We all enjoy listening to songs.
They are short and simple to understand. They give us energy and uplift our moods. They teach us about life and the beauty of our world. They show us the value of self-expression and artistic endeavours. Songs are priceless in our lives.
African songs have a special rhythm to them that urges you to dance, and dance, and dance. They make you forget the world around you.
Without effort, you lose yourself into the beats and drums. You embrace the effortless cry of freedom singers, freedom fighters, freedom lovers.
Without effort you loosen your body to the beat and let the energy of the drums engulf you, carry you away.
They make you question the world around you. They make you feel. Feel, feel the rhythm. The rhythm of nature and life. They make you live. See. Breathe. Be alive.
They nurture your soul; they nature you; they make you feel alive. They fill you with life, strong pulsating life, precious life. The drums and your heart all beat in unison. You feel alive.
They are easy to remember too.
Meet 3 South African singers that are household names on the continent. Their songs are valued for their musical quality and the messages they carry.
# 1: Miriam Makeba (fondly known as Mama Africa)
- We Got To Make It (By Miriam Makeba) lyrics to download
- Read about Myriam Makeba.
- Watch another interview.
- Miriam’s most popular song.
# 2 : Yvonne Chaka Chaka, or the “Princess of Africa”
- Motherland by Yvonne Chaka Chaka (South Africa) lyrics to download
- Learn more about the Princess of Africa
- I Cry for Freedom, another hit song
- Interview: The Strength of a Woman
# 3 : Brenda Fassie, affectionately called the “Queen of African Pop”
- Too Late for Mama (By Brenda Fassie) lyrics to download
- Brenda Fassie: A very human hero
- Read more about Brenda Fassie
- Watch Brenda Fassie singing for Nelson Mandela
“The world is like a Mask dancing. If you want to see it well, you do not stand in one place.”
~Chinua Achebe, Arrow of God, 1964, p. 46.