Rare footage of Miriam Makeba performing her standard “Malaika” (a Kenyan love song in Swahili) on Italian television in 1969. Meanwhile, the song has been covered by a lot of people–like Angelique Kidjo, Boney M(yes Boney M) and old school Kenyan musicians like Fadhili Williams–but film director Nerina Penzhorn swears by another South African singer Simphiwe Dana’s cover.
Does it make sense for a South African artist to sing a Swahili song that is then covered by a Kenyan artist? Fadhili Williams was the first to record the song then everyone else came after. Miriam Makeba just popularised it. For more, refer here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaika