I’ve been loving a certain Josef Albers-inspired Honda commercial (see video below) for a while now and finally went searching for the song playing in the background. Turns out, the song it comes with a hell of a story.
Notice the click clicks? This song is in Xhosa, the language of native South Africans. The singer, Miriam Makeba, grew up singing in South Africa. After a lot of success in SA, she took her music west to the US and Europe with the support of Harry Belafonte. While spreading the musical heritage of her home country she also worked to denounce apartheid and earned the nickname “Mama Africa.” Her activism eventually led to the revocation of her South African citizenship. In 1960, she was refused entry into her home country when she attempted to return for her mother’s funeral. She was only allowed to return in 1990 with some help from Nelson Mandela.
The song “Pata Pata” is about a hip-shaking traditional dance done “down Johannesburg way… Every Friday and Saturday night.” Check her out performing the song in the second video.
— Basil
