Makeba’s marriage to Kwame Ture

This was stated by Asha Khambon yesterday, during the press conference held at the Courtyard Marriott to present the icon of South African music.

Makeba, who is in Trinidad for the Emancipation Day celebrations entered the conference with the aid of a walking stick. She spoke at length about her African people, especially the children, with an abundance of concern about them losing their sense of Africaness to Western cultures.

Now at 74, she said she’s been travelling since the 1950s performing, and even though her heart wants to go on, her bones are telling her “uh uh,” so she’s decided to slow down and try to perform for special occasions and for very special money.

Makeba then told of her “Makeba Centre for Girls” and her intention to work more with them. “A German company wants to build more homes like it so that is what I want to concentrate on when I’m home and not singing.” She lamented the fact that even though South Africa has a national flag, blacks still have to fight for economic independence.

Makeba also stated that given what the black South African young girls have to go through to support themselves, she speaks to them every day and advises them, “Think before you leap because HIV/Aids doesn’t discriminate.”

Mama Africa has used her international acclaim to speak out on the rights of women and children particularly those suffering from abuse, incest and HIV/Aids.

She said she also tells the girls, “Don’t be like me, I was married twice. Don’t do that!”

This prompted the question about her marriage to Trinidadian Stokeley Carmichael, who was later known as Kwame Ture, to which she answered, “That’s the best marriage I ever had; and we remained friends after it. I liked him because he was true to his beliefs, and he never sold out up till his death. He was the one who introduced the word Afro American. He was very smart.”

During the conference too, Makeba couldn’t help but sing a song that she said she always did when she felt alone. She said afterwards, “I love to sing; from since a little girl, they never asked me twice to sing. I am happiest when I’m singing.”

The Grammy Award Winner who last performed in Trinidad in 1964, will grace the stage at the Lidj Yasu Omowale Village at the Hasely Crawford Stadium tonight, at a mega concert billed as “In A Night Of African Royalty.”

Makeba will perform with her band for the entire second half of the show, that features in the first half local entertainers Ella Andall and Singing Sandra.