one
Mmeh
This was a sweet and beautiful album. Ive come to realise i greatly enjoy african music
All I know is that listening to this bought me out of a rubbish mood.
She's an amazing vocalist. High quality musicianship on this.
Not my style
VERY good I really loved this
I enjoyed that
En ollut kuunnellut tällaista aiemmin. Ihan hyviä kappaleita, ja hieno lauluääni! Joissakin kappaleissa oli myös hyvä sanoma, kuten: What Is Love. Muita hyviä: Ring Bell, Ring Bell ja Saduva.
Tosi kivaa vaihtelua siihen, mitä normaalisti tulee kuunneltua. Tykkäsin tosi paljon Miriamin äänestä ja tästä koko levystä tuli jotenkin tosi hyvä mieli :) Ainut kappale, josta en ehkä erityisemmin pitänyt, oli One More Dance. Suosikkeja: The Click Song, Mbube, Saduva
Miriam Makeba's self-titled album was an interesting listen. It was good to hear some 'world music' representation in this list, however similarly to a lot of other albums, it's not one of my favourites. With a sound that is akin to lounge singers or singers that would have performed at a club/dance hall, backed by a large jazz band, back in the 50's and 60s. Best: Where Does It Lead Worst: One More Dance
Wow, that's quite a voice was my first impression. Not my usual fare but I thoroughly enjoyed this. I had not heard of Miriam Makeba before this album came up but talking to my South African in-laws I learned a little more about her. She sounds like an inspiring woman in addition to her obvious talent. Really glad this came up and gave me to opportunity to listen and learn.
“Mama Africa” brings the songs of her homeland South Africa to the rest of the world. This whimsical collection of songs showcases her Everly and beautiful clear voice.
Not into this
Stellar voice. I liked all of this, though it has some of those wacky choices world music type offerings of its era sometimes display - the little sociological commentary before the Click Song, or that odd duet with the laughing man.
canzoni molto belle, voce perfetta, canzoni diverse e che trasmetotno emozioni bello
Rilassante, carina. un po' troppo da ninna nanna
This was a great listen, a little naffly westernised in places but she has a fantastic voice. Solid three stars.
This was a total vibe! Very enjoyable, vibrant performances. Solid album.
great album to end the week on. Always a fan of great voices like this in languages I am unfamiliar with. There's always a magic about those songs.
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
This was okay in the sense that it was sometimes entertaining but overall I had no idea what this was. A totally different culture of music and language. Not saying it’s bad but just not something I could properly judge. 2.0/10
Went in expecting to dislike it. But the singing ability is fantastic and can tell the meaning is special even if I can’t understand what is said
Okay I liked this one. But I thought the first 5 songs were better than what followed. I especially liked it because of the quality of the background vocals, whenever those appeared; just magical. See "Holilili" At times it reminded me of the Tiki Room show at Disneyland lol Also "Mbube" was definitely on that Classical Baby show I used to watch as a kid
Fabulous voice. Enjoyed the African harmonies and rhythms.
Nice
Beautiful
Calming, island/African sound, jazzy tunes. All of the songs are quite short. Great album to listen to if you are cooking breakfast on a Sunday morning. I definitely will give this album a listen again in the future.
I am obsessed with the dress she's wearing; they really nailed the cover art. Miriam Makeba puts a lot of emotion into her singing, much of which is upbeat. Her lovely voice and cheerful tone combined with the short unusual songs flying result in a charming listening experience.
Another blindspot in my musical knowledge (and she has a big back catalog) She has a magical voice. Stripped down songs of life from South Africa. I like a lot of it...especially the slower ones.
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.
Would never have a reason to come across this if not for the list. Loved it.
Beautiful voice
Wow! Miriam Makeba posses the voice of an angel. Some lovely jazz-tinged songs here; some in English, many in what I assume is her native tongue. Standouts for me Mbube, The Click Song and a a lovely rendition of House of the Rising Son. Very happy to have discovered this album. 3.5 stars
I don't have the sentiment, but the vibes are chilly
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
3.5 I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. Short of the middle parts that were a little draggy. When it was grooving I thought it was really grooving and I could find myself vibing with a lot of these songs in the future.
2 Having never heard of Miriam Makeba, I found her life story to be incredibly interesting and tragic, and I’m glad to have learned about her through this list. That being said, while she has a beautiful voice, I didn’t find the album to be particularly musically interesting, and I’m not sure if I would re-visit. Her rendition of House of Rising Sun was cool, though Charles Coleman made me uncomfortable on One More Dance. Favorite songs: House of the Rising Sun, Mbube
Hot take: I really love moments like One More Dance. The two singers are clearly having fun and it makes the record feel more human. Laughter is a very universal language that speaks to anyone, especially in a semi foreign language like this album. Overall, this is a record that you need to grow on you. Miriam is such an undeniable talented singer. Even though half of the album is in english, the parts that arent are able to be told though universal emotions like love, loss, tradition, is a pretty good feat. I wish I could give this a 3.5 so im split on a 3 or a 4 star. This album deserves a bit more love though
traditional and happy-go-lucky old school choruses. the sound of sitting in a cafe in South Africa on a cozy and listening to unusually proficient live music.
Why is this on the list. It's not bad though.
One of the greatest African singers of all times. Good music but I like her later music better. Great example of how you get better with the years.
Beautiful
fun and funky
Not really my cup of tea.
Lovely jazzy bluesy tunes with some powerful vocals. I could do without the novelty songs, but I'll be coming back to The Retreat Song, Lakutshon ILanga, Mbube, Where Does It Lead, and others.
Some beautiful singing, but just not really my thing.
Very interesting and uplifting
Lovely album with great vocals
Not by style
I had never heard of Miriam Makeba before listening to this album, which is sort of shocking because she was incredibly important both as a musician and as an activist for more than 50 years. She has a wonderful voice--she's capable of conveying a huge emotional range, which is especially impressive when the listener (me) can't understand the lyrics and has to go on tone and expression alone. "Liwa Wechi" was easily my favourite track. Haunting and lovely. My low rating is simply because world music rarely does it for me. I really wish I enjoyed it more because I know that I am probably missing out on so much.
No quiero sonar bien mamón pero no me gusta como esos momentos que suena mal algunas canciones, entiendo que son antiguas pero meh, pero no deja que sea bonito este álbum. :) 6.5/10
Amumbawe amumbawe amumbawe En la jungla, tan imponente, El leon rey duerme ya, En la jungla, tan imponente, El león rey duerme ya Procede a cagarse de risa.
voz potente, bastante bello la vdd
Not my kind of music but it's pretty. 3 stars.
Takes me back to the 60s, South West Africa, parties, dancing. I LOVE Miriam Makeba
Veldig kult! Funket ypperlig som bakgrunnsmusikk mens vi spiste frokost. Eva danset med armene, så 4/5 fra oss.
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.
Nope
Will definitely be coming back to this album
i didnt save my notes from before. this is a really nice album to listen to.
Great album really gets you moving
Great
This was interesting & enjoyable, but I doubt I'd ever want to listen to it again.
Not my thing
Good stuff, but I can honestly say that it's unlikely to enter rotation.
Quite enjoyable.
Really nice. Strong and beautiful vocals with nice instrumentals
Such an incredible voice, and I loved this a lot more than I was expecting to, as I had never explored this genre of music before - there were a couple songs that I wasn't really into but the majority was really great
This gets better as it goes along and reading about her and her life puts it into perspective. Her infuence isn't just musical. A wide range of African songs, jazz songs and calypso (I guess that's Harry Belafonte's influence). Her voice is spectacular.
Quelle énorme frustration d'entendre Miriam Makeba fredonner l'air du lion étant mort ce soir-là sans jamais annoncer la triste nouvelle, obligeant ainsi son audience à rester dans le déni le plus total. Et je ne parle même pas du morceau One More Dance dans lequel Makeba reçoit un Carlito hilare, incapable de chanter la moindre note. Comme sur l'interlude de son album avec Mcfly.
J'a failli mettre 4 pour cet album pourtant prehistorique. Seulement, les sud africanaiseries déblatérées tout au long de l'album ont fini par me destabiliser, j'accorde donc un très gros 3/5.
Pretty good, but questionable (e.g. the laughing in the song that is about a man dying).
This is definitely not my type of my music, I would never listen to this on my own. Two stars just because she does have a beautiful voice.
this was really neat! honestly my favorite track was the second to last one where the guy is slowly losing his shit, but overall this was album was cool and i want to see more like it!!
It’s a privilege to be introduced to Miriam Makeba and to recognise the powerful impact she made fighting apartheid and sharing South Africa’s story across the globe. Makeba’s vocals are beautiful and she is a genuine entertainer who, judging from this record, knew how to keep her audiences engaged. Deftly spinning from traditional South African songs to a kick ass cover of House of the Rising Sun, clearly she could make any song her own.
It was fun to hear something from a completely different era and part of the world than I'm used to. That ended up being its biggest downfall for me however, because I simply couldn't find much of anything to connect to as I listened. It's difficult to rate something like this, but my lasting impression is that I'm glad I heard it but I'm in no hurry to listen to it again.
catchy easy listening beach vibes
Nope. Just no.
nah
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.
Wonderful! A terrific voice and variety of styles. Very very enjoyable. More please!
This was a nice change of pace… smooth and enjoyable. Interesting that an artist from Apartheid South Africa had an album out in 1960 in the US. It was fun recognizing a few songs like Mbube and The House of the Rising Sun. Nice!
Honestly annoying ngl
this would sound fine if i was watching the lion king but i’m not
it was.. interesting
4.2 - Delightful. A beautiful, soaring voice set over a tasteful, minimal jazz ensemble with some fun backing vocals. Standouts: “The Click Song”, “Mbube”, “The Naughty Little Flea.”
Perfect album bij warme temperaturen. Leuke mix van Engels en verschillende Afrikaanse talen
Cool voice, cool songs, thats all i can really say. Not something id instantly switch to, but was definitely a cool experience to listen to, especially some of the songs that were sang in Xhosa (the click language of SA).
Not for me, reminds me of lazy hippies.
Top songs: The Click Song, Lakutshon' Ilanga, Where Does It Lead, House of the Rising Sun, Iya Guduza VERY cool album. Not something I would have thought to listen to, but definitely enjoyed it. The House of the Rising Sun cover is a really neat interpretation of the song. 3.5/5
What a gem! Really glad I got to discover this amazing artist.
Classic slice of time, incredible voice and unique narrative perspective. A la Ella Fitzgerald. Naughty Little Flea top 10.
Fresh and sweet
South African album with a healthy dose of English and a cover of house of the rising sun. Vibrato and dynamics are awesome and the music did a good job of overcoming the language barrier
Rating: 7/10
Interesting album
This was really nice. 3 stars.
C’est vraiment cool ça. Beau mélange de style et de culture. House of the rising sun est de trop sur cet album.
Je n’ai pas eu le temps de terminer cet album, mais j’ai aimé ce que j’ai entendu. Je vais assurément y revenir et je suis content d’avoir fait cette écoute.
Comfy. "One More Dance" had me cracking up.
These are fantastic songs. I liked e.g. the guitar in Saduva.
Now THIS is the kind of stuff I was expecting to find in the list. There is no way a middle class WASP from Jersey would have ever found this album growing up. Having said that, I really enjoyed it. Listened through it twice in a row. The only song I found annoying was “One More Dance.” I thought Charles Coleman’s laughing was annoying throughout the song; like a stand- up laughing at a joke before he finishes telling it. The interpretation of “House of the Rising Sun” was pretty daring, particularly in 1960. I cannot imagine a lot of singers putting themselves out there like that. I checked on this so I would not feel dumb: “Mbube” means lion. So it’s only natural that song sounds a lot like “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.” I imagine “Mbube” came first and was… shall we say, “appropriated…?” Definitely an album I will come back to, a nice change of pace for me.
Another one of those albums I appreciate being on the 1,001 list because I'd otherwise never run across it. Similar to the recent Nyro album where it's mainly about the strong vocals of the female artist. Miriam Makeba's voice is not quite as captivating as Laura Nyro's, but it was still an enjoyable listen (except for One More Dance - WTF was the point of the laughing?). Not sure if I'm going back for more though.
A pretty good album overall and a hodgepodge of different moods throughout from the somber “Umhome” and “Olilili” to the humorous “The Naughty Little Flea” and “One More Dance.” She has an amazingly rich voice, and the songs were a good listen but not something I could see myself coming back to often.
Pleasant album, but not sure I needed to hear it before I die. Most fun part was hearing "Mbube" and saying, "hey! That's The Lion Sleeps Tonight!" Turns out "Mbube" means "lion" and the original song was written in 1939 by Solomon Linda (a capella song - check it out on YouTube). And, of course, typical for the music industry, American record companies ripped it off and barely paid him a cent (check out the Wikipedia entry - Pete Seeger tried to share his royalties with Solomon Linda but the publisher never sent the payments). I also learned that "wimoweh" is a mispronunciation of "uyimbube" which means "you are a lion." You learn something new every day. Back to Miriam Makeba, pleasant album, don't need to hear it again. That's a 3.
Miriam Makeba is full of charm and undeniable style but it's not something that appeals to my ear. 2/5.
She's got a great voice, and it doesn't sound dated despite being 60+ years old. That said, I really didn't enjoy it, it's not my style of music at all, so it gets a 2.
2/5 not my style
Well this was profoundly uninteresting.
Incredible voice, amazing songs. This is why I love this site. I would never have had the joy of listening to this album without it.
Very beautiful, very interesting
This album really goes from the sublime to the ridiculous.
She was great
Fun album, but maybe makes too many concessions to trying to attract the English language market at the time. One More Dance is super strange too. I really like the guitar and deep makes backing vocals. 6/10
Enchanting
Something to sleep to but gotta skip One More Dance cuz it’s creepy.
Enjoyed it.
I previously, haven't listened to much African music and I actually had never listened to anything from Miriam Makeba. First impressions, her voice is amazing and beautiful and I was pleasantly surprised by her talent. The more I've read about her, the more I want to listen to more of her music. Thank you for putting her into my musical stratosphere. Very enjoyable!
i hope shes a 4! No this is probably a 5 star album.
Was expecting to give this a "Nice but not for me" but got super into her melodies and beautiful voice, very different from my usual thing in every way and loved it.
Délicieux, rappelle l'album Calypso de Belafonte, même si les deux correspondent à des aires culturelles différentes. La clé de cette ressemblance vient peut-être de l'arrangeur, le franco-américain aux racines canadiennes-françaises Robert de Cromier Jr, alias Bob Corman. On a donc là un cas intéressant à étudier : trois artistes liés à la décolonisation, produisant des oeuvres magiques pour le compte du dominant anglo-saxon.
Interesting and certainly something I wouldn't have listened to otherwise. It's just tough for me to engage without a lot of added context that I don't have. It's enjoyable though.
Not my usual, but gorgeous performance.
This was fantastic. Her vocals are amazing and the background is beautiful. I didn’t like the track with the guy laughing as he sang, but I’m sure that’s just personal taste.
About half way through this album I was going to give this album 3 stars on the vocal talent alone; the second half changed all of that. Tracks like “Mbube” and “The Nasty Little Flea” filled this album out nicely.
And that’s where “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” was misappropriated from, sweetheart! Snarkiness aside, I liked most of this and loved some of it.
Interesting listen. Seemed like at least one of the songs was maybe a traditional song that served as the inspiration to A Lion Sleeps Tonight.
A mix of folk music, do wop ballads and South African folk music. It's a pretty eclectic mix. Best Tracks: Mbube; Where Does It Lead; House of the Rising Sun