Born in 1932 in Johannesburg, South Africa, "the Empress of African Song," aka Mariam Makeba has for many become synonymous with South African music.  Her latest CD, a retrospective entitled Reflections gazes at this versatile vocalist's diverse repertoire and fascinating biography, including her musical ventures with the Manhattan Brothers, the all-woman group, the Skylarks as well as, recording with Harry Belafonte and adding African exoticism to the 1960's American folk scene.

While Makeba did record her share of swinging 1960's pop and feel-good jazz songs, she's also a performer that was exiled from her African homeland due to speaking against the apartheid before the United Nations (1963).  Later she was harassed by the U.S. government (her concert dates and contract with RCA were cancelled) after marrying  Black Panther leader Stokely Carmichael.  The controversial couple fled to the West African country, Guinea where she continued her recording career.  She returned to South Africa in 1990, three years after acquiring world prominence from performing with Paul Simon's Graceland tour (that was about the time I heard Makeba's songs for the first time).

Despite all this whirlwind activity, Makeba collected kudos for her vocal talent, sung in several languages including, English, French, Portuguese and Yiddish over the years as well as, hitting it off with such renowned talent as Nina Simone, Odetta and Harry Belafonte.  Her songs range from shimmering pop, Love Taste Like Strawberries,  and Ring Bell to bossa nova, Xica Da Silva and Mas Que Nada and the edgy funk number, Quit It with wah wah guitar and poignant anti-drug lyrics written by her late daughter, Bongi Makeba.

She offers a sprightly rendition of Van Morrison's I Shall Sing enhanced by African percussion, spectacular flute solos and call & response vocals.  The classics, Click Song, African Convention, Pata Pata also grace this CD.  The 12 tracks could all be called Makeba classics and the release of this CD celebrates the ten year anniversary of end of the apartheid.  It is also the latest installment in the Heads Up Africa series that highlights South African vocalists and instrumentalists.   www.headsup.com