Singer Somi Kakoma, who is set to launch her album Zenzile: The Reimagination of Miriam Makeba on Sunday, wants to honour the late music legend and celebrate her memory.
American-born singer, who uses her first name Somi as her stage moniker, landed in SA on Wednesday to prepare for the show. She has promised music lovers a great time as she share the stage with local stars in a 90-minute set.
Somi launched the album last week at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem, New York, where Makeba had her first performance.
Makeba died in 2008 while performing in Italy. The album was recorded in 2019 and released on March 4, which would have been Makeba’s 90th birthday.
The album features Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Gregory Porter, Angelique Kidjo, Msaki, Thandiswa Mazwai, Seun Kuti and Nduduzo Makhathini.
In celebrating the rich legacy of Makeba, Kakoma will be joined by Mazwai, Msaki, Nduduzo Makhathini and Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse at the SA State Theatre in Pretoria.
“It was so important for me to bring this project honouring Mama Miriam back to the very place she called home. I'm deeply indebted to so many SA artists and friends who have held my hand through and to this moment.
“From early conversations with uBabu (father) Hugh Masekela when I started thinking about making this project seven years ago to the generous offerings of the SA special guests on the album who stand firmly in her lineage and have taught me so much through their own work.
“So many people have supported, taught and reminded me of how her voice and legacy was and is truly pan-African. That home-grown SA support is what gave me courage to try to locate her voice inside of my own and I am deeply grateful,” said the 40-year-old singer.
“I am looking forward to sharing the stage will all guest artists, especially uncle Sipho Mabuse that I was fortunate to meet long time ago. He is a legend in SA and also was very close to Mama Miriam Makeba.”
Asked about the artists featured in the album, Somi said she chose people that were friends and people who were in her community of artists.
“I have Thandiswa, Msaki and Nduduzo because they have been working hard and supportive to me. It was an honour for me to work with Ladysmith Black Mambazo because they have also toured with Miriam Makeba. I have added Angelic Kidjo because I wanted that pan-African spirit that she represents.
“Angelique also had a relationship with Mama Miriam in her own journey. I added Gregory to represent the alliance that he established for global black community between the Africans and African-Americans.”
Born Laura Kabasomi Kakoma in Champaign, Illinois, where her Ugandan family had moved as her academic father was completing postdoctoral studies, she grew up listening to Makeba’s music. She started thinking about celebrating Makeba’s legacy when she died.
The singer said she was shocked that when Makeba died, she was not celebrated in the US. As a result, she organised a small event inviting a few people including Paul Simon and Harry Belafonte who ended performing at the event.
“What really pushed me to do the project was discovering how Mama Miriam was an incredible, generous artist. Her voice and her generosity pushed me to do this. When she died I felt she was not celebrated the way she deserved to. I went through her 50-year catalogue and started interrogating what she went through socially, culturally and politically at the time she composed the songs.
“This album is my attempt to honour the unapologetic voice of an African woman who inevitably made room for my own journey and countless other African artists. In short, I owe her. We all do. I am deeply thankful to the Miriam Makeba estate, Miriam Makeba Foundation and Mama Africa Cultural and Social Trust for their support and permission to create this work.”
Somi has also created a musical theatre production which is based on the life of Makeba, titled Dreaming Zenzile.
The production toured the US last year and is set to open off Broadway in New York City in June.
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