3 Facts About the Song "Pata Pata"
- “Pata Pata” is a Xhosa phrase meaning “touch touch,” referring to a dance craze in 1950s Johannesburg townships.
- The dance originated in shebeens, illegal bars where Black South Africans socialized during apartheid.
- Miriam Makeba turned this local dance move into one of the most recognizable African songs worldwide.