Ladysmith Black Mambazo

Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Tuesday, March 16, 2010

For more than thirty years, Ladysmith Black Mambazo have married the intricate rhythms and harmonies of their native South African musical traditions to the sounds and sentiments of Christian gospel music. The result is a musical and spiritual alchemy that has touched a worldwide audience representing every corner of the religious, cultural and ethnic landscape. The name is an amalgam of Ladysmith, the rural hometown of group founder Joseph Shabalala, Black, a reference to strong oxen, and Mambazo, the Zulu word for axe, a symbol of the group’s ability to “chop down” any singing rival who might challenge them. They were honored with the 2008 Grammy Award for Best Traditional World Music CD

www.mambazo.com