Google celebrates Mama Afrika Miriam Makeba

04 March 2013 - 15:32 By Times LIVE
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Google is celebrating Miriam Makeba's birthday with a Google doodle.

Makeba, affectionately known as Mama Afrika, would have celebrated her 81st birthday today, March 4, 2013.

The singer, actress and activist was born in Johannesburg in 1932, and was known for songs such as Pata Pata and the Click Song.

Career highlights included singing JFK and the Pope.

A keen activist, Makeba was a citizen of the world, who for a while had her South African citizenship revoked, having testified against apartheid at the UN. In her life, she held nine passports, and was granted honorary citizenship in ten countries.

In 1966 she became the first African artist to win a Grammy Award for her album with Harry Belafonte, An Evening With Belafonte/Makeba.

Makeba died at the age of 76 in 2008 after suffering a heart attack after a performance in Italy.

She is considered part of the backbone of South African music, and is respected, not only in the local music industry, but all over the world.

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