PITY poor Miriam “Mama Africa” Makeba!

… The legend and internationally renowned artiste not being able to perform the way she should.

It was clear that her bones were no longer responding to the rigours of the stage life.

Her powerful voice was still intact, but she seemed to be struggling with a hip ailment, the 74-year-old entertainer minus her walking stick, hobbled through her one-hour performance trying at times to take a shake which she failed to execute.

The second half of the show, which got going way past her bedtime after midnight on a rainy night, belonged to the accomplished singer and her band.

Last Monday night, the hundreds who defied the inclement weather and attended the show held at the Jean Pierre Complex witnessed her first performance in TnT in over three decades.

Great as she is, icon as she is, Mama Africa should have been left where she was, although patrons couldn’t get enough of her music.

After all they grew up popular classics like Malaika, Sndiza, Illanga, Africa is my Home and of course The Click Song which she performed after she exited the stage and the crowd began calling her back to sing it.

Today Mama Africa is still revered by millions who listened and loved her music, which told of pains, sufferings and the many struggles growing up in apartheid South Africa.

She still stirs the emotions of the Diaspora.

Mama Africa represented courage and epitomised the true qualities of the black woman and that’s why today she is still considered the best.

Her name will sell tickets.

The Emancipation Support Committee (ESC) knowing that her music still meant alot to Afro Trini considered the much-weakened Makeba the ideal gift to the nation for emancipation celebrations.

Tickets were priced as high as $500 for VIP section, $250 and $150.

MIRIAM MAKEBA ...
hobbled through her
performance.

ELLA ANDALL ...
sang from her soul.

SINGING SANDRA ...
waved to the crowd.

Early birds bought tickets at $100.

In advertising the show “Three Queens in Concert” they used a deceptive photo of a great artiste.

It was that of a young Miriam Makeba all decked in her African garb, head tie and all.

Those who did not see a photo of her in years were very much disappointed.

The Makeba presented on stage that evening was an old woman, in the winter of her years “old age fat” and all, fighting to get through her performance.

It was a case of the committee dusting her off and bringing her all around the world to give a performance she was no longer capable of.

During her set she took several breaks so that she could rest her legs.

Mama Africa’s introduction of each band member was rather lengthy, clearly an attempt to wear on the time.

Members of her band including her back up singers each gave individual performances whether by way of musical interludes; vocals or dance and boy how talented are the members of her “musical family”.

She joked about it and she admitted it was important for her to rest at her age.

She also wondered aloud how at 74 years she was able to keep up with her more energetic and younger members of her band.

Mama Africa really did TnT a big favour coming here and she knew it.

The patrons that night also recognised that it was over.

The ESC didn’t do her health much justice by bringing her this far.

Her name and the occasion is what probably saved her from the harsh criticisms she would have faced had she been someone else.

Local queens Singing Sandra and Ella Andall each delivered soul stirring performances.