French singer resurrects 'Mama Africa'

Mama Africa Miriam Makeba's beat is going global again, thanks to a young French singer.

Musician Jain has released a music video titled Makeba.

The video, released last week, has attracted more than 750,000 views on YouTube.

Makeba, a singer and civil rights activist best known for the song Pata Pata, played a key role in popularising African music internationally.

In a post on Facebook, Jain wrote: "Miriam Makeba's songs have always followed me through the countries where I lived. By her strength and her voice, she became for me a symbol. It is a symbolic clip, where South Africa is put forward, where art and rhythm are mixed, and where cultures are in harmony. Greg and Lio, the two directors, knew perfectly how to capture this.

"It is also a personal meeting with South African artists around the music. Viva Mama Africa!

"Her voice is part of my childhood. In Paris I discovered that a lot of my friends knew nothing about her. I found that sad so I wrote the song. The idea was to modernise Miriam Makeba so people my age might search her out," said Jain in a biography on her website.

The 24-year-old singer-songwriter released her first album, Zanaka, in November 2015.

The music video, which was filmed in South Africa, features pantsula dancers, children playing on the street and local musicians.

In her song, Jain says, "Nobody can beat the Mama Africa. You follow the beat that she's gonna give you. I need a smile you can love."