Music activity
Voice of Africa: Miriam Makeba
Listen to Miriam Makeba sing and try the click sound.
Materials and setup
- streaming service
- paper and pencil
How this changes by age
Pre-K (ages 3–4)
Listen to Miriam Makeba sing and try the click sound.
Steps
- Listen to 'Qongqothwane' (also called 'The Click Song') by Miriam Makeba.
- The clicks are real sounds in the Xhosa language.
- Try to make a tongue click of your own. Practice 5 times.
- Clap along to the song.
- Say: 'That's Miriam Makeba from South Africa.'
Learning objectives
- Hear click consonants in sung Xhosa
- Attempt vocal click sounds
- Associate a song with a country
Kindergarten (ages 5–6)
Meet Miriam Makeba, called 'Mama Africa,' and learn one song.
Steps
- A grown-up shares 3 facts: Miriam Makeba was born in South Africa in 1932. She was called 'Mama Africa.' She won a Grammy in 1966.
- Listen to 'Pata Pata' — one of her most famous songs.
- Clap the rhythm and learn the hook.
- Try to sing along with any repeated words.
- Make up a simple dance move and do it every time the hook comes back.
Learning objectives
- Identify Miriam Makeba and basic biography
- Recognize a song hook
- Connect music to dance
Early elementary (ages 6–8)
Listen to three Makeba songs and describe the moods.
Steps
- Listen to 'Pata Pata' (1967), 'Malaika' (1974), and 'The Click Song' (1965) — all widely available.
- For each song, write: tempo (slow/medium/fast), mood (1 word), and one thing that stands out.
- Notice that 'Malaika' is in Swahili, 'Qongqothwane' is in Xhosa, and Makeba sang in many languages.
- Pick your favorite and explain why in 3 sentences.
- Sing along with the chorus of one song.
Learning objectives
- Describe mood and tempo in three songs
- Recognize multilingual singing
- Articulate a musical preference
Upper elementary (ages 8–10)
Research Miriam Makeba's role in opposing apartheid through music.
Steps
- Read (with a grown-up) a reputable biography of Miriam Makeba. Focus on: her exile from South Africa (1960-1990), her U.N. speech against apartheid in 1963, and her Grammy-winning album 'An Evening with Belafonte/Makeba' (1965).
- Listen to 'Soweto Blues' (1977).
- Write a 1-page piece answering: how can music be a form of protest? Use specific examples from Makeba's career.
- Share your piece with a family member and discuss.
- List 2 other musicians (from any era) who used music for civil-rights or justice causes — make sure they are real, well-documented people.
Learning objectives
- Connect a musician's work to historical resistance
- Write an evidence-based argument
- Identify music as a civic tool
Safety and evidence note
Read the full activity before beginning. An adult should supervise tools, heat, food, outdoor work, movement, and experiments as appropriate. Completion records that the activity was done; the child’s explanation, work sample, photo, or demonstration is stronger evidence of learning than a completion check alone.
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