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.

New York City
Ladysmith Black Mambazo Lyrics

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Sivule savala
Sivule saval'emasangweni
Sivule savala

Sivule savala
Sivule saval'emasangweni
Sivule savala

EMelika (Sivule savala)
E-Europe (Sivule savala)
E-Europe (Sivule savala)
E-Japan (Sivule savala)
E-Russia (Sivule savala)
E-Russia (Sivule savala)
E-Australia (Sivule savala)
E-New Zealand (Sivule savala)
E-Nigeria (Sivule savala)

Wawukhona yini, wawukhona nsizwa?
Wawukhona yini wethu?
Wawukhona yini?
Wawukhona yini insizwa ziyohlangana
Woh hlangana nsizwa
Kwakhal'amadoda
Yash'inkabi (Yash'inkabi)
Wawukhona yini insizwa ziyohlangana

Wawukhona yini, wawukhona eSandlwana?
Wawukhona yini wethu?
Wawukhona yini?
Wawukhona yini insizwa ziyohlangana
Oh weh nsizwa
Kwakukhal'amadoda
Yash'inkabi (Yash'inkabi)
Wawukhona yini insizwa ziyohlangana

Wawukhona yini, wawukhona eNew York?
Wawukhona yini eNew York?
Wawukhona yini insizwa ziyohlangana
Oh weh nsizwa
Zadl'ezimnyama
Kwakukhal'amadoda
Indondo yomhlaba, iGrammy Award
Wawukhona yini insizwa ziyohlangana

Wawukhona yini, wawukhona eNew York?
Wawukhona yini eNew York?
Wawukhona yini insizwa ziyohlangana
Zadl'ezimnyama
Kwakukhal'amadoda
Indondo yomhlaba, iGrammy Award
Wawukhona yini insizwa ziyohlangana

Wawukhona yini, wawukhona nduna?
Wawukhona yini wethu?
Wawukhona yini?
Wawukhona yini insizwa ziyohlangana
Wawukhona yini?
Kwakukhal'amadoda
Yash'inkabi (Yash'inkabi)
Wawukhona yini insizwa ziyohlangana

Wawukhona yini, wawukhona nduna?
Wawukhona yini wethu?
Wawukhona nsizwa?
Wawukhona yini insizwa ziyohlangana
Oh phelela nsizwa
Kwakukhal'amadoda
Yash'inkabi (Yash'inkabi)
Wawukhona yini insizwa ziyohlangana

Wawukhona yini, wawukhona eNew York?
Wawukhona yini eNew York?
Wawukhona yini insizwa ziyohlangana
Yash'inkabi
Zadl'ezimnyama madoda
Kwakukhal'amadoda
Indondo yomhlaba, iGrammy Award
Wawukhona yini insizwa ziyohlangana

Wawukhona yini, wawukhona nduna?
Wawukhona yini wethu?
Wawukhon'eSandlwana
Wawukhona yini insizwa ziyohlangana
Wawukhona yini?
Kwakukhal'amadoda
Yash'inkabi (Yash'inkabi)
Wawukhona yini insizwa ziyohlangana

Wawukhona yini, wawukhona kwanduna?
Wawukhona yini wethu?
Wawukhona wethu?
Wawukhona yini insizwa ziyohlangana
Oh phelela nsizwa
Kwakukhal'amadoda
Yash'inkabi (Yash'inkabi)
Wawukhona yini insizwa ziyohlangana

Wawukhona yini, wawukhona nduna?
Wawukhona yini wethu?

Wawukhona yini?
Wawukhona yini insizwa ziyohlangana

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Ladysmith Black Mambazo's song "New York City" begin with the repetition of "Sivule savala," which translates to "open the gates" or "let them run" in Zulu. This sets the tone for a song about freedom and opportunity, as the group sings about different parts of the world where they have traveled to perform. They reference America, Europe, Japan, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, and Nigeria. The refrain of "Sivule savala" reinforces the idea that there are possibilities and opportunities waiting, as long as the gates are opened.

The song shifts to a different theme as the group asks a series of questions: "Wawukhona yini, wawukhona nsizwa?" ("Is there anyone there, is there a young man?") These are questions about whether their ancestors are present in various places, such as Sandlwana and New York City. The group sings about the bravery of their ancestors and the sacrifices they made during the wars that took place in these places. The repetition of "Kwakukhal'amadoda" ("There were men there") emphasizes the strength and courage of those who came before them.

Overall, "New York City" is a song that celebrates the idea of global connection and the power of ancestry to inspire and guide us. It speaks to the diverse experiences and histories that we carry with us, and the hope that we can find new opportunities and possibilities if we keep moving forward.

New York CityLadysmith Black Mambazo Lyrics

Matlhonyana

on Mhlangidinwa Ngikhathele

Sonke Mabanga

on Isimanga Salomhlaba (The Wonder of This World)

New York City
Ladysmith Black Mambazo Lyrics