Ladysmith Black Mambazo: A very influential singing group

Ladysmith Black Mambazo

            Ladysmith Black Mambazo is a male choral group from Durban, Kwazulu-natal, South Africa. Joseph Shabalala started this group in 1960. Joseph started the group to teach people about South Africa and it’s culture. The original group members included: Joseph Shabalala, Headman and Enoch Shabalala (Joseph’s brothers), Albert, Milton, Furokwakhe, Adednego, and Joseph Mazibuko (Joseph’s cousins), Matovoti Msimanga and Walter Malingo (good friends).

             The meaning of Mambazo is axe in the Zulu language. They used this in their name to show that they “chop down” their competition. The group sings in two singing styles which are: Isicathamiya, traditional Zulu music, and Mbube, a cappella. They received 3 Grammy Awards and many other smaller awards. To South Africans, they are known by being the most prolific recording artists in South Africa, receiving both gold and platinum disc honors on their albums. The first album was released in 1973 and soon after that they began competing in Isicathamiya competitions. Later, they began to do concerts throughout South Africa but occasionally got stopped by Police because of Apartheid.

            In January 1999, Joseph Shabalala started the Ladysmith Black Mambazo Foundation. This was made to teach young South Africans about traditional culture and music, which was Isicathamiya. At the moment, a Ladysmith Black Mambazo Foundation Center is being built. This center will include: a rehersal hall, multiple teaching areas, and professional recording studios.

            This group is a very well rounded group of guys that don’t just want to make it big in the music industry but also want to teach people around the world and in their country their culture and traditions. They are all great roll models that could lead all young people to become wonderful people. They also can relate to older people because they are teaching about old traditions and culture. Therefore, they are a great group for everyone. I recommend that everyone should listen to at least one of their songs because they are not only nice sounding but deep and thoughtful, unlike most of the music that is on the radio nowadays.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFQ1TSzdpRA

Abby M
English 2A

Lady Blacksmith Mambazo; Anna M.

            Grammy award winning South African musical group, Lady Blacksmith Mambazo, was founded in the early 1960’s, and took the name due to many contributing factors. Ladysmith is the name of Joseph’s hometown, about 3 hours east of Johannesburg; Black being a reference to the oxen, the strongest of all farm animals; and Mambazo being the Zulu word for chopping axe, a symbol of the group’s ability to “chop down” any singing rival who might challenge them. Their collective voices were so well composed, and their harmonies were so perfected, that by the end of the 1960's, they were banned from competitions, although they were welcome to participate as entertainers.

            They became famous, however, due to a radio broadcast featuring their music. Their musical style derives heavily from a customary music called isicathamiya (is-cot-a-ME-Ya), which developed in the mines of South Africa, where black workers were taken by rail to work far away from their homes and families. Given below par housing and payment, the mine workers would entertain themselves for six days a week, singing songs into the early hours of Sunday morning. When the miners were finally reimbursed to their homes, this musical flair returned with them.

            Lady Blacksmith Mambazo’s role in the abolishment of apartheid was as tremendous as the popularity of their group. They were asked in 1994 personally by Nelson Mandela to accompany him to his Nobel Peace Prize awards ceremony. This made their name more famous among South Africans, especially those who benefited from the bringing down of of apartheid. With this credibility, Lady Blacksmith Mambazo received offers from many famous singers/songwriters to perform together. The offers that they accepted include ones from Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, Dolly Parton, Sarah McLachlan, Josh Groban, Emmylou Harris, and Melissa Etheridge.

            However, their work is not limited to singing alone. They have been numerously featured in films such as Michael Jackson’s “Moonwalker” video and Spike Lee’s “Do It A Cappella”. They have been featured in soundtracks for multiple movies, including Disney’s “The Lion King, Part II”, as well as Eddie Murphy’s “Coming To America”, Marlon Brando’s “A Dry White Season”, Sean Connery’s “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen”, James Earl Jones’ “Cry The Beloved Country”, and Clint Eastwood's “Invictus”. They have a documentary of their own story, “On Tip Toe: Gentle Steps to Freedom”, which was nominated for an academy award.

            In 2014, Lady Blacksmith Mambazo will celebrate 50 years together of singing, harmonizing, and overall impacting South African society for the better. They provide hope for the general public, while providing a sense of comfort and hominess with their traditional musical style featured in a majority of their songs. Their collaborations with various artists show their influence on a wide scale, and overall continue to raise awareness even 50 years after being founded, and 20 years after apartheids abolishment. Raising awareness is of high importance, especially with the recent death of Nelson Mandela, who was a supporter of Lady Blacksmith Mambazo, and a leader among South Africa. They will hopefully continue to provide a sense of togetherness against oppression and racism in South Africa.

Citation:

"The Official Page for LADYSMITH BLACK MAMBAZO | MAMBAZO.COM | Our Story." The Official Page for LADYSMITH BLACK MAMBAZO | MAMBAZO.COM | Our Story. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2014. <http://www.mambazo.com/our_story/>.