Pata Pata

Since her death in 2008, we have been inundated with compilations drawn from Makeba's 50-year career. All of them have been welcome in their way, yet my heart sank a little when this disc arrived – does the world really need another Makeba anthology? My spirits rallied when I found that this is not a comp at all but a reissue of her 1967 American-recorded album for Reprise. It comes complete with the original sleeve and charming period liner notes that describe her as a ‘darkly divine enchantress,’ whose songs will ‘sock one and all into the wide blue yonder faster and higher than any missile ever to cut loose from Canaveral.’

With the 11 tracks presented in both the original mono and stereo versions, the disc captures Makeba at a significant point in time as she found crossover American pop success. Produced by Jerry Ragovoy, who wrote hit songs for black American R&B singers such as Dionne Warwick, Lorraine Ellison and Erma Franklin, the disc features some of her older, folk-tinged South African material including ‘The Click Song’ and ‘Pata Pata’, which is given a pop makeover. These are augmented by several more cosmopolitan treats, including a lovely, jazzy version of ‘West Wind’ later made famous by Nina Simone and an engaging take on ‘Maria Fulo’ by the Brazilian composer Sivuca.