Blast from the Past with vocalist Miriam Makeba

Barrow-Murray, Barbara · March 20, 1975

In this clip "Blast from the Past" features an excerpt from a 1971 interview with vocalist Miriam Makeba. She talks about her concerts in Europe and Africa, as well as her marriage to Stokely Carmichael and how this has affected her singing career. Overall the program is divided into two halves: the first consisting of three segments related to African American theater in Boston, the second of news magazine-style segments. Harold Stuart, Director of the Boston Black Repertory Company and company actors Mattye "Mama" Long and Frederick Tyson discuss the differences between "theater" and "Black theater," how Black theater affects members of the community, how talented individuals find the time to act, problems financially supporting Black theater, and why there is so little Black theater in Boston. Following the discussion is an eleven minute excerpt from the Company's latest production, A Raisin in the Sun, and a short interview with two Emerson students who helped film the production (Stephen Farrier and Jacquie Gales, both members of the Emerson student group EBONI Productions). Additional program segments include "Access" (about the Sav-Mor government-funded security program), "Blast from the Past" (with an excerpt from a 1971 interview with vocalist Miriam Makeba on how her marriage to Stokely Carmichael affected her singing career and her opinion on Guinea's response to a recent invasion attempt by the Portuguese), "Information" (on minority recruitment for the Peace Corps' Vista program), the "Community Calendar," "Commentary" by Marita Rivero (who reads a reworked version of "The Three Billy Goats Gruff"), and three "Philosophy of Life" segments with musician Herbie Hancock. Produced by Marita Rivero. Directed by Conrad White.