Nelson Mandela Mourns 'Mother of South Africa's struggle' Miriam Makeba

South Africa's first lady of song Miriam Makeba has died at the age of 76 year's, after performing a concert in Italy. Former South African President Nelson Mandela pays tribute to the singing legend.

'She was the "mother of our struggle" and "South Africa's first lady of song". Her haunting melodies gave voice to the pain of exile, she.. richly deserved the title of 'Mama Afrika'. Her music inspired a powerful sense of hope in all of us. Even after she returned home she continued to use her name to make a difference by mentoring musicians and supporting struggling young women'.

Mr Mandela said. Miriam Makeba was the first black African woman to win a Grammy Award, which she shared with Harry Belafonte in 1965. Miriam Makeba was forced into exile after her passport was revoked because of starring in an anti-apartheid documentary and and only returned to South Africa after Nelson Mandela was released from prison in 1990. Her singing career started in the 1950's mixing jazz with traditional songs. In 1959 she found international attention during a tour of the United States, where she performed for President JF Kennedy at his birthday party in 1962. It was during her exile in the US that she released her most famous songs, Pata Pata and the Click Song. Miriam was African music's first world star blending different styles long before the phrase "world music" was around. She sang about things that surrounded her.

'Our surroundings have always been that of suffering from apartheid and the racism that exists in our country. So our music has to be affected by all that'.

She said. Miriam Makeba 1932 Born Johannesburg, South Africa 1959 Stars in the jazz opera King Kong and anti-apartheid film Come Back, Africa, with Harry Belafonte. 1960 Barred from South Africa. 1963 Testifies against apartheid at the United Nations. 1966 Becomes the first African woman to win a Grammy award. 1968 Married Black Panther Stokely Carmichael and moves to Guinea. 1985 Moves to Brussels after her child Bongi dies in childbirth. 1990 Returns to South Africa after personal request from Nelson Mandela. 2005 Begins a "farewell tour" of the world that lasted 3 years. 2008 Dies in Caserta, Italy following a concert, aged 76 years. In 1963 Miriam appeared before the UN Special Committee on Apartheid calling for an international boycott of South Africa. The then South African government banned her records, including her top songs that received world wide recognition. Miriam Makeba sang for King George VI when he visited South Africa with his family, when she was just 14 years old. She also appeared on Paul Simon's Graceland tour in 1987 in Zimbabwe. Miriam Makeba spent 30 years in exile, but never stopped loving her home country, of which she spoke about often. Although she announced her retirement 3 years ago, she carried on singing and performing. Doing what she loved to do. It's a tragedy that due to the narrow mindedness of the previous government she was forced into exile, living away from her adored country. Her body arrived back on home soil to-day. It is what she would have wanted. Funeral arrangements still have to be announced. To listen to Miriam Makeba and Paul Simon - Under African Skies http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLVhjdzEszU