You'll want to dance. — One Red Chair Studio

As you listen to this Difference-Maker sing her most well-known song, I dare you to NOT tap your feet or get up and dance.

Miriam Makeba, , “Mama Africa,” was a South African singer, songwriter, UN Goodwill Ambassador, and civil rights activist. She brought African music to Western audiences and became a symbol of opposition to apartheid. Through her music, vocal insistence, and activism, she raised awareness of apartheid and played a significant role in the release of Nelson Mandela. She paired with Harry Belafonte and Paul Simon (the Graceland concert), among others. She was also directly critical of racial policies in the U.S. and for a time, her performances were boycotted. In her own South Africa, her music was banned and citizenship revoked. She was a style icon, wearing no make-up and refusing to straighten her hair for performances, helping to establish the Afro. She disapproved of skin-lightening products used by women in South Africa and rejected American notions of beauty.

I'm not a politician; I am a singer. Long ago, they said, 'That one, she sings politics.' I don't sing politics; I merely sing the truth.

Finally, on the side panel, I’ve put a video of “four females getting down and having fun” - with strings, no less - in a version of Pata Pata.

The “Hello” header is by me on the Procreate app, through an online tutorial by Teela Cunningham. The portrait was also done on Procreate.