It’s a long way from Ladysmith, South Africa, to Albuquerque, N. M.Literally. In the neighborhood of 10,000 miles, according to Google Maps.Metaphorically, too, for Albert Mazibuko and his seven cohorts in Ladysmith Black Mambazo, who will perform Tuesday in Bend (see "If You Go").
To many, the name Ladysmith Black Mambazo is synonymous with Paul Simon, the mega-star who collaborated with the South African a cappella group on his landmark 1986 record Graceland. What most don’t know is that the eight-piece mini choir had been in existence for more than 20 years by the time Simon tapped their talents in the mid-1980s. Now, another 20 plus years has passed since Mambazo
In 1987, Ladysmith Black Mambazo released an album, Shaka Zulu, named after the 19th-century founder of the Zulu empire. The record was both the group's proper international debut (it was produced by Paul Simon, who worked with Mambazo for his Graceland album) and a celebration of the South African
Unlike many of the groups other works, Ilembe features only Ladysmith Black Mambazo, with no collaborations with other artists. The albums title refers to
Ladysmith Black Mambazo, South Africa's premier vocal group, made the world aware of the power of Zulu music in 1986, when they sang on Paul Simon's Graceland. Since then, they've won Grammys and toured the globe, captivating audiences with their uplifting harmonies and amazing dance routines â€
Some of the finest art, literature, and music has been created in the midst of turbulence and unrest. Music in particular has flourished among suffering people, giving them a way to both express their sorrow and mitigate it. Ladysmith Black Mambazo can certainly claim to be part of this lineage, having performed their music for nearly half a century in their home country of South Africa.
More than two decades ago, the South African Zulu vocal group Ladysmith Black Mambazo got its first taste of the West when folk singer-songwriter Paul Simon took the 10 singers into the recording studio to work on a few new songs. The tracks - wistful "Homeless," buoyant "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes" - became part of "Graceland," an album that's, of course, now a pop classic, having
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