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/>.