Ladysmith Black Mambazo represents the traditional culture of South Africa and is regarded as the country's cultural emissaries at home and around the world.
It has been over twenty 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. Simon was captivated by the stirring sound of bass, alto and tenor harmonies, and incorporated these traditional sounds into the "Graceland" album, a project regarded by many as seminal to today's explosive interest in World Music.
The traditional music sung by Ladysmith Black Mambazo is called ISICATHAMIYA (Is-Cot-A-Me-Ya). It was born in the mines of South Africa. Black workers were taken by rail to work far away from their homes and their families. Poorly housed and paid, they would entertain themselves by singing songs into the wee hours every Sunday morning. They called themselves Cothoza Mfana (toe guys), referring to the dance steps choreographed so as to not disturb the camp security guards.
A radio broadcast in 1970 brought about their first record contract. Since then, the group has recorded over forty albums, selling over seven million records at home and abroad, establishing themselves as the number one selling group from Africa. Their CD titled "Long Walk to Freedom" became the sixth best selling World Music CD of 2006 and received two Grammy Award nominations, bringing their total to 12 nominations over the years. They have won two Grammy Awards, the first in 1987 for their album "Shaka Zulu" and the second award in 2005 for their CD "Raise Your Spirit Higher".
Their latest CD "Ilembe: Honoring Shaka Zulu" pays tribute to the historical icon Shaka Zulu, who is regarded as one of the greatest leaders in African history. Ilembe celebrates not only Shaka Zulu but the sense of perseverance, creativity and pride he has inspired in generations of descendants.
For more info on Ladysmith Black Mambazo visit http://www.mambazo.com/.
For physical events that happen at a specific time. For example a concert, or dance performance. If there are multiple shows, you can still duplicate your event to cover them all.
In-Person Event
Wed. October 15th 2008 + Add to Calendar
The Farquhar at UVic
8:00pm
