Ladysmith Black Mambazo

Born:
Died:

African a cappella group. One of the leading forces in the development of World Music.

The inauguration of Nelson Mandela as president of South Africa in 1994 marked the end of an important phase in the struggle for freedom and equality in that country. Apartheid, the systematic separation of the races, was over, and South Africa was poised to begin to realize the potential of its great natural and human resources. It was appropriate that at that ceremony the music was provided by the group Ladysmith Black Mambazo—a group whose music had helped raise the consciousness of the world.

The music of Ladysmith, like much of the music of African Americans, grew out of the harsh conditions of work and injustice. In order to extract the mineral wealth of the country, poor blacks were taken far from their homes to work, living in horrendous conditions in the mining camps. One of the few recreations they had was singing, and the a cappella style known as Isicathemiya began in these camps in the 1920s and 1930s. The workers brought the music back to the towns, and groups vied with each other in regular singing competitions. Joseph Shabalala, the founder of Ladysmith, began singing this music when he went to Durban in the 1950s to work in the factories. When he returned to the township of Ladysmith, he formed his own group by enlisting brothers and close friends. By the mid-1960s, he had found the sound that he wanted (according to Shabalala, it came to him in a dream), and by 1970 the group had its first recording contract. World-wide fame came after American singer Paul Simon included the group in his groundbreaking album Graceland, an important event in the growth of so-called World Music. Since then, Ladysmith has maintained an incredibly active and successful career of recordings, concert appearances, and work in movies and television commercials.

The success of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, evident in their many awards as well as the number of documentaries made about their music, has helped to make Western listeners think about the music and people of other cultures. And Ladysmith has built on this success both to try to improve living conditions in South Africa and to help preserve its culture.

Links:

The Ladysmith Black Mambazo Web Site