In no particular order, Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW) is presenting artists who have changed worlds—visionaries who have been anchored in people’s collective consciousness across generations, setting trends as musicians while also leaving their mark as political role models and leaders. One such act is singer and political activist Miriam Makeba, the namesake of HKW’s largest and most beautiful event hall: the Miriam Makeba Auditorium, with its 1,056 seats, excellent acoustics, and a stage that can accommodate a 100-piece orchestra. This is where New York-based musician Somi will be paying tribute to Makeba’s unparalleled output with Re-Imagining Miriam Makeba. 

The daughter of a healer and a teacher, Makeba was born in 1932 in Johannesburg under the apartheid regime. Her first musical experience was singing in the school choir, but later, like her mother, she had to make a living as a domestic worker. However, she never gave up her ambition to become a singer. Starting in 1953, she became active in various bands and as a soloist, made her first records and appeared in films that brought her international recognition. When she was refused re-entry to South Africa after visiting the US in 1959, she remained in the US and launched a global career. Her hits such as ‘Pata Pata’ and ‘Malaika’ are still known around the world. In 1963, Makeba spoke at the UN General Assembly, calling for the abolition of the apartheid regime, which subsequently revoked her South African citizenship. She toured all over the world, and her records flew off the shelves. She was married to the equally legendary jazz trumpeter and singer Hugh Masekela, with whom she also performed, and later to Black Panther leader Stokely Carmichael, with whom she moved to Guinea under pressure from the US authorities. In 1990, at the request of Nelson Mandela, she repatriated to South Africa. Over the course of her career, Makeba combined music with political statements and social activism. She died in Italy in 2008 after performing at a benefit concert for Roberto Saviano, an author threatened by the Mafia. 

New York singer, composer, and actress Somi developed the idea of performing a programme in honour of Makeba at the Miriam Makeba Auditorium at HKW. Somi Kakoma, known in the jazz world simply by her first name, was born in Illinois, where her parents had migrated from Rwanda and Uganda. She became interested in the musical connections between Africa and America at an early age. Her mentor, Hugh Masekela, nurtured this interest. Somi went on to become a Grammy-nominated musician, an acclaimed Broadway performer, and a playwright. On stage at HKW, in addition to classics by Makeba, to whom she dedicated the tribute album Zenzile: The Reimagination of Miriam Makeba in 2022, Somi also presents old and new songs from her own repertoire.