The voice of an angel has been silenced.
Before we became acquainted with Miriam's work, many of us had never even heard of South Africa.
Long before we heard of Mandela, there was Miriam.
Pata Pata is even on this blog, months ago.
But she was more than a singer. She was a soldier in the war against Apartheid - a word many of the younger readers of this blog have never heard of. Thank God. South Africa revoked her citizenship in 1960 and she lived in exile for 31 years until the white government was finally thrown off. But her voice was never silenced. Not in song, and not in crying out for justice for South Africa.
Quote: "I will sing until the last day of my life."
Miriam collapsed at a concert in Italy Sunday, and died early Monday. She was 76.
South Africa's First Lady of Song. Mama Africa.
Heaven is richer today.
