Miriam Makeba's granddaughter, singer Zenzi Makeba, will commemorate her grandmother's life with a tribute show.
Zenzi will give a show on May 27 at Leano Restaurant & Live Music as part of several tribute events lined up to honour Makeba's legacy before the anniversary of her death on November 9 2008.
“It's a celebration of her life. She gave herself entirely through the music and through what she stood for. She must be remembered as Mama Africa,” Zenzi told TshisaLIVE.
The singer plans to sing some of the songs her grandmother sang, some written by her mother, and other traditional songs Makeba learnt from her grandmother and passed down to Zenzi.
“Singing their music helps me connect with them in that wind, that's what reminds me they are still here, that their spirits live on. More than just a legacy, it's about keeping those spirits alive and us learning from those spirits so we can impart on to the next generation. Music is about sharing, so I hope everybody feels that energy
Zenzi was eight years old when she stepped on stage during Makeba's performance in Holland, Michigan, joining her as she sang Pata Pata.
“My mother, grandmother and great-grandmother may not be here physically, but I know spiritually I can feel them in the wind.
“I was always on tour and backstage. The legacy is something I was born into. The show is the journey of my own life of music I heard, not just her songs, but my mother and grandmother too. We're threading the old and the new to tell a story. It's really from the heart. The point is for them to remember in love and respect.”
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