Legendary South African singer Miriam Makeba died late this Sunday, November 9th. One of Africa's best known voices and a champion of the fight against apartheid, Makeba died of a heart attack after a performance in Italy. She was 76.

Makeba fell ill after a concert in the southern Italian town of Baia Verde late on Sunday, November 9. She died of heart failure after being rushed to a clinic in the town of Castel Volturno. Ever the activist, Makeba was performing a benefit in support of the families of six African immigrants who had been shot to death in September by suspected members of the Camorra mafia in Castel Volturno.

Known as "Mama Africa" and the "Empress of African Song," Makeba was the first black South African musician to gain international fame, winning renown in the United States in the 1950s with fresh blend of jazz and traditional South African song. Makeba was the first black African woman to win a Grammy Award, which she shared with Harry Belafonte in 1965.