SABC News reports the death of one of Africa's music legends, Miriam Zenzile Makeba over the weekend at the age of 76. She was affectionately known as Mama Africa and one of the first African divas. She is also nicknamed the Empress of African Song and a pioneer of Afro-pop music.

Makeba was taken to a clinic in Castel Volturno in Italy where she died of a heart attack. She had just sung for half an hour in a concert at Castel Volturno near Naples along with other singers, reports say.

In an earlier interview with Museke.com, South African singer Lira, Lira raved about her talent and praised her legacy. Also, Uganda's Cinderella Sanyu (formerly of Blu3) had also raved about Miriam Makeba's fame.

Miriam Makeba sang with the Cuban Brothers band (which later became the Manhttan Brothers), as well as the Skylarks. She recorded a hit song, Malaika together with Harry Belafonte in the 60's whom she later won a Grammy Award for Best Folk Recording. She became the first black musician to leave South Africa on account of apartheid, setting the pace for many others.

She was also heavily involved in the fight against apartheid in her native south Africa. She also won the Dag Hammarskjöld Peace Prize in 1986 and Gold Otto Hahn Peace Medal by the United Nations Association of Germany (DGVN) in Berlin in 2001 and in 2004, Mirriam Makeba was voted 38th in the Top 100 Great South Africans.

You can read more about her at this link.
We will truly miss Mama Makeba aka Mama Africa.

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World renowned South African singer Miriam Zenzile Makeba affectionately known as “Mama Africa” has died at the age of 76.

Makeba was taken to a clinic in Castel Volturno in Italy where she died of a heart attack. She had just sung for half an hour in a concert at Castel Volturno near Naples along with other singers, reports say.

The concert was on behalf of the author of an expose of the Camorra mafia whose life has been threatened, Roberto Saviano.

Makeba was born in Johannesburg on 4 March 1932 to Mpambane Caswell Makeba and his wife Nomkhondelo Christina in Prospect Township (which later became Soweto).

During her lifetime she became a legendary voice of the African continent in the fight against apartheid. She appeared on Paul Simon's Graceland tour in 1987 and in 1992 had a leading role in the film Sarafina.