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.

Akehlulek Ubaba
Ladysmith Black Mambazo Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Bayayazi yini bonk'abantu lendaba emnandi kangaka, madoda
Uma kuguquk 'izinhliziyo kwabase ningizimu Africa...
Kuye kwa qoqan'umhlaba wonke...
Kuye kwajabula umhlaba wonke...
Bathi, "South Africa enhle."
Ake hluleki unkulunkulu
Ake hluleki unkulunkulu
Akakaz 'ehluleke unkulunkulu

Ngoba nami wake wangisiza
Ake hluleki unkulunkulu

Woza kuye naw 'uzokusiza
Hayi! Akehluleki unkulunkulu
Baningi, ubasizile, akakaze ehluleke

Woza kuye naw 'uzokusiza
Hayi! Akehluleki unkulunkulu
Baningi, ubasizile, akakaze ehluleke

South Africa enthsha...
Ake Hluleki unkulunkulu

The fruit o fthe spirit is
Love, joy, peace, long suffering, goodness, gentleness,
self-control, faithfulness, patience, kindness, generosity

Uma beqoqana bonke beza kuye
Bayayazi yini bonk'abantu
Hayi kumnanadi kwelakithi emnambithi

Zulu

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Ladysmith Black Mambazo's song "Akehlulek Ubaba" speak of the beauty and joy of South Africa, while also acknowledging the struggles and hardships that the people of South Africa face. The opening lines speak about how everyone knows the good story of South Africa, but when people's hearts are hurting because of the challenges they face, the beauty of the country can be overshadowed. However, the song reminds listeners that God is always present, even in the midst of difficulties, and that He is there to help and support them. The repeated phrase "Akehlulek Ubaba" means "Do not abandon us, Father" and serves as a plea for divine assistance and comfort.

Throughout the song, there is an emphasis on the importance of community and helping one another. The singer reminds listeners that many people have received help from others and have never been abandoned, leading to the repeated lyric "baningi, ubasizile" meaning "many have been helped." The song concludes with a list of the fruits of the spirit, emphasizing the importance of attributes such as love, peace, and patience in times of struggle.

Line by Line Meaning

Bayayazi yini bonk'abantu lendaba emnandi kangaka, madoda
Do people know about this wonderful story, folks?

Uma kuguquk 'izinhliziyo kwabase ningizumu Africa...
If you look into the hearts of the people of South Africa...

Kuye kwa qoqan'umhlaba wonke...
The whole world is dancing there...

Kuye kwajabula umhlaba wonke...
And the whole world is happy there...

Bathi, "South Africa enhle."
They say, "South Africa is beautiful."

Ake hluleki unkulunkulu
Don't forget God

Akakaz 'ehluleke unkulunkulu
God has never forgotten us

Ngoba nami wake wangisiza
Because He also helped me

Ake hluleki unkulunkulu
Don't forget God

Woza kuye naw 'uzokusiza
Come to Him, He will help you

Hayi! Akehluleki unkulunkulu
No! Don't forget God