Ladysmith Black Mambazo, formed by Joseph Shabalala (1941 – 2020) in 1960 i… Read Full Bio ↴Ladysmith Black Mambazo, formed by Joseph Shabalala (1941 – 2020) in 1960 in Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, is a South African male choral group that sings in the vocal styles of isicathamiya and mbube. They rose to worldwide prominence as a result of singing with Paul Simon on his 1986 album Graceland, and have won multiple awards, including four Grammy Awards. They have become one of South Africa's most prolific recording artists, with their releases receiving gold and platinum disc honors, and have come to represent the traditional culture of South Africa. They are regarded as South Africa's cultural emissaries at home and around the world. They are a national treasure of the new South Africa in part because they embody the traditions suppressed in the old South Africa.
It has been years since Paul Simon made his initial trip to South Africa and met Joseph Shabalala, and the other members of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, in a recording studio in Johannesburg. Having listened to a cassette of their music sent by a DJ based in Los Angeles, Simon was captivated by the stirring sound of bass, alto and tenor harmonies. Simon incorporated the traditional sounds of black South Africa into the Graceland album, a project regarded by many as seminal to today's explosive interest in World music
'60s Africa found the Zulu and Sotho beginning to incorporate the influences of African American R&B, jazz, and blues into their traditional, indigenous music. New styles such as township jazz, pennywhistle street music, Kwela, and marabi were formed. Eventually, these myriad styles coalesced to create a new hybrid pop music that came to be known as mbaqanga. Though mbaqanga employs the traditional instrumentation of Western pop (guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, and vocals), the approach to song structure and rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic phrasing is uniquely African.
Recorded between 1981 and 1984, THE INDESTRUCTIBLE BEAT OF SOWETO is the first (and arguably the best) of a slew of South African pop recordings that soon followed. Characterized by insistent, rhythmically complex beats, elastic, burbling basslines, tight, ska-sounding guitar accompaniment, and thick, multi-part vocals, this music is as intriguing as it is appealing. Groups with such names as Udokotela Shange Namajaha and Amaswazi Emvelo serve up bright, infectious melodies and percussively insistent tracks that are clearly intended for dancing.
It has been years since Paul Simon made his initial trip to South Africa and met Joseph Shabalala, and the other members of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, in a recording studio in Johannesburg. Having listened to a cassette of their music sent by a DJ based in Los Angeles, Simon was captivated by the stirring sound of bass, alto and tenor harmonies. Simon incorporated the traditional sounds of black South Africa into the Graceland album, a project regarded by many as seminal to today's explosive interest in World music
'60s Africa found the Zulu and Sotho beginning to incorporate the influences of African American R&B, jazz, and blues into their traditional, indigenous music. New styles such as township jazz, pennywhistle street music, Kwela, and marabi were formed. Eventually, these myriad styles coalesced to create a new hybrid pop music that came to be known as mbaqanga. Though mbaqanga employs the traditional instrumentation of Western pop (guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, and vocals), the approach to song structure and rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic phrasing is uniquely African.
Recorded between 1981 and 1984, THE INDESTRUCTIBLE BEAT OF SOWETO is the first (and arguably the best) of a slew of South African pop recordings that soon followed. Characterized by insistent, rhythmically complex beats, elastic, burbling basslines, tight, ska-sounding guitar accompaniment, and thick, multi-part vocals, this music is as intriguing as it is appealing. Groups with such names as Udokotela Shange Namajaha and Amaswazi Emvelo serve up bright, infectious melodies and percussively insistent tracks that are clearly intended for dancing.
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The Very Best
Ladysmith Black Mambazo Lyrics
Ain't No Sunshine Ain't no sunshine when he's gone It's not warm when he's…
Amazing Grace Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound That saved a wretch…
Because I Love You Wang'thand' umuntu, madoda Wang'thand' umuntu (Wang'thanda,…
Black Is Beautiful I'm so glad (I'm glad) To have many friends black and whit…
Chain Gang I hear somethin' sayin' (Hooh! aah!) (hooh! aah!) (Hooh! aa…
Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes (a-wa) O kodwa you zo-nge li-sa namhlange (a-wa a-wa) Si-bon…
Halleluya I'm so glad (I'm glad) To have many friends black and white …
Hello My Baby Hey baby Hey beautiful girl Hey baby hey Sing hey baby hey …
Homeless Emaweni webaba Silale maweni Webaba silale maweni Webaba sil…
How Long How long baby How long should I wait for you How long…
Inkanyezi Nezazi (the Star and The Wiseman) Kuye kwamemeza baprofethi emandulo Kumemeza abantu abadala k…
Knockin' on Heaven's Door Lord take this badge off of me I can't use…
Mbube (Wimoweh) A family lived close to the jungle At the end of…
New York City Sivule savala Sivule saval'emasangweni Sivule savala Sivule…
Nkosi Sikel'Iafrica (Shosholoza) Nkosi Sikeleli Africa Malup hakanyiswu phondolwayo Yiswa imi…
Oh Happy Day Oh happy day (oh happy day) Oh happy day (oh happy…
Rain Rain Beautiful Rain Oh rain, oh rain Oh rain, oh rain, beautiful rain Don't dist…
Swing Low Sweet Chariot Swing low, sweet chariot, Coming for to carry me home, Swing…
Matlhonyana
on Mhlangidinwa Ngikhathele
Last 6months with dad we would listen to this track little did I know he was communicating
Sonke Mabanga
on Isimanga Salomhlaba (The Wonder of This World)
For the Love of Black Mambazo