The Daily Californian Online Ladysmith Black Mambazo Bring Zest

Program Notes
2009-2010
For more than forty years, Ladysmith Black Mambazo has married the
intricate rhythms and harmonies of their native South African musical
traditions to the sounds and sentiments of Christian gospel music. The
result is a musical and spiritual alchemy that has touched a worldwide
audience representing every corner of the religious, cultural and ethnic
landscape. Their musical efforts over the past four decades have
garnered praise and accolades within the recording industry, but also
solidified their identity as a cultural force to be reckoned with.
Assembled in the early 1960s, in South Africa, by Joseph Shabalala –
then a young farmboy turned factory worker – the group took the
name Ladysmith Black Mambazo – Ladysmith being the name of
Shabalala’s rural hometown; Black being a reference to oxen, the
strongest of all farm animals; and Mambazo being the Zulu word for
axe, a symbol of the group’s vocal ability to “chop down” all things in
their path. Their collective voices were so tight and their harmonies so
polished that they were eventually banned from competitions –
although they were welcome to participate strictly as entertainers.
Shabalala says his conversion to Christianity, in the ‘60s, helped define
the group’s musical identity. The path that the axe was chopping
suddenly had a direction: “To bring this gospel of loving one another
all over the world,” he says. However, he’s quick to point out that the
message is not specific to any one religious orientation. “Without
hearing the lyrics, this music gets into the blood, because it comes
from the blood,” he says. “It evokes enthusiasm and excitement,
regardless of what you follow spiritually.”
A radio broadcast in 1970 opened the door to their first record contract
– the beginning of an ambitious discography that currently includes
more than forty recordings, garnering two Grammy Awards and fifteen
nominations, including one for their most recent recording “Ilembe:
Honoring Shaka Zulu”. Their philosophy in the studio was – and
continues to be – just as much about preservation of musical heritage
as it is about entertainment. The group borrows heavily from a
traditional music called isicathamiya (is-cot-a-ME-Ya), which developed
in the mines of South Africa, where black workers were taken by rail to
1
work far away from their homes and their families. Poorly housed and
paid worse, the mine workers would entertain themselves after a sixday week by singing songs into the wee hours on Sunday morning.
When the miners returned to the homelands, this musical tradition
returned with them.
In the mid-1980s, Paul Simon visited South Africa and incorporated
Black Mambazo’s rich tenor/alto/bass harmonies into his Graceland
album – a landmark 1986 recording that won the Grammy Award for
Best Album and is considered seminal in introducing world music to
mainstream audiences.
In addition to their work with Paul Simon, Ladysmith Black Mambazo
have recorded with numerous artists from around the world, including
Stevie Wonder, Josh Groban, Dolly Parton, Sarah McLaughlin,
Emmylou Harris, Natalie Merchant, Mavis Staples, Ry Cooder and Ben
Harper.
Their film work includes a featured appearance in Michael Jackson’s
Moonwalker video and Spike Lee’s Do It A Cappella. Black Mambazo
provided soundtrack material for Disney’s The Lion King, Part II as well
as Eddie Murphy’s Coming To America, Marlon Brando’s A Dry White
Season, Sean Connery’s The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and
James Earl Jones’ Cry The Beloved Country. A recent film documentary
titled On Tip Toe: Gentle Steps to Freedom, the story of Ladysmith
Black Mambazo, was even nominated for an Academy Award for Best
Documentary. The group is well known for its Life Savers candy
commercials. Their performance with Paul Simon on Sesame Street is
legendary and is one of the top three requested Sesame Street
segments in history.
Black Mambazo has been invited to perform at many special events
including events for the Queen of England and the Royal Family, two
Nobel Peace Prize Ceremonies, a concert for Pope John Paul II in
Rome, the South African Presidential inaugurations and many other
special events.
www.mambazo.com
www.imnworld.com/ladysmithblackmambazo
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SET LIST
Songs announced from stage
LINE UP
SINGERS
JOSEPH SHABALALA
MSIZI SHABALALA
RUSSEL MTHEMBU
ALBERT MAZIBUKO
THULANI SHABALALA
THAMSANQA SHABALALA
SIBONGISENI SHABALALA
ABEDNEGO MAZIBUKO
NGANE DLAMINI
CREW
ADAM HUNT
JON PICCIANO
MANAGEMENT
Mitch Goldstein
RECORD LABEL
23309 Commerce Park Rd. Cleveland, Ohio 44122 (P) 216.765.7381 (F) 216.464.6037
3
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The Daily Californian Online
Ladysmith Black Mambazo Bring Zest to Zellerbach Hall
By Bryan Gerhart
Contributing Writer
Monday, March 16, 2009
Category: Arts & Entertainment > Music > Concerts
A great live performance is the well-known "secret ingredient" in the recipe for an outstanding music group. It
logically follows that strong "stage presence" is the key to said performance. Now, I'm no cook, and I'm
certainly not a mathematician, but what this adds up to is simple: Ladysmith Black Mambazo are
phenomenal.
Now, this pseudo-scientific trail of reasoning might seem as laughably obvious as Zoolander's "moisture is the
essence of wetness" observation, but it's necessary. Believe it or not, Lady what? Black who? aren't a
household name for everyone.
Treating the group like that obscure new band your buddy keeps telling you to listen to would be going about
things all wrong. After all, this is a group with 13 Grammy nominations, 48 active years and a starring role on
a little album called Graceland under its belt.
As the eight members of the group hopped and waved their way onto the Zellerbach Hall stage Thursday
night, unanimous smiles stretched across the faces of the audience members. Without saying a word, the men
each took a spot behind the row of seven microphone stands lined up on the bare stage. Leaving room for the
group's leader, Joseph Shabalala, in front, they began to sing. When they left the stage two hours later, the
smiles still hadn't faded.
The group's enthusiasm was contagious. There wasn't a doubt in anyone's minds that these men love what
they do. Without the aid of instrumentation, their voices sculpted soundscapes that floated and bounced with
the singers themselves.
And boy did Ladysmith bounce.
With moves that would make Jagger jealous and high kicks that would give the Rockettes a run for their
money, the group is equally athletic as they are musically talented. At times they channeled the likes of Elvis
and Chuck Berry; at other times it was as if the Temptations had dropped out of the music business and
joined their church choir. Near the end of the show they even invited audience members on stage to join them
in dancing, and despite the volunteers' enthusiastic attempts, it was clear that Ladysmith Black Mambazo had
the superior skills.
Accompanied by only tongue clicks, snaps and hand whistles, they sang a few of the songs in English, but the
vast majority were in the group's native language. Maybe I should've dusted off my Zulu-to-English
dictionary, but the message of the group was so universal that the language didn't create the barrier one might
expect. "Our mission," Shabalala stated after their opening song, "is to spread our culture. To spread love,
peace and harmony."
3/17/2009 11:23 AM
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The vocation might seem like a grand undertaking for a music group, but considering that they come from a
country that legalized their third-class citizenship up until no more than 15 years ago, they might be just the
group to do it. The group had a fun, carefree, almost comedic nature about them. At one point all of the
singers but Shabalala left the stage as he jokingly remembered that he had forgotten to pay them and that they
were on strike. However, many of the songs seemed-again, my Zulu is a little rusty-to have political
undertones. Considering two-thirds of the South African band's career was under apartheid, this would,
understandably, be a hard topic to ignore.
While incredibly unique, the music was entirely accessible, and it's hard to imagine someone leaving the show
with a bad taste in his or her mouth. What stood out about Ladysmith Black Mambazo more than anything
was their honesty. Their sincerity in all aspects of the performance was evident, from their clear joy of being
able to perform for such an appreciative group to their pride in representing their country so far from home.
They made the audience feel welcomed, rather than maintaining a separation between artist and listener.
The show was a family affair, in the audience-where ages ranged from diapers to walkers-and especially
onstage. Shabalala introduced his four sons in the group and announced that he was "planting seeds of
tradition," implying that Ladysmith's future would extend far beyond his. Here's to 48 years more.
Tags: Zellerbach Hall, ladysmith black mambazo, Cal Performances
Article Link: http://www.dailycal.org/article/104874
3/17/2009 11:23 AM
Ladysmith Black Mambazo's music, choreography provides intoxicating m...
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Ladysmith Black Mambazo's music, choreography
provides intoxicating mix at DeVos Performance
Hall
Posted by Jeffrey Kaczmarzyk | The Grand Rapids Press March 01, 2009 02:53AM
Joseph Shabalala rose above the hardships of life in South Africa under apartheid in the 1960s to create music
of unmistakable joy with his musical group, Ladysmith Black Mambazo. The vocal ensemble was in DeVos
Performance Hall on Saturday for the Grand Rapids Symphony's annual "Symphony with Soul" concert.
Created in 2002 to build bridges and forge connections between the orchestra and the wider community, its
success is undeniable. With 2,050 in the hall for the first half, it was the Grand Rapids Symphony's biggest
audience of the season in DeVos Performance Hall.
3.5 OUT OF 4 STARS
What: "Symphony with Soul"
Guest Artist: Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Conductors: David Lockington and Duane Davis
Time on stage: 125 minute, not counting intermission
Plenty more came in after intermission to see Ladysmith Black Mambazo, which won its fourth Grammy
Award earlier in February.
The group's soft, repetitively mesmerizing singing style was introduced to American audiences by
singer/songwriter Paul Simon and his 1985 album, "Graceland."
It's intoxicating to listen to the supple, fluid way they swoop in and out of phrases on songs such as "Long
Walk to Freedom." Others, such as "Homeless," from "Graceland," was richly layered with ambient sounds of
nature accompanying the music, all created by the voices of the eight-man ensemble.
But Ladysmith Black Mambazo is far more entertaining when you can see them in action. Though they sing
primarily in Zulu, the choreography usually makes it clear whether they're singing about hardship or
courtship.
With "Vela Nsizwa," which translates as "Show Yourself, Young Man," a song about a man proving his worth
to a woman, most took a solo turn to show off his high-kicking moves.
Several members of the Grand Rapids Community Gospel Chorus came on stage to try some moves along
with Ladysmith Black Mambazo. As an encore, the entire chorus joined the group for a captivating version of
"Amazing Grace."
3/2/2009 10:50 AM
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The eclectic first half featured the Grand Rapids Symphony under music director David Lockington with the
Community Gospel Chorus under its director, Duane Davis.
Lockington conducted the orchestra in two movements from William Grant Still's "Afro-American"
Symphony No. 1. Composed in 1930, it calls to mind the music and rhythms of Gershwin. Conducting
passionately, Lockington led a buoyant, performance of strong emotions.
Davis led the 115-voice chorus in a joyous, uplifting performance of "Ise Oluwa," a Nigerian folk song, and a
powerful version of Bobby McFerrin's "The Passage, Grace and Hope," which Davis arranged for orchestra
and chorus.
Debra Perry's "The Prayer," with Perry at the piano, ended their set with a mighty shout of contemporary
gospel sounds.
Earlier in the evening, the fourth annual "Celebration of Soul" dinner was held in the Amway Grand Plaza
Hotel. Nearly 250 people were there for the event honoring Duane and Kaye Davis, Bing Goei, and Rev.
Clifton Rhodes Jr. with the 2009 Legacy Award.
Next year's "Symphony with Soul" concert will features a contemporary version of Handel's "Messiah." Davis
and the chorus gave the audience a sneak peak with one chorus, "And He Will Purify," from the show titled
"Too Hot to Handel."
There's every indication that it'll live up to its name.
E-mail Jeff Kaczmarczyk: [email protected]
© 2009 Michigan Live. All Rights Reserved.
3/2/2009 10:50 AM
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MUSIC REVIEW | LADYSMITH BLACK MAMBAZO
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Giving Pop a Little Kick With Zulu Melodies
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Natalie Merchant with Ladysmith Black Mambazo, led by Joseph Shabalala, left and pointing, at Carnegie Hall.
By JON PARELES
Published: October 19, 2006
Long before Ladysmith Black Mambazo brought South African Zulu
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vocals to Paul Simon’s “Graceland” album, another Zulu sound was
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heard worldwide: “Mbube,” a major hit across Africa that was recorded
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in 1939 by Solomon Linda. Americans remade it as the Weavers’
“Wimoweh” (a mishearing of “mbube” by Pete Seeger of the Weavers)
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and then as the Tokens’ hit “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”; Mr. Linda died
3. Preschool
impoverished, and his heirs had to sue to get long-delayed royalties.
4. Preschool
When Ladysmith Black Mambazo performed on Tuesday night at Carnegie Hall, Mr.
5. Rotherha
Schoolchi
Seeger was among its guests, and he took time to credit Mr. Linda before leading a
singalong of “Mbube” (with the correct pronunciation: EEM-boo-bay) alongside
Ladysmith Black Mambazo. It was, implicitly, an apology for exploitation.
6. Good Girl
7. Fire Still B
8. Ales of Th
10/19/2006 9:25 AM
Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Music - Review - New York Times
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Ladysmith Black Mambazo won’t have to worry about belated recognition. That group, led
9. Brooklyn
by Joseph Shabalala, has an international following and enough fans among musicians to
fill its latest album, “Long Walk to Freedom” (Heads Up), with guests. The Carnegie Hall
10. Dinner, W
Go to Complete
concert featured fellow South Africans — the songwriter Vusi Mahlasela and the vocal trio
the Mahotella Queens — along with North Americans who appear on the album, Sarah
McLachlan and Natalie Merchant.
The guests provided some of the concert’s peaks. Mr. Mahlasela, a political voice during
apartheid who now counsels forgiveness, played solo, picking an acoustic guitar. His voice
leaped up to a falsetto croon, turned into a rasp or accelerated toward quickly articulated
syllables that created spectacular momentum with minimal means. The Mahotella
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Queens’ sassy voices harmonized as brightly as trumpets, and they had some
bump-and-grind dance moves. Ms. Merchant sang Mr. Shabalala’s “Rain Rain Beautiful
Rain” and her own “Kind and Generous” with her voice poised above Ladysmith’s
harmonies. And Ms. McLachlan joined the South Africans for “Homeless,” written by Mr.
Simon and Mr. Shabalala, with her voice bringing out the melancholy of lines like,
“Somebody cry, why why why?”
Yet for all the years that Ladysmith Black Mambazo has performed alongside pop
songwriters, Mr. Shabalala’s own songs are still resolutely South African. Ladysmith’s
unaccompanied vocal style, isicathamiya, has been translated as “on tiptoes” or “stalking”
because it originated in mineworkers’ dormitories with dance steps done lightly enough
not to alarm security guards. At Carnegie Hall, the songs were built on dignified
call-and-response leading into rolling, repeating three-chord vamps rather than the hooks
and contrasts of Western pop.
The vamps were carried by Ladysmith’s seven bass singers, whose voices blended like
organ pipes for deep harmonies. Eventually, as the harmonies continued, the songs led
into dance routines with synchronized moves as well as head-high kicks that are a Zulu
tradition; the singers wore white shoes to show them off.
Mr. Shabalala, singing above the basses, has a sweet, hushed tenor that whispers and
swoops and quivers, gentle yet fervent. In the formality of Carnegie Hall, the songs came
across not as jovial workers’ entertainment, but as something more somber: music that
had survived sorrows to find benedictions in the aftermath.
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The Colonial Theatre
two five years later.
A youth's destiny
fulfilled
"He came to me," Mazibuko explained.
"His grandmother happens to be my
grandfather's sister. She sent him to me and my
brother and explained to Joseph, 'These are
the people who are going to help you to achieve
what you wanted to achieve.'
For Albert Mazibuko, Ladysmith Black
Mambazo is the realization of a dream
By Dave Madeloni, Special to The Eagle
Article Last Updated: 01/16/2008 09:50:40 AM EST
PITTSFIELD — Albert Mazibuko was 9 years
old when a fortuitous encounter with a singer
named Joseph Shabalala set in motion a chain of
events that would eventually lead to the formation of
Wednesday, January 16
the world renowned, Grammy-award winning
acappella group Ladysmith Black Mambazo, which
will be performing tonight at 8 at The Colonial
Theatre.
For young Albert, it turned out to be the end of his
own young band and the beginning of a dream
come true.
"I had formed my own singing group,"
recalled Mazibuko in a phone interview from a hotel
in Concord, N. H. "I saw Joseph in 1960 when
he came with his group because it was Christmas
time. They sang so beautifully. I told my group that
now I was going to leave them and when I grow up I
am going to join him."
Four years later Mazibuko traveled to Durban in
search of Shabalala, but could not find him. But
there would be a serendipitous meeting between the
"For a time he had a group, but he left that
group, that had been formed back in 1960. So when
he came to me and my brother I was so happy. Wow,
my dream came true!"
Back then, Mazibuko could never have imagined
how wide and far the dream would grow. Nearly four
decades later after that fateful meeting, Ladysmith
Black Mamabazo has grown into a word-wide
musical sensation.
Serendipitous moment
A radio broadcast in 1970 opened the door to their
first record contract, which opened the door to a
discography that today includes more than 40
recordings, including their latest, "Ilembe,
" released just yesterday.
Another serendipitous moment occurred in the
mid-'80s when Paul Simon visited South Africa
in the hope of collaborating with black musicians,
which led him to Ladysmith Black Mambazo's
gorgeous harmonies which he incorporated into his
seminal "Graceland" album. A year later,
Simon produced the group's first U.S. release,
"Shaka Zulu," which won a Grammy in
1988 for Best Traditional Folk Album. Since then, the
group has scored eight more Grammy nominations
and has worked with a wildly eclectic group of pop
stars, including the likes of Stevie Wonder, Dolly
Parton, Sarah McLachlan, Taj Mahal, Melissa
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Etheridge, Emmylou Harris, George Clinton, The
Corrs, and Ben Harper.
The group's new record revisits the legacy of
the legendary African warrior Shaka Zulu.
"My father used to tell me about him a lot,
" said Mazibuko. "He never had an excuse
in his life that he was raised by a single parent, his
grandmother. He never complained that he did not
have both parents in his life. He believed in
perfection.
"What we do, we have to do it better. By
naming this album, we attribute to him that no one
has to have an excuse about achieving anything. We
can achieve everything if we believe in ourselves
and be the best in whatever we do."
the audience so much. We even have a song that we
sing with the audience, because we want to share
the beauty we have in our music, the inspiration we
get from our music."
In concert
Who: Ladysmith Black Mambazo
When: Tonight 8
Where: The Colonial Theatre, 111 South St.,
Pittsfield
Tickets: $35, $22
How:
(413) 997-4444
at the theater box office
; www.thecolonialtheatre.org
That theme surely hits home for Mazibuko, whose
reality has long since surpassed the simple dream
he had as a child to sing with Joseph Shabalala.
"It is like a dream," he said. "And
now every time when I think about it, it feels like I
am going to wake up and say that I have been
dreaming. So amazing. It amazes me every day."
Bringing out the best
In Ladysmith Black Mambazo's stirring and
spiritually uplifting live performances, the group
strives to bring out the best in its audience,
according to Mazibuko.
"We are trying to provoke whatever good
things everyone has inside with our music,"
Mazibuko said. "Maybe we can touch some
inner essence, because everyone has some good in
themselves.
"When we are performing in concert we involve
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Out of Africa, songs of peace -- OrlandoSentinel.com
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OrlandoSentinel.com
Out of Africa, songs of peace
Jim Abbott
Sentinel Pop Music Critic
January 4, 2008
Translated, the title of Ladysmith Black Mambazo's tribute to the iconic African leader Shaka Zulu means "the
greatest warrior," but there's an undeniably peaceful vibe to these dozen songs.
Yes, there's a language barrier, too. Fortunately, the gentle beauty of songs such as "Kuyafundw' Osizini (Ilembe)"
and "Vela Nsizwa" transcend the vowel- and consonant-twisting appearance of the titles to Western eyes. Liner
notes also include helpful explanations of the messages in the lyrics, such as this aside to "Kuyafundw' Osizini":
When someone ill treats you, don't worry, that person is enlightening you and training you, teaching you more
about life.
Musically, the lilting melodies of that tune, and the others, convey the spiritual feeling without the necessity of
words. Singer Joseph Shabalala and his ensemble haven't evolved much since the group's initial mainstream
introduction on Paul Simon's Graceland more than 20 years ago.
That means that the Ilembe songs are flavored by an ancient style that is rarely embellished by a beat that might
transform the material from hymns into something more infectious. Songs such as "Umon' Usuk' Esweni" and
"Sizobalanda" benefit from the subtle nudges of guttural vocal punctuation. "Let's Do It," one of three songs with
English titles, uses the voices to create a shuffling effect similar to brushes against a snare drum. Even the songs
with the English titles -- "Let's Do It," "This is the Way We Do" and "Prince of Peace" -- often use a combination of
English and Swahili.
When the singers utter the clipped words "pray, pray, pray" in the chant-like "Prince of Peace," those words sound
like something in another language. Later, in the same song, when the voices rise into something that almost sounds
like the fleeting whiffs of Southern gospel, it's a lovely earthy touch.
A few more of those recognizable references would make Ilembe more accessible to Western ears, but Mambazo's
1/28/2008 1:17 PM
Out of Africa, songs of peace -- OrlandoSentinel.com
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commitment to its spiritual ideals is palpable and powerful.
"Do unto others as you would like to be done unto you," the liner notes state at one point. Ladysmith Black
Mambazo is still the sonic embodiment of that sentiment.
So even if the music threatens to cross the boundary from hypnotic to merely repetitive in some moments, the songs
more often unfold with a meditative style that's captivating, even if you can't dance to it.
Copyright © 2008, Orlando Sentinel
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Music
Ladysmith Black Mambazo's Ilembe: Honoring Shaka Zulu
More deep spirituality from Paul Simon's favorite vocal group
by Ernest Barteldes
January 15th, 2008 3:40 PM
A brilliant South African warrior and king in the 18th century, the legendary Shaka Zulu was one of the
great unifiers of his nation—on the other hand, he was also a strong-willed, vengeful man who was
ultimately murdered by his own half-brothers, one of whom succeeded him to the throne. Now, in this
tribute, Joseph Shabalala and his group present the all-original Ilembe. Don't expect Ladysmith Black
Mambazo to make music that reaches beyond their fans' expectations— as you would predict, all these
tunes are sung with no instrumental backing, and all carry a deep spiritual message expressed in
English and their native Zulu. "Hlala Nami" stresses the importance of people coming together to do
something positive for their communities, while the beautiful and spiritual "Let's Do It" illuminates the
dangers of politics, urging us to live honestly "for the future generation." Also note the
English-language "Prince of Peace," which challenges listeners to go forth and simply pray and express
love to God with "rhythm of harmony and balance." Newbies who first came in contact with the group
through Paul Simon's Graceland or The Lion King soundtrack will be delighted with Mambazo's
incredible sonic and emotional range, though it's still best to take them in live, where their exuberant
talents can be fully appreciated.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo play B.B. King's January 26, bbkingblues.com.
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Ladysmith keeps the music real
By DAVID MALACHOWSKI, Special to the Times Union
First published: Tuesday, January 22, 2008
TROY -- Attention Britney Spears, the Simpson sisters and all other singing, dancing divas: Not only is it quite possible to sing and
dance at the same time (without prerecorded electronic aid), it can actually be quite astounding and entertaining when it happens.
In a magical, moving show at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, it took a group from South Africa to remind us of that.
Founded in 1974, the nine-member a capella group Ladysmith Black Mambazo performs indigenous Zulu music with a twist or two.
From the town of Ladysmith, Joseph Shabalala brought to his bandmates a style of harmony that came to him in a dream; combing
traditional Zulu sounds with the choral sensibilities of the Christian church. Quite renowned in their native area, they became
known worldwide when Paul Simon used them on his groundbreaking "Graceland" album.
In Troy, the stage was nearly naked as eight mike stands stood in a row, one planted center stage in front. Eight gentlemen -- in
festive blue and yellow dashikis over black pants and impossibly spotless white sneakers -- stood in a long line. Shabalala stood out
front, ebullient voice guiding and steering the way.
The historic Hall was made for music like this, the perfect acoustics enhancing the impeccable blend of rich, textual voices. Early
on, a constant, unfailing formula formed the foundation of all the songs. First, the choral singers would establish a two-measure
repeated phrase; Shabalala would then sing in the frequent rests, spaces, and that would be the verse. The call-and-response
pattern that emerges is Ladysmith's calling card. Slowly, in small increments, the songs would increase in intensity from a simmer
to a near boil. Beyond words were grunts, groans and shushes used as percussion. As the music crescendoed, so would the
members' dance moves: swaying and grooving but eventually building to what became head-level high kicks.
Four of Shabalala's sons are group members, one offered the sparkling "This Is the Way We Do." There were songs celebrating
South Africa's liberation from apartheid, there were songs to prepare for war. Most were sung in Zulu, some had English lines
intermixed. All carried significant weight and were delivered in a serious manner. As Shabalala said "indigenous music is a mirror,"
and this music revealed what these nine righteous gentlemen were about, and left us with a better understanding not only of
themselves and but their culture.
It's amazing what real music can do.
David Malachowski is a local freelance writer from Woodstock and a regular contributor to the Times Union.
Music review
LADYSMITH BLACK MAMBAZO
When: 8 p.m. Saturday
Where: Troy Savings bank Music Hall, State Street, Troy
Length: Two 50-minute sets
Crowd: A packed house of Hall regulars with a healthy amount of student-age attendees as well.
Highlights: In the end, it seemed like one long, hypnotic drone.
All Times Union materials copyright 1996-2008, Capital Newspapers Division of The Hearst Corporation, Albany, N.Y.
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1/28/2008 1:01 PM
Ladysmith to bring harmony to campus
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http://orient.bowdoin.edu/orient/printer.php?date=2006-02-03&section...
Ladysmith to bring harmony to campus
February 3, 2006
By Kelsey Abbruzzese
STAFF WRITER
They are more than the voices chanting in "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes" or "Homeless." They are
more than Paul Simon's discovery and the backing vocals on his masterpiece, "Graceland." Though these
songs and these connections are how many casual music listeners recognize members of Ladysmith Black
Mambazo, Bowdoin students and the Brunswick community have a rare chance to witness their depth,
musicality, and stage presence during a sold-out concert at Pickard on Friday at 7 p.m.
"I'm not really sure when I first heard about Ladysmith Black Mambazo," said Toby Crawford '07, co-chair
of the Campus Activities Board (CAB) and co-chair of the committee that booked Ladysmith last year. "I've
always loved Paul Simon's Graceland album and, at some point, made the connection that Ladysmith Black
Mambazo accompanied him."
Ladysmith Black Mambazo's road to Bowdoin started last year, when a CAB committee co-chair recognized
the group as one her father had played when she was a child, and she immediately began to look into
bringing the group to campus. Committee co-chair Curtis Isacke '07 said, "They seem to have a special
niche. Even Bates students have contacted me for tickets, and we had to limit sales to community
members so students could get a chance."
Isacke's fellow co-chair, Sandip Patel '07, agreed with Isacke's statement about the group's popularity.
"A pretty wide variety of people are excited about the show, especially people who like a cappella or gospel
music. Even if they haven't heard of the group, they want to see what the hype is about."
Much of the hype comes from Ladysmith's appearance on "Graceland," when Paul Simon introduced this
South African group to the world. Joseph Shabalala, the founder and musical leader of the group,
consistently makes references to Simon in the group's songs as a friend and someone who helped the
group become known worldwide.
Since the group burst out of South Africa, Ladysmith Black Mambazo won a Grammy for its 1987 album,
"Shaka Zula," and has performed with many other popular artists. Recently, they performed "Homeless"
with Sarah McLachlan on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno," and released "Long Walk to Freedom" at the
end of January. This album includes such guest artists as McLachlan, Melissa Etheridge, Taj Mahal, and
Natalie Merchant.
The Bowdoin community should expect a show as remarkable as Ladysmith's impressive guest artists and
awards, as Isacke said that "people should be prepared for a visual spectacle also. There's a fair amount of
dancing and they wear vibrant costumes."
"They told us not to underestimate the sound system that they want," said Junior Assitant Researcher in
Biology Braulio Peguero, who put much of his time and energy into this show, "because they want every
audience member to have the same acoustic feeling."
Though students may not recognize the name at first, they will recognize the sound come Friday night.
"There tends to be a generation gap for people who listen to them. Most students are exposed by their
parents or by living abroad," Peguero continued. "But when you tell people who they are, they start
getting excited and want to find out more."
Simon wrote this particular line to describe Ladysmith Black Mambazo's music in his song about founder
Shabalala, "Under African Skies": "These are the roots of rhythm, and the roots of rhythm remain."
Copyright © 2007, The Bowdoin Orient
1/28/2008 1:07 PM
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Finely assembled
MUSIC REVIEW: South Africa's Ladysmith Black Mambazo maintains its vocal polish
12:00 AM CDT on Thursday, April 13, 2006
By MATT WEITZ / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News
It's kind of odd when you think about the way in which things that were once unique now stand for a whole
movement in taste and appreciation. Ladysmith Black Mambazo was once one of a few signature African pop
groups, rubbing elbows with the likes of King Sunny Ade.
COURTNEY
PERRY/Special
Contributor
Ladysmith Black
Mambazo brought its
signature sound to
Southern Methodist
University on Tuesday
night.
To Westerners it may have seemed as if there was little difference between these kinds of music, but the
longevity of LBM makes the group a favorite.
Tuesday night at its TITAS performance at Southern Methodist University's McFarlin Auditorium, the
eight-man a cappella group showed about 1,800 fans that it has lost little of its vocal chops.
"Awu Wemadoda," the first song of the evening, paid tribute not only to the traditional song structures of Zulu
music but also to the expectations of an audience raised on the world-music accents made famous by artists like
Peter Gabriel.
The breathy enunciation and sibilant harmonies showed that the men were utterly comfortable in their own
skins, yet still foreign to the audience.
They proved this when they tried to get an audience member to sing with them and introduced him to the series
of clicks that make up their native tongue.
1/28/2008 1:25 PM
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The group's latest album, Long Walk to Freedom, was well-represented by the title track and another tune,
"Hello My Baby."
Throughout the show, the message seemed to be the cleansing effect of political and artistic action.
The South African group was cool when Paul Simon turned us on to it via 1986's Graceland, and, with songs
such as "Phalamende" and "Nginethemba," the singers proved that music doesn't necessarily need oppression to
sound wonderful.
LBM has a rich, breathy sound that transmits struggle, fortitude and courage to listeners.
Tuesday night, the layered beauty of Ladysmith Black Mambazo's delivery transcended even the most pointed
political concerns.
E-mail [email protected]
Online at:
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1/28/2008 1:25 PM
Younger voices influence S. Africa's Mambazos
By Kevin L. Carter
Tue, Jan. 22, 2008
For The Inquirer
Ladysmith Black Mambazo, the a cappella
Zulu men's choir from South Africa, has
been celebrating its nation's culture for
almost 50 years, and Sunday night's
Kimmel Center show - attended by
dignitaries including the South African
ambassador to the United States - was
significant on many levels.
RAJESH JANTILAL
After nearly 50 years celebrating its nation's
culture, Ladysmith Black Mambazo is bringing in
younger singers. Only two who accompanied the
leader here Sunday were in the original a cappella
group.
When the eight-man group sang "Long Walk
to Freedom" on the day before Martin Luther
King Jr.'s American holiday, leader Joseph
Shabalala made it a point to congratulate his
native land, and the two men, Nelson Mandela and F. W. de Klerk, who were responsible for
its change from apartheid to democracy.
In its presentation the group has always been somewhat bilingual - even the most deeply
African hymns often had snippets of English content. Subtly but definitely, though, the sound
of the choir has changed over recent years. The Mambazos are markedly younger, with only
a couple of the men accompanying Shabalala Sunday having been among his original
members.
Now among the members are four of Joseph's sons, including Thamsanqa Shabalala, the
youngest and tallest. He has inherited Joseph's soft vocal timbre and playful personality, and
it seems as if the 66-year-old leader may have appointed the 30-year-old singer, who has led
a "second-generation" Mambazo choir in his homeland, heir apparent.
"This Is the Way We Do," from the Mambazos' newest disc, Ilembe, which is being released
today, shows some of the youngest Shabalala's influence. On Sunday night, the charismatic
Thamsanqa took the lead mike, bringing a younger, hip-hop influence to the group's simple
but spectacular boot-dance-based choreography.
Nevertheless, Ladysmith Black Mambazo is still quintessentially traditional and South
African. The harmonies - a deep, broad base of basses, with a sprinkling of tenor and alto continued to shine. Songs such as "Shosholoza" and "Hello My Baby" contained the same IIV-V chord changes and traditional ululations that make the Mambazos so listenable.
It must be pointed out, however, that these same harmonies, which have been the
Mambazos' calling card for almost five decades, sometimes failed the group Sunday. On
several occasions, the two or three highest parts, which sometimes included Joseph
Shabalala, were obviously flat; it was as if the group's pristine harmonies were, for the first
time, showing flaws. It was a disappointing development, sure, but not one that killed the
enjoyment of what the Mambazos did that night, or what they have done.
Rock Paper Scissors - Ladysmith Black Mambazo; Long Walk to Freed...
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Foreign song warms audience
Click Here to go back.
Duluth News Tribune, Foreign song warms audience >>
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
While slush was turning to ice outside Sunday night, Ladysmith Black
Mambazo warmed up the packed Sacred Heart Music Center in Duluth
with the soft, deep harmonies of traditional South African song.
The eight-member group, which started in South Africa 45 years ago
and has since won two Grammy Awards, sold out two 428-seat
performances at Sacred Heart, one on Sunday and another at 7:30
tonight.
The shows mark Ladysmith Black Mambazo's first visit to Duluth -- one
that resulted in the fastest sale of tickets in recent memory for Sacred
Heart, said spokeswoman Barbara Darland.
Tickets to tonight's show were gobbled up in a week, prompting the
addition of the Sunday show, which sold out in four days, Darland said.
Sample Track 1:
"Homeless (with
Sarah
McLachlan)" from
Long Walk to
Freedom
Sample Track 2:
"Diamonds On
The Soles Of Her
Shoe (with Melissa
Etheridge and Joe
McBride)" from
Long Walk to
Freedom
"We could do a third show, but it doesn't work with (Ladysmith Black
Mambazo's) schedule," she said.
Aside from a billboard erected after tickets for the Monday show went
on sale, the performances were not advertised, Darland said.
Word-of-mouth carried the sales.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo caught America's attention in the
mid-1980s when featured in folk singer Paul Simon's "Graceland"
album. Darland speculated the crowd would be mostly middle-aged. It
was, but younger audience members were not hard to find.
Erin Zoellick, 24, and Frank Maragi, 31, both from Duluth, bought
tickets after Zoellick randomly visited Sacred Heart's Web site for the
first time. She has listened to the South African group, which sings in
its native tongue, for years.
"They bring so much energy, even without instruments," Zoellick said.
"They're able to convey certain feelings even without us understanding
1/28/2008 1:28 PM
Rock Paper Scissors - Ladysmith Black Mambazo; Long Walk to Freed...
2 of 2
Buy Recording:
Long Walk to
Freedom
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the language."
Rod and Lori Lubiani, 63 and 58, of Duluth arrived at Sacred Heart an
hour and a half before the show to get front-row seats. The couple said
they've followed Ladysmith Black Mambazo for about a decade. Rod
Lubiani said he remembers the first time he saw the group -- on
television.
"We fell in love with them right then and there," he said. "It was pure
song, coming from their hearts. There was nothing phony about it."
The couple said watching the group allows the audience to experience
South African culture and share a little of Duluth's.
Jean Perrault, orchestra director at the University of Minnesota Duluth,
planned to see Mambazo tonight and encouraged his students to
attend the Sunday show. Because he focuses on orchestra basics and
laying a music foundation for his students, Perrault said they "get a
pretty steady diet of western music."
Performances like Ladysmith Black Mambazo's allow them to take in
music from cultures they might not be familiar with, he said.
"It's important to be exposed to different cultures, ways and music,"
Perrault said. "A lot of students have never heard music like this
before."
Show-goers on Sunday were not surprised at the quick sale of tickets,
noting that many Duluthians are culturally savvy. Adam Hunt,
Ladysmith Black Mambazo's tour manager, said he heard the same
thing in Iowa City, the group's previous stop.
"From what people in Iowa City tell me, (Duluth) is a pretty culturally
hip place," Hunt said. "It turns out that they were very serious about it."
A shortened Ladysmith Black Mambazo performance can be seen free
today at noon in the UMD Weber Auditorium. A show scheduled for
Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in the Reif Center in Grand Rapids has sold out.
03/06/06 >> go there
Click Here to go back.
1/28/2008 1:28 PM
Accentuating the positive - The Boston Globe
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THIS STORY HAS BEEN FORMATTED FOR EASY PRINTING
WORLD
Accentuating the positive
January 15, 2008
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Ilembe (Heads Up International)
Peace, unity, social harmony, and national pride make a good platform for a leader and an even better foundation for a
nation. That's why the unshakeable message of South African icon Shaka Zulu, who united the Zulu tribes, still
resonates two centuries after his death.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo, the a cappella Zulu choir whose reverberations also touch the spirit, pays tribute to the
warrior leader on its new album, "Ilembe: Honoring Shaka Zulu," out next Tuesday. "Ilembe" means "greatest warrior,"
and Shaka Zulu had an unsavory side that was more sinner than saint. These 12 tracks honor his positive legacies of
a creative spirit and proud heart with songs that are more warming aural baths of harmony than battle cries - sung in
the enveloping Ladysmith style that blends Christian chorale with Zulu chants and "isicathamiya" songs of South
African mines.
Without getting too Pollyanna about it, the ability of leader Joseph Shabalala's eight-man choral army to move like one
rich, deep voice is the perfect vehicle for themes of coming together for the greater good on "O Mmu Beno Mmu,"
overcoming obstacles on "Kuyafindw' Osizini," and staying on the right path in "Hlala Nami."
There's nothing terribly different here from the group's other 40-plus albums, but the sound is as caressing as it was
when Paul Simon's "Graceland" gave the West its first dose of Ladysmith more than 20 years ago. [Tristram Lozaw]
ESSENTIAL "This Is the Way We Do"
Ladysmith Black Mambazo performs Friday at Sanders Theatre. Tickets are $28-$40 at worldmusic.org or
.
617-876-4275
© Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company
1/28/2008 1:14 PM