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.

Nkosi Sikel'i
Ladysmith Black Mambazo Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Nkosi Sikeleli Africa
Malup hakanyiswu phondolwayo
Yiswa imithanda zo yethu
Nkosi Sikelela
Thina lusapolwayo

Nkosi Sikeleli Africa
Malup hakanyiswu phondolwayo

Yiswa imithanda zo yethu
Nkosi Sikelela
Thina lusapolwayo

Morena boloka setjaba sa heso
O fedise dintwa le matshwe ne ho
Morena boloka setjaba sa heso
O fedise dintwa le matshwe ne ho
O seboloke
O seboloke morena
O seboloke

Se tjaba sa heso
Se tjaba sa Africa

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Ladysmith Black Mambazo's song Nkosi Sikeleli Africa are a prayer for God's blessing upon the African people. The song is sung in Zulu and is a call to unite Africa and uphold the dignity of her people. The repetitive chorus "Nkosi Sikeleli Africa" means "God Bless Africa," and the prayer continues with a plea for God to shine his light on the continent, and to protect its people from harm.

The first stanza, Malup hakanyiswu phondolwayo, refers to the lifting of the dark clouds that hang over Africa. It is a metaphor for the hope that one day Africa will rise above its challenges and prosper. The second stanza, Morena boloka setjaba sa heso, is a prayer for the leaders of Africa to guide and protect their people. The song ends with a powerful call to "boloka setjaba sa Africa", which means "protect the nation of Africa."

Overall, the lyrics of Nkosi Sikeleli Africa are a powerful call for unity, strength, and hope for the African people. It is a prayer for peace and prosperity, for the lifting of the dark clouds that have hung over the continent, and for the protection and guidance of its leaders.

Line by Line Meaning

Nkosi Sikeleli Africa
Oh God, bless Africa

Malup hakanyiswu phondolwayo
Let the land be filled with plenty and prosperity

Yiswa imithanda zo yethu
Nurture the bonds within our families

Nkosi Sikelela
Oh God, bless us

Thina lusapolwayo
We, your children, are standing before you

Morena boloka setjaba sa heso
Lord, protect our nation

O fedise dintwa le matshwe ne ho
End all wars and tribulations

O seboloke
Preserve it for future generations

O seboloke morena
Keep it safe, Lord

Se tjaba sa heso
This nation of ours

Se tjaba sa Africa
This nation of Africa