Ladysmith Black Mambazo is a South African male choral group singing in the local vocal styles of isicathamiya and mbube. They became known internationally after singing with American Paul Simon on his 1986 album Graceland. They have since won multiple awards, including five Grammy Awards the fifth of which they dedicated to the late former South African President Nelson Mandela.
Mbube is a form of South African vocal music, made famous by the South African group Ladysmith Black Mambazo. The word mbube means "lion" in Zulu. Traditionally performed a cappella, the members of the group are male, although a few groups have a female singer. In this form, groups of voices singing homophonically in rhythmic unison are employed to create intricate harmonies and textures.
Isicathamiya is a singing style that originated from the Zulu people, a South African ethnic group. In European understanding, a cappella is also used to describe this form of singing.
PJ Powers is a South African singer and performer. She became a household name in southern Africa after the widespread success of the song “Jabulani”. When she played at the Jabulani Amphitheatre in 1983 she was hailed by the crowd with the name “Thandeka”. On the stage she drank from a calabash as part of the performance to the delight of the audience. World in Union 95, the Ladysmith Black Mambazo version featuring PJ Powers, became an international hit record in 1995. It reached no. 47 in the UK singles charts.
Mhlophe, known as Gcina Mhlophe, is a South African storyteller, writer, playwright, and actress. In 2016, she was listed as one of BBC's 100 Women. She tells her stories in four of South Africa's languages: English, Afrikaans, Zulu and Xhosa, and also helps to motivate children to read.
The Zulu people are a South African ethnic group. Many Zulu musicians have become a major part of South African music, creating a huge influence in the music industry. A number of Zulu-folk derived styles have become well known across South Africa and abroad. Zulu music has dominated many genres in South Africa, especially house music, folk music, acapella, choral music and gospel. In fact, some of the most popular songs from South Africa are in isiZulu.
Bhekizizwe Joseph Shabalala was a South African singer and musician who was the founder and musical director of the choral group Ladysmith Black Mambazo.
The Ladysmith Black Mambazo Foundation was set up in January 1999 by Ladysmith Black Mambazo lead singer and founder Joseph Shabalala. The foundation teaches the history of South African music styles isicathamiya and, to a lesser extent, mbube.
Gallo Record Company is the largest record label in South Africa. It is based in Johannesburg, South Africa, and is owned by Arena Holdings. The current Gallo Record Company is a hybrid of two South African record labels, rivals between the 1940s and 1980s: the original Gallo Africa (1926–85) and G.R.C.. In 1985 Gallo Africa acquired G.R.C.; as a result, Gallo Africa became known as Gallo-GRC. Five years after the acquisition, the company was renamed Gallo Record Company.
The Very Best of Ladysmith Black Mambazo – Rain, Rain, Beautiful Rain is a 2-disc compilation album by the South African isicathamiya group Ladysmith Black Mambazo. It was released in the United Kingdom in November 2004, to coincide with the group's tour of the UK that month.
Ilembe is a 2007 album by the South African isicathamiya group Ladysmith Black Mambazo. It was released on 26 February 2007 and did not feature collaborations, and was simply "Ladysmith Black Mambazo at its best", as the Gallo press release for the anticipated release put it. It was re-released in 2008 with the title Ilembe: Honoring Shaka Zulu.
Induku Zethu is an album by the South African isicathamiya group Ladysmith Black Mambazo. The album shows the group on the front cover photograph wearing traditional Zulu attire, with lead singer and founder Joseph Shabalala out front brandishing a spear. The album was released in 1983, and reissued internationally in 1984 by Shanachie Records.
"World in Union" is a theme song for the Rugby World Cup. Its melody is "Thaxted", from the middle section of "Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity", a movement from Gustav Holst's The Planets, and was originally adapted by Holst for its use in the British/Anglican patriotic hymn, "I Vow to Thee, My Country", using words by Sir Cecil Spring Rice.
Metro FM is a national radio station in South Africa owned by the South African Broadcasting Corporation. The station broadcasts on FM Stereo as well as the DStv Bouquet Channel 801. Telephone :
My Dream – African Sounds is a 2008 release by the South African groups Ladysmith Black Mambazo and the SABC Choir. It was released on 30 September 2008. The album is a collaboration of both isicathamiya and choral music.
"Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. It was the fourth single from his seventh studio album, Graceland (1986), released on Warner Bros. Records. The song features guest vocals from the South African male choral group Ladysmith Black Mambazo.
Always With Us is a 2014 album by the South African isicathamiya group Ladysmith Black Mambazo. The album, released on 15 January 2014, is a tribute to the life of the group's matriarch Nellie Shabalala (1953-2002), the late wife of Mambazo leader Joseph Shabalala. It is also only the second album in the group's 50-year career to feature female Zulu vocalists singing alongside the male members.
Mhlahleni James "14" Shabalala was a South African Maskandi musician who came from Bergville in KwaZulu-Natal. He was part of the alternative music scene in South Africa. Shabalala was very popular as a result of his live performances at festivals and concerts throughout the country. He performed at the Splashy Fen festivals in the 1990s, and toured with musicians such as Joseph Shabalala and Ladysmith Black Mambazo.
